Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

 

US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul claimed on Tuesday that some unidentified drones spotted above New Jersey and New York were "spy drones" from China. The US media described his remarks as a "bombshell." He rushed to label the unidentified drones as "Chinese spy drones" despite officials from the Biden administration having previously insisted that many of the aircraft were innocent commercial drones.

Some American politicians seem to have a special preference for sensationalizing the "China threat." Much like the "spy balloon" incident that unfolded in early 2023, the latest accusations against Chinese drones follow an old script, repackaged with new rhetoric aimed at smearing China.

The "spy balloon" that the US shot down with fighter jets turned the country into a laughingstock around the world. Over a year later, some US lawmakers are now aiming to slap the "spy" label on "Chinese drones," using alarmist language to stoke further fear and anxiety about China. Meanwhile, the Pentagon, White House, and Department of Homeland Security have all asserted that these unidentified flying objects have "no foreign origin." Once again, this proves that in the eyes of some US politicians, accusations of "spy" don't need to be based on facts, as long as they can defame China. 

From "spy balloons" to "spy cranes" to "spy drones"... these absurd and paranoid labels reflect the distorted and narrow-minded mentality of some US politicians in their attempts to contain and suppress China. 

The accusations against "Chinese spy drones" coincide with a recent move in the US Senate, where a provision within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 aims to create mechanisms for further oversight and prohibition of the use of Chinese drones. The bill seeks to add Chinese drone companies to the Federal Communications Commission's "Covered List," which would prevent their use in telecommunications industries. Proponents of the bill argued that the US should ban Chinese drones, claiming that these drones pose a threat.

Undoubtedly, some US politicians, by fostering continuous fear of a specific "other," are pushing political agendas that serve their private interests. The result is that the US ultimately bears the costs. American industrial insiders have told media that 90 percent of public safety agencies in the US and globally are already using Chinese drones. If the bill goes fully through and prohibits the use of Chinese drones, it would be catastrophic. The drone ban is also opposed by US farm groups, who consider Chinese drones to be better, cheaper, more capable, and more reliable than US-made alternatives, arguing that it would cripple US agriculture.

However, some US political elites choose to ignore this reality. What they care about is demonizing everything related to China — from balloons to garlic to drones — in order to score political points and serve their own interests.

The exaggerated "threat" posed by Chinese drones and the absurd legislation targeting them are nothing more than reflections of unwarranted fears about China. The current wave of drone hysteria only deepens the paranoia, making the US a breeding ground for delusion, irrationality, and instability. 

The rumors exaggerating the threat of Chinese "spy drones" and so-called security threats will ultimately collapse under their own weight. The repeated "spy" farces have only led one to wonder since when America has become so vulnerable in terms of security, making the US increasingly a laughingstock on the world stage.