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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken scrapped a rare Beijing trip aimed at easing escalating tensions between the U.S. and China after the Pentagon said that China flew a suspected spy balloon over the United States. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken scrapped a rare Beijing trip aimed at easing escalating tensions between the U.S. and China after the Pentagon said that China flew a suspected spy balloon over the United States.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

China and the US were supposed to hold diplomatic talks over the weekend. Instead they sparred over a Chinese balloon that entered American airspace before it was shot down. Where do relations between Washington and Beijing go from here?

This wasn't the first time a Chinese surveillance balloon flew into into U.S. airspace. NPR's Greg Myre talks us through past incidents.

Then we speak with Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor of China and Asia Pacific Studies at Cornell University, about where U.S. and China relations now stand.

This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Gabe O'Connor. It was edited by William Troop, Andrew Sussman and Christopher Intagliata. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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