As a result of the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon flying across the US, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to China.
Meetings between Mr. Blinken and President Xi Jinping and his Chinese counterpart were anticipated.
The visit would have taken place as tensions between the two nations are deteriorating.
According to China, the balloon veered off course due to bad weather and is used for meteorological research.
A statement from China’s Foreign Ministry said that it “regrets” the incident and will work with the US to resolve the issue.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, a senior state department official said that the conditions were not right for Mr Blinken to visit China but that another trip would be planned “at the earliest opportunity.”
The official added that Washington planned to maintain “open lines of communication” about the incident, which was described as “a clear violation” of US sovereignty.
While the official said that the US had acknowledged China’s claim about the balloon’s purpose, it stands by the Department of Defense’s assessment that it was being used for surveillance.
Mr Blinken’s visit was expected to take place on 5 and 6 February.
A US official quoted by the Associated Press said that the decision to abruptly halt the trip was made by Mr. Blinken and President Joe Biden.