A June 11 Global Times editorial noted that the “spy balloon” hysteria in the United States led to the cancellation of Secretary of State Blinken’s reported February 2023 visit to China; and that the specter of a Chinese surveillance base in Cuba was let loose by the Wall Street Journal on June 10 just eight days before Blinken’s rescheduled visit is to occur. “Rescheduled,” that is, only in the U.S. national media, which have reported the date of June 18; there has not been an official confirmation from China. “This has been enough,” the editors wrote, “to confirm the previous assumptions of many people, including us, that there is a direct and close relationship with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s reported China visit. It is obvious that some people in the U.S. want to spoil the possible visit again.”
The paper puts a period of the past two years as characterized by “strange stumbling blocks” in the United States, which always appear to create tension whenever relations might ease. These, it says, are not accidents or coincidences, but organized attacks “by certain political forces in the U.S.”
“Let’s see what kind of tricks Washington will come up with in the next few days,” Global Times concluded. “We might as well remain steadfast in the face of change. Since the U.S. has repeatedly emphasized the need to strengthen high-level communication with China, whether Blinken will visit China is a litmus test of U.S.’ sincerity and political maneuvering ability. Not only the Chinese people, but also the whole world are watching how the show Americans are playing will end.” (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202306/1292388.shtml )
