Feb. 3, 2023: Worries balloon over Chinese spying

The Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

Daily News, Politics, Government, News

4.2 • 614 Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2023

⏱️ 8 minutes

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Summary

We have our first taste of how different conducting foreign policy will be for President Joe Biden now that Republicans control the House. The Pentagon revealed Thursday afternoon that it has detected and is tracking a large Chinese spy balloon floating in the stratosphere above Montana, where it was surveilling a nuclear missile base. The balloon, which entered U.S. airspace on Tuesday, is well above the altitude at which commercial aircraft fly, and Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder insisted that it “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.” Officials also noted that it’s not the first time one of these balloons has been spotted in American airspace in recent years — including during the Trump administration. But another official said the balloon has lingered longer than the others. “It is appearing to hang out for a long period of time this time around, more persistent than in previous instances,” the official said. D.C.-based China correspondent Phelim Kine joins to break down the reaction from Washington in the midst of already high tensions with China. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing.Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Presented by the American Petroleum Institute.
0:04.5	Hey there, Playbook listeners.
0:06.6	I'm Rogumonavalin.
0:08.2	A campaign launch in South Carolina, a balloon over Montana, and perhaps a Senate race in Maryland.
0:15.6	Here are the big things we're watching on Friday, February 3rd.
0:19.8	Former UN ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
0:23.7	is heading to New Hampshire after her expected presidential campaign launch in South Carolina
0:29.8	on February 15th. That's per our own Lisa Kaczynski. Haley is planning to hold
0:35.8	town hall style events in New Hampshire from February
0:39.1	16th through the 18th. That's according to a person familiar with their schedule. And Politica's
0:46.3	Ali Mutnik, Burgess Everett, and Sarah Ferris report this morning. At least three politicians
0:51.8	are looking at potential runs to succeed 79-year-old Senator Ben Cardin.
0:57.5	Angela Olso Brooks, the Prince George's County Executive, is staffing up for potential bid,
1:03.1	according to four people familiar what they're planning.
1:05.8	And two House Democrats, with very different profiles, could take the leap, Representative Jamie Raskin, a progressive
1:12.5	leader on the January 6th investigation, and moderate representative David Trone, a wealthy wine
1:18.6	magnet who represents Western Maryland. None would challenge Cardin, but Democrats think his retirement
1:24.6	is a real possibility.
1:35.6	We have our first taste of how different conducting foreign policy will be for President Joe Biden now that Republicans control the House.
1:38.5	The Pentagon revealed on Thursday afternoon that it has detected and is tracking a suspected large Chinese spy balloon
1:46.1	above Montana.
1:47.5	Politico's DC-based China correspondent, Feelem Kyn, has been tracking the balloon.
	...

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