by EVAN YAO and JEANIE CHUA
Reports of UFOs crossing into North American boundaries surfaced in late January, triggering internal speculation and political tension with China.
On Jan. 28, U.S. agencies reported the first UFO sighting over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands after tracking it from Hainan Island in China. After the balloon reentered U.S. territory, it floated above military facilities in Montana on Feb. 1.
This only increased doubts among American officials, who accused China of sending Chinese spy balloons to gather information on the United States. The presence of these “spy balloons” furthered existing tensions between Washington and Beijing.
As the U.S. government worried about evoking fear and endangering its civilians, it waited until the balloon reached the Atlantic Ocean before shooting it down, 65,000 feet in the air off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C. This marked the prelude of the continuous political tension between the two superpower nations.
According to the White House, F-22 stealth aircraft shot down three additional
balloons on Feb. 10-11 at President Biden’s order. The balloons were estimated to be the size of three school buses. Some were octagonal, some were cylindrical, and some were car-shaped.
The U.S. shot down four mysterious “extraterrestrial” objects in early February.
U.S. officials used vague language to describe these “objects,” provoking much public speculation. Beijing described the UFOs as “civilian airships” used for meteorology and other scientific purposes. It responded to U.S. criticism by
calling the decision to shoot the objects out of the sky an “overreaction.”
Beijing has also accused the United States of taking advantage of the issue, creating unnecessary controversy. China also countered U.S. accusations by claiming that American spy balloons have flown into its airspace more than 10 times since January 2022.
In reference to these incidents, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre assured that “there is no indication of aliens or [extra]terrestrial activity with these recent takedowns.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes that the spy balloon was an irresponsible act and a violation of American sovereignty and international law. This wasn’t the first time that Chinese surveillance has entered American territory. According to U.S. officials, such activity occurred three times during Donald Trump’s presidency, and at least once during Biden’s.
Beijing is acknowledged to have one of the premier global espionage programs, yet this balloon operation over U.S. territory was seen by many observers as clumsy. The invasion was so conspicuous that many civilians could see it with the naked eye.
Tension increased as Washington suspected China’s goals behind these peculiar
sightings, speculating that the balloon served to test the U.S.’s reaction to provocation.
Within the country, UFOs have sparked tension and disagreement between political parties. Republicans criticized Biden for not shooting down the balloon sooner, while Democrats defended the president for his cautious, measured approach.
These four sightings have radically altered the two countries’ political tensions. The uncertainty has left the international community clueless about what is to come next.
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