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US-China tensions

Blinken postpones China trip over spy balloon incident

U.S. diplomat tells counterpart 'clear violation' of law, will visit 'when conditions allow'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Jan. 31. U.S. officials said they raised the matter with their Chinese counterparts through diplomatic channels.   © Reuters

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. has postponed Secretary of State Antony Blinken's planned trip to Beijing, the State Department said Friday, after what Washington called a Chinese surveillance balloon was detected in American airspace.

The State Department revealed in a statement that Blinken told Wang Yi, director of the Communist Party's Central Foreign Affairs Office, that he would not go to China as planned. Blinken said that "in light of this ongoing issue, it would not be appropriate to visit Beijing at this time," according to the statement.

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