According to a New York Times report, President Biden surprised defense officials by sharing classified information about the Chinese spy balloon incident during a campaign fundraiser on Tuesday evening. The revelation reportedly left the officials stunned. In an unexpected digression, Biden informed donors that Chinese President Xi Jinping was unaware of specific details regarding the unmanned Chinese spy balloon. The balloon had been shot down near the South Carolina coast after passing over several military installations earlier this year. The information Biden disclosed was considered sensitive and had been provided to him by intelligence agencies.
“The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two boxcars full of spy equipment in it is he didn’t know it was there. No, I’m serious. That’s what’s a great embarrassment for dictators, when they don’t know what happened,” Biden addressed approximately 130 attendees who were donors at the fundraising event in California.
Moreover, Biden disclosed that the spy balloon was believed to have been monitoring military installations in Hawaii and Alaska, but it deviated from its intended path. Biden commented, “That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course up through Alaska and then down through the United States, and he didn’t know about it.”
According to the New York Times, U.S. officials were taken aback by the president’s decision to disclose classified information related to national security.
Biden continued to share further intelligence regarding the country’s assessment of China and its strategic approach. Referring to his Chinese counterpart, the president stated, “What he was really upset about was that I insisted that we reunite the so-called Quad. He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind.” Biden clarified that the purpose of the Quad was to ensure open air and sea lanes in accordance with international rules, rather than encircling China, and emphasized that the United States would not back down on that matter.
In an attempt to reassure the donors, the president assured them not to be concerned about China, highlighting that the nation is currently facing significant economic challenges.
According to a New York Times source, an official affirmed that Biden’s statements align with the assessment made by intelligence agencies concerning both the spy balloon incident and China in general.
This recent occurrence took place just a day after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited China and made a surprising shift in U.S. policy by stating that America does not endorse Taiwan’s independence. Blinken expressed, “We do not support Taiwan independence. We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. We continue to expect a peaceful resolution.”
