“Eleven fifty-five”
Chinese spy balloon alerts German politicians
This spy balloon was spotted in the US state of Montana
© Larry Mayer / DPA
The Chinese spy balloon near US nuclear missile sites worries German politicians. It is also about the security of Germany.
Politicians and experts in Germany have expressed their alarm at the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon near nuclear missile sites in the United States – also because of China’s close ties to Russia. The incident shows that China “even no longer respects US airspace,” said the human rights spokesman for the Union faction Michael Brand of “Bild”. The deputy chairman of the Union faction for foreign affairs and defense, Johann Wadephul, spoke of a “warning signal”.
China expert Brand pointed out that China’s President Xi Jinping is expected soon for bilateral talks in Moscow. “We will have to be prepared for a tough race for global dominance by dictatorship or democracy,” said the CDU politician.
Wadephul also called for the establishment of a “national security council” in Germany based on the US model. It was “five to twelve,” said Wadephul of “Bild”.
China “also very active in Germany”
The security expert and former chief of staff at the Federal Ministry of Defense Nico Lange called on the federal government to be more aware of the problem of China’s espionage activities in Germany as well. The incident in the USA shows “that we also have to think about our safety precautions,” he told the “Bild”. China is also very active in espionage and economic espionage in Germany.
According to military expert Maximilian Terhalle of the London School of Economics, China’s espionage activities may have been aimed at US strategic nuclear missiles stationed in Montana. In the “Bild” he pointed out that the long range of the missiles “is an effective deterrent not only against China, but above all against Russia”. The Chinese “espionage attack” in Montana therefore also affects “security in Europe”.
Second balloon over Latin America
The discovery of a first spy balloon over the United States on Friday caused new turmoil between Washington and Beijing. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a trip to China planned for the coming days because of the incident. China had previously asserted that it was a “civilian” balloon, particularly for “meteorological purposes,” that accidentally flew into US airspace.
A second balloon later appeared over Latin America. “In our estimation, it is another Chinese spy balloon,” US Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said on Saturday. On Saturday, however, China accused “some politicians and media in the United States” of using the incident as an excuse “to attack and slander China.”