Biden only mentioned China 3 times in 2022 State of the Union address

All eyes are connected China and President Biden’s handling of nan spy balloon from nan Communist authorities that was changeable down disconnected nan seashore of South Carolina up of his State of nan Union reside Tuesday.

Republicans are voicing concerns that nan management has ignored aliases downplayed nan increasing threat of nan Chinese Communist Party aft a Chinese surveillance balloon was allowed to drift crossed nan continental U.S. for respective days earlier being taken down by nan U.S. military.

The president only mentioned China three times during his past reside connected March 1, arguing that his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law "put america connected a way to triumph nan economical title of nan 21st period that we look pinch nan remainder of nan world, peculiarly China."

"But, folks, to compete for nan jobs of nan future, we besides request to level nan playing section pinch China and different competitors," he said astatine nan time. "That’s why it’s truthful important to walk nan bipartisan Innovation Act sitting successful Congress that will make grounds investments successful emerging technologies and American manufacturing. We utilized to put almost 2% of our GDP successful investigation and development.  We don’t now. Can’t — China is."

U.S. President Joe Biden during a State of nan Union reside astatine nan U.S. Capitol successful Washington, D.C., U.S., connected Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jim LoScalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

RUBIO SAYS BIDEN WAITING TO AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT CHINESE BALLOON A ‘DERELICTION OF DUTY’

News commentators person speculated that nan president won’t mention nan balloon incident, which galore person criticized arsenic a blunder, astatine each during his reside Tuesday evening. Whether he takes a tougher stance against China and Chinese President Xi Jinping, however, remains to beryllium seen.

The Biden management first announced connected Thursday that it had been search nan Chinese ballon aft it first entered U.S. airspace successful Alaska's Aleutian Islands 5 days earlier.

Republicans person theorized that nan Biden management declined to show nan American nationalist astir nan balloon’s beingness sooner because they didn’t want it to interfere pinch Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned travel to Beijing. Some critics person suggested nan management wouldn't haven mentioned it astatine each if nan balloon hadn't been spotted by civilians floating complete Billings, Montana.

Blinken's travel ended up being canceled anyway, while Republicans hammered Biden for failing to sprout down nan balloon earlier.

President Joe Biden delivers his first State of nan Union reside to a associated convention of Congress astatine nan Capitol, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, successful Washington. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via AP)

Photos taken successful Aynor, SC of nan Chinese spy balloon changeable down. (Fox News)

CRITICS SEE CHINESE SPY BALLOON A S BIDEN'S LATEST POLICY BLUNDER

The White House said that Biden followed nan proposal of nan Pentagon and apical subject leaders not to sprout nan trade down complete nan U.S. successful lawsuit it caused civilian casualties and different collateral damage.

On Sunday, U.S. officials revealed that different Chinese spy balloon collapsed into nan Pacific disconnected nan seashore of Hawaii 4 months ago, and astatine slightest 1 Chinese spy balloon flew complete portions of Texas and Florida during nan Trump administration, contempt nan erstwhile president's insistence it ne'er happened.

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands pinch Chinese President Xi Jinping arsenic they meet connected nan sidelines of nan G20 leaders' acme successful Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022.   (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Former President Trump and a number of his apical nationalist information and defense officials pushed backmost against Biden admin claims that Chinese surveillance balloons concisely transited nan continental United States during nan Trump management successful statements to Fox News Digital.

Former Trump White House nationalist information advisor John Bolton told Fox News Digital that he ne'er heard of thing for illustration this nether his tenure.

"I don’t cognize of immoderate balloon flights by immoderate powerfulness complete nan United States during my tenure, and I’d ne'er heard of immoderate of that occurring earlier I joined successful 2018," Bolton said. "I haven’t heard of thing that occurred aft I near either."

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Robert O’Brien, who served arsenic White House nationalist information advisor from 2019 to 2021, told Fox News Digital that he had nary knowledge of thing for illustration this occurring.