China slams America’s ‘hysterical’ and ‘unimaginable’ response over balloon incident
China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi delivers a speech at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany, on February 18, 2023. Photograph:( AFP )
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Wang was asked about the prospects of engaging with US delegates present at the conference regarding the issue and also attempting to restore Sino-US dialogue
Wang was asked about the prospects of engaging with US delegates present at the conference regarding the issue and also attempting to restore Sino-US dialogue
China on Saturday (February 18) slammed the United States for the recent spy balloon saga, which escalated tensions between the two countries. A Chinese balloon was spotted in the US airspace earlier this month which was shot down by US fighter jets. The US also shot down "unidentified objects" at two other different locations afterwards.
At the Munich Security Conference, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said that the way American authorities reacted was "unimaginable" and "hysterical" and an "absurd" act that had violated international norms.
Beijing previously said that the "civilian airship" was used for research and must have drifted away and entered the US airspace.
While addressing the security conference, Wang said, "There are so many balloons all over the world, so is the United States going to shoot all of them down?"
Wang is the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
The balloon episode sparked diplomatic tensions and posed an immediate impact on US-China ties, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponing a planned visit to Beijing.
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At a White House press conference, US President Joe Biden had said that if any aerial object is seen as a threat to the nation, he won't hesitate to bring it down. Biden also confirmed that the other objects that were shot down last week weren't related to China.
Wang was asked about the prospects of engaging with US delegates present at the conference regarding the issue and also attempting to restore Sino-US dialogue to a more normal track.
He said, "We ask the U.S. to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-US relations."
"We hope the U.S. could pursue a pragmatic and positive policy towards China, and work with China to push Sino-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy development," the Chinese diplomat added.
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