Beijing, February 3: Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China as the Biden administration weighs a broader response to the discovery of a high-altitude Chinese balloon flying over sensitive sites in the western United States, a U.S. official said Friday.

The abrupt decision comes despite China's claim that the balloon was a weather research satellite that had blown off course. The U.S. has described it as a surveillance satellite. Chinese Spy Balloon: Video Shows China's 'Surveillance' Balloon Lingering Over Montana, US Summons Beijing Diplomat.

The decision came just hours before Blinken had been due to depart Washington for Beijing and marked a new blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations. Officials said Blinken and President Joe Biden determined it was best not to proceed with the trip at this time.

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