Republicans subpoena Blinken to find out if he blocked sanctioning China after spy balloon incident

After the State Department repeatedly failed to comply with documents requests, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul is subpoenaing the materials related to the Chinese spy balloon incident.

McCaul is alleging that Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not use sanctions and export controls to properly counter ‘growing aggression’ by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Foreign Affairs chairman is demanding the Department hand over documents related to ‘reported obstruction’ for using these national security tools.

Documents could indicate if the U.S. did deviate from plans to sanction China after its surveillance balloon traveled over sensitive military sites in North America earlier this year.

U.S. military shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast in February after it crossed over sensitive military sites.

The U.S. Military shot down a Chinese spy balloon earlier this year (pictured) after it traveled over sensitive military sites in North America

The Biden administration revealed that the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a military-linked aerial surveillance program targeting more than 40 countries.

China maintains that the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft – and the CCP has threatened repercussions if they are punished for the incident.

Among the documents Rep. McCaul of Texas is demanding are the State Department’s ‘competitive actions’ calendars, which is a classified list of actions Biden’s team came up with to counter Chinese aggression following the balloon flyover.

The plan included sanctioning Chinese companies and implementing export controls – including on Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Initially, McCaul asked Blinken in May to voluntarily hand over the documents.

McCaul’s office released on Wednesday an image of the lawmaker signing the subpoena.

‘Given the State Department’s continued refusal to comply with my committee’s urgent request for crucial information related to China, I am left with no choice but to issue a subpoena,’ Chairman McCaul wrote in a statement on the subpoena.

‘It is vital the committee obtain these documents to shed light on the department’s reported failure to enforce U.S. national security laws against CCP companies and human rights abusers,’ he added. ‘The department must comply as legally obligated, further obstruction and delay will not be tolerated.’

Chair McCaul alleges that Secretary of State Antony Blinken failed to implement planned sanctions and export controls because he wanted to continue engaging with the CCP. He claimed Blinken failed to comply with requests to voluntarily hand over the documents

McCaul alleges that State failed to issue sanctions over the balloon incident because Blinken wanted to continue engaging with Beijing despite increased tensions.

Since Republicans took a majority in the House after the 2022 midterms, McCaul launched a series of probes into the State Department.

One investigation is looking into the classified diplomatic cables on the bungled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and another into allegations that Biden’s special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, mishandled classified information.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says the House Foreign Affairs Committee has logged 49 engagements with the State Department since January.