Rishi Sunak said that the UK was in close contact with its allies across the Atlantic and remained prepared for any safety reaction when visiting a hospital in northern England. Sunak’s response comes as Ben Wallace, the UK’s defence minister, announced that a probe into the security implications of recent breaches into western airspace has been launched.
“I want people to know that we will do whatever it takes to keep the country safe,” Sunak told reporters. “We have something called the quick reaction alert force, which involves Typhoon planes kept on 24/7 readiness to police our airspace. I can’t obviously comment in detail on national security matters but we are in constant touch with our allies and as I said we will do whatever it takes to keep the country safe,” he said.
The US military shot down its fourth flying object on Sunday, noting that it was still trying to figure out the specifics and had not ruled out any possible explanations.
“The UK and her allies will review what these airspace intrusions mean for our security. This development is another sign of how the global threat picture is changing for the worse,” said UK Defence Secretary Wallace.
Chinese spy balloon was shot down
Since a purported Chinese spy balloon was shot down last week off the coast of South Carolina, tensions have risen. US authorities reportedly believe Beijing sent it to watch over vital facilities, but China has said it was a weather balloon.
As the diplomatic dispute worsens, China’s foreign ministry asserted on Monday that the US has violated its airspace more than ten times in the previous year. In addition, the US frequently violates other nations’ airspace, according to Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, who was speaking at a press conference.
In the UK, Transport Minister Richard Holden said it was “possible” that Chinese spy balloons had already been sent to this country. “It is also possible, and I would think likely, that there would be people from the Chinese government trying to act as a hostile state. I think we have to be realistic about the threat these countries pose to the UK,” Holden told ‘Sky News’.
“Since last year alone, US balloons have illegally flown above China more than 10 times without any approval from Chinese authorities. The first thing the US side should do is start with a clean slate, undergo some self-reflection, instead of smearing and accusing China,” he said.
Washington is yet to respond to the allegations from Beijing.
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