Canada/US Perspective on Blinken Trip and Chinese Balloon Incident

China has signaled that it will not welcome a stopover by United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, citing concerns that any visit could be influenced by the FBI’s handling of an incident involving a Chinese airship. The statement reportedly came through English-language media outlets citing unnamed sources and corroborating reports from multiple news agencies. In Beijing, officials have emphasized that proceeding with a trip under the current atmosphere would be inappropriate while investigations or formal conclusions are being considered by relevant U.S. authorities. This stance appears aimed at protecting China’s diplomatic sovereignty and avoiding any perception that a foreign inquiry could be framed as a controlled or preemptively managed outcome prior to the official publication of findings.