U.S. President Joe Biden sought to ease concerns about an alleged Chinese spy balloon and shootdowns of three other objects over the U.S. in recent weeks, saying he intends to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping to defuse tensions fanned by the uproar.
Biden said Thursday that intelligence agencies have no indication the three other downed objects were foreign surveillance aircraft but also promised new guidelines designed to secure U.S. airspace. He also vowed to "responsibly manage” competition with China "so that it doesn’t veer into conflict.”
"We’re not looking for a new Cold War, but I make no apologies, and we will compete,” Biden said in remarks at the White House, his first extended effort to publicly address the episode.