Good afternoon.
Last week in the immediate aftermath of the
incursion by China's high altitude balloon.
Our military, through the North
American Aerospace Defense Command,
so-called NORAD, closely scrutinized.
The our airspace,
including enhancing our radar to pick up
more slow moving objects above our country.
Around the world and doing so they attract
3 unidentified objects, one in Alaska,
Canada and over Lake Huron in the Midwest.
They acted in accordance with established
parameters for determining how to deal with
unidentified aerial objects in US airspace.
At their recommendation,
I gave the order to take down these
three objects due to hazards to civilian
commercial air traffic and because we
could not rule out the surveillance
risk of sensitive facilities.
We acted in consultation with
the Canadian government.
I spoke personally with Prime Minister
Trudeau and cat from Canada on Saturday.
And just as critically,
we acted out of an abundance of caution
and had an opportunity that allowed us
to take down these these objects safely.
Our military and the Canadian military
are seeking to recover the debris so we
can learn more about these three objects.
Our intelligence community is still
assessing all three incidences.
They're reporting to me daily and will
continue their urgent efforts to do so,
and I will communicate that to the Congress.
We don't yet know exactly what
these three objects were,
but nothing,
nothing right now suggests they were
related to Chinas spy balloon program,
or that there were surveillance
vehicles from other any other country.
The intelligence community's current
assessment is that these three
objects were most likely balloons
tied to private companies,
recreation,
or research institutions studying whether
or conducting other scientific research.
When I came into office,
I instructed our intelligence community
to take a broad look at the phenomenon
of unidentified aerial objects.
We know that a range of entities,
including countries, companies,
and research organizations,
operate objects at altitudes for
purposes that are not nefarious,
including legitimate scientific research.
I want to be clear.
We don't have any evidence that
there has been a sudden increase in
the number of objects in the sky.
We're now just seeing more of them,
partially because the steps we've
taken to increase our radars,
to narrow our radars.
And we have to keep adapting
our approach to delaying,
to dealing with these challenges.
That's why I've directed my team to
come back to me with sharper rules
for how we will deal with these
unidentified objects moving forward,
distinguishing distinguishing between
those that are likely to pose safety
and security risk that necessitate
action and those that do not.
But make no mistake.
If any object presents a threat to the
safety and security of the American people,
I will take it down.
I'll be sharing with Congress
these classified policy parameters
when they are completed,
and they'll remain classified so
we don't give our road map to our
enemies to try to evade our defenses.
Going forward,
these parameters will guide what
actions will take
while responding to unmanned and
unidentified aerial objects.
We're going to keep adapting them as
it challenges evolve if it evolves.
In addition, we've derived directed
my national security adviser to lead
a government wide effort to make sure
we are positioned to deal safely and
effectively with the objects in our airspace.
First, we will establish a better
inventory of unmanned airborne
objects in space above the United
States airspace and make sure that
inventory is accessible and up to date.
Second, we'll implement further measures
to improve our capacity to detect
unmanned objective objects in our airspace.
Third, we'll update the rules and
regulations for launching and maintaining
unmanned objects in the skies above
the United States of America and 4th.
My Secretary of State will lead an
effort to help establish a global,
a global, common global norms in
this largely unregulated space.
These steps will lead to safer and more
secure skies for our air travelers,
our military,
our scientists,
and for people on the ground as well.
That's my job as your President,
commander-in-chief.
As events of the previous days have shown,
will always act to protect the
interest of the American people and
the security of the American people.
Since I came to office,
we've developed the ability to identify,
track,
and study high altitude surveillance
balloons connected with the Chinese military.
When one of these high altitude
surveillance balloons entered our
airspace over the continental
United States earlier in the month,
I gave the order to shoot it down as
soon as it would be safe to do so.
The military advised against shooting
it down over land because of the
sheer size of it.
It was the size of multiple school buses
and opposed the risk to people on the ground.
If it was shot down where people lived.
Instead,
we tracked it closely,
we analyzed its capabilities,
and we learned more about how it operates.
And because we knew its path,
we were able to protect sensitive
sites against collection.
We waited until it was safely over water,
which would not only protect civilians
but also enable us to recover substantial
components for further analysts,
for further, for further analytics,
and then we shot it down,
sending a clear message,
clear message, the violation of our
sovereignty is unacceptable.
Will act to protect our country.
And we did.
Now,
this past Friday,
we put restrictions on 6 firms that
directly support the People's Republic
Liberation Army people's the People's
Liberation Army Aerospace program.
That includes airships and balloons
denying them access to US technology.
We briefed our diplomatic partners
and our allies around the world,
and we know about China's program
and where their balloons had flown.
Some of them have also raised their concerns,
concerns directly with China.
Our exports have lifted components of the
Chinese balloons payload off the ocean floor.
We're analyzing them as I speak and what
we learn will strengthen our capabilities.
Now,
we'll also continue to engage with China
as we have throughout the past two weeks.
As I've said since the
beginning of my administration,
we seek competition,
not conflict with China.
We're not looking for a new Cold War,
but I make no apologize,
I make no apologies, and we will compete.
And we'll be we'll responsibly
manage that competition so that
it doesn't veer into conflict.
This episode underscores the
importance of maintaining open lines
of communication between our diplomats
and our military professionals.
Our diplomats will be engaging
further and I will remain in
communication with President Xi.
I'm grateful for the work of the last
several weeks of our intelligence,
diplomatic and military professionals
who approve once again to be
the most capable in the world.
And I want to thank you all.
Now look,
the other thing I want to point out is
that we are going to keep our allies
and the Congress contemporaneously
informed of all we know and all we learn.
And I expect to be speaking with
President Xi and I hope we have,
we are going to get to the bottom of this.
But I make no apologies for
taking down that balloon.
Thank you very much.
Have a reaction.
Why have you something? Come on, look.
Sure, there's been criticism.
There's been criticism.
There's been criticism in this deal
with China, compromised by your
family's business relations, Sir.
Mr. President. Mr. President,
there's gonna be a break, man.
You overreact.
Booster president, there's.
Actually, that's not
presidential level pressure.
And ask the question when you
have more polite people with
Mr. President, why have you
chosen Poland for your chief
tomorrow anniversary of the war?
And what's your message?
What? When I was speaking to
President Xi, Mr. President.