US balloon response ‘hysterical’, says China diplomat

China’s high diplomat Wang Yi mentioned that the US dealing with of the balloon incident had been “unimaginable” and “hysterical”. A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, which Beijing denies was a authorities spy vessel, spent every week flying over the United States and Canada earlier than being shot down off the Atlantic Coast earlier this month on US President Joe Biden’s orders.

Beijing,UPDATED: Feb 19, 2023 11:12 IST

China’s Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi speaks through the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany February 18, 2023. (Reuters photograph)

By Reuters: China’s high diplomat Wang Yi mentioned on Saturday that the US dealing with of the balloon incident had been “unimaginable” and “hysterical” – an “absurd” act that had violated worldwide norms.

“There are so many balloons all over the world, so is the United States going to shoot all of them down?,” Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, mentioned on the Munich Security Conference.

A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, which Beijing denies was a authorities spy vessel, spent every week flying over the United States and Canada earlier than being shot down off the Atlantic Coast earlier this month on US President Joe Biden’s orders.

READ | Why China, Russia are utilizing balloons within the age of satellites and drones

The incident, which had prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a deliberate go to early this month to Beijing, has additional aggravated already strained relations between Washington and Beijing.

Wang was responding to questions by the Munich convention’s moderator on the incident, and was requested if he would interact with US delegates current to revive Sino-US dialogue to a extra regular monitor.

“We ask the US to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-US relations,” he mentioned.

READ | No apologies for taking down balloon, says Biden, might communicate to China’s Xi

“We hope the US could pursue a pragmatic and positive policy towards China, and work with China to push Sino-US relations back to the track of healthy development.”

Blinken was thought to have thought-about assembly with Wang on the sidelines of the convention, however as of early Saturday no such assembly had been confirmed.

Blinken is about to depart Munich on Sunday.

His go to to Beijing would have been the primary by a US secretary of state to China in 5 years, and had been seen by either side as an opportunity to stabilise bilateral ties.

READ | US recovers key sensors from website of downed Chinese spy balloon

Published On:

Feb 19, 2023