气球如何打开了美中关系的新爆发点 I 华尔街日报

  • 2月4日,一个中国气球被美国击落,这本来是为了改善美中关系,但现在已经成为两国之间的摩擦点。
  • 美国和加拿大官员正试图确定两个被称为气球的物体的来源和目的,这两个物体在阿拉斯加和加拿大上空被军用喷气式战斗机击落。
  • 在发现中国的气球后,美国官员加强了对高空空域的监测。
  • 2月1日,在美国击落气球之前,美国国务卿安东尼-布林肯和副国务卿温迪-谢尔曼向中国大使馆的中国代办通报了美国关于中国飞船的调查结果。
  • 中国人对得到的信息感到惊讶,并迅速努力协调外交部和政府其他部门之间的工作,结果是中国国家主席习近平签署了一份声明,称该气球是用于气候研究,它已经偏离了方向,中国对这一事件感到遗憾。
  • 美国将该气球描述为与人民解放军有联系的间谍气球舰队之一,而中国则称其为用于研究的民用飞艇。
  • 美国不确定北京是否打算让气球在飞越阿拉斯加后向南飞越美国,但美国官员确信,中国指示气球飞越阿留申群岛和阿拉斯加,并利用这次飞行作为监视美国敏感军事地点的机会。
  • 在如何处理这一事件上,共产党高层和军队领导层似乎都很混乱,这使北京重启双边关系的努力受挫。
  • 进入国内面临严峻挑战的一年,中国国家主席习近平将保持中美关系不进一步恶化作为外交政策的重点。
  • 中国已经淡化了针对美国的宣传,转而强调合作的必要性。
  • A Chinese balloon was shot down by the US on Feb. 4, which was intended to improve US-China relations but has now become a point of friction between the two countries.
  • US and Canadian officials are trying to determine the origin and purpose of two objects, described as balloons, which were shot down by military jet fighters over Alaska and Canada.
  • US officials have increased monitoring of high-altitude airspace following the discovery of the Chinese balloon.
  • On Feb. 1, before the US shot down the balloon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman informed the Chinese chargé d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy of the US findings regarding the Chinese craft.
  • The Chinese were surprised by the information given to them and worked quickly to coordinate efforts between the Foreign Ministry and other parts of the government, resulting in a statement signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping saying the balloon was for climate research, it had drifted off course, and China regretted the incident.
  • The US has described the balloon as one of a fleet of spy balloons with links to the People’s Liberation Army, while China has called it a civilian airship used for research.
  • The US is not sure if Beijing intended for the balloon to travel south over the US after it went over Alaska, but US officials are confident that China directed the balloon to fly over the Aleutian Islands and Alaska and used the flight as an opportunity to spy on sensitive US military sites.
  • There appeared to be confusion among both the Communist Party top and within the military leadership over how to handle the episode, which set back Beijing’s effort to reset bilateral relations.
  • Going into a year of severe domestic challenges, Chinese President Xi made it a foreign-policy priority to keep the US-China relationship from deteriorating further.
  • China has toned down propaganda directed at the US and instead stressed the need for cooperation.

链接:How a Balloon Opened a New Flashpoint in U.S.-China Ties - WSJ