US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his visit to China which was expected to start on Friday.
The main motive for postponing the visit is the presence of the Chinese balloon that was observed flying across the United States.
The presence of the balloon was described as a "clear violation" of US sovereignty by US officials.
The Pentagon said, Thursday, that the institution tracked a balloon over the states, and it was observed over Montana on Wednesday, and military leaders considered shooting it but President Biden rejected the idea of concerns over safety risks from debris.
The incident created a political controversy in the US.
On the other hand, China expressed, on Friday, regret and described the balloon as a "civilian" airship, and it strayed into US airspace.
A senior State Department official announced Blinken decided to postpone his trip.
The official said: "We have noted the PRC (People's Republic of China) statement of regret, but the presence of this balloon in our airspace is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law, and it is unacceptable that this has occurred."
The official continued that Blinken informed the Chinese director of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi "that he would plan to travel to the PRC at the earliest opportunity when conditions allow."
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