China Rushes to Cap Damage over Suspected Spy Balloon as Blinken Delays Trip

Previous visits to China by U.S. officials have also been marred by provocative moves. In 2011, hours before receiving Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Beijing, the People’s Liberation Army staged a test flight of a new stealth fighter jet. When U.S. officials raised the issue with President Hu Jintao, the leader and his retinue appeared caught off guard.

“It suggests that there’s at least a lack of coordination somewhere in the government,” said Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific security program at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington. “They … got caught with their hand in the cookie jar with something that’s embarrassing and outwardly provocative at a time when the signal from the top was to take a more slightly more moderate position.”

“If China’s trying to send a message in advance of the meeting, they have ways to do it where they would have a lot more control,” he added.

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