Joe Biden wants to "speak to (Chinese) President Xi" Jinping about the Chinese balloon shot down by the Americans, but assured Thursday February 16 that he did not want a "Cold War" with Beijing.

For the first time, the American president addressed Americans on Thursday about a series of recent incidents: the destruction, on February 4, of a Chinese balloon which, according to Washington, was carrying out a spy mission;

then that, on February 10, 11 and 12, of "objects" still unidentified.

"We do not want a new Cold War" and "will continue to talk with China," said the American president in a short speech.

"I hope I can speak with President Xi and get to the bottom of this matter, but I make no apologies for bringing down this balloon," he added.

"A clear message"

The decision to destroy the aircraft, which Beijing describes as a weather research balloon that inadvertently drifted into American airspace, sends "a clear message", judged Joe Biden - that "any violation of our sovereignty is inadmissible" .

"If a (flying) object poses a threat to the safety of Americans, I will shoot it down," the 80-year-old Democrat said.

However, he acknowledged, like other American officials, that “nothing for the moment” demonstrated that the three “objects” destroyed were “linked to the Chinese spy balloon program, nor that they were surveillance devices. 'another country".

"These three objects are probably linked to private companies, leisure activities or scientific research institutions," said the American president.

Mutual accusations of espionage

"We don't have evidence that there's been a sudden increase in the number of objects in the American sky," he said, "but we're seeing them more," partly due to a change radar settings.

The president claims to have asked his administration to draw up a "better inventory" of flying objects in the American sky, and indicates that he has established a dialogue with the allies of the United States on the espionage program that China leads, according to him.

>>> To read also: "Spy balloon": "China will increase the pressure in its regional environment"

In the case of the Chinese balloon, the Republican opposition had criticized him for having waited too long before having it shot down.

The remains of these flying "objects" will be analyzed to determine with certainty their nature, their use or their origin, but the recovery operations promise to be uncertain given that they were shot down over frozen waters or in remote areas, said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council of the American executive, on Tuesday.

The American president was under pressure to speak on the subject which has poisoned diplomatic relations between the United States and China for several weeks, the two countries accusing each other of espionage.

With AFP

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