US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the incident of the US military shooting down the Chinese balloon “should never happen again” at a rare meeting Saturday, February 18 in Munich, Germany the spokesman for the State Department.
The US Secretary of State also warned Wang Yi of the “impact and consequences” for China if it were found to be “materially assisting” Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to the report.
The meeting, which took place away from the media on the sidelines of the security conference, lasted about an hour. Mr Blinken insisted to his counterpart that the Chinese balloon affair, which flew over American territory for several days before being shot down, was an “irresponsible” act.
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Tensions rekindled
That incident forced Mr Blinken to postpone a rare trip to Beijing scheduled for early February at the last moment, reigniting tensions between the two countries.
“The Secretary of State has made it clear to him that the United States will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty and that China’s high-altitude surveillance balloon program has been exposed in the eyes of world public opinion,” the airline’s department said.
“Regarding Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, the minister warned of the implications and consequences of China providing material support to Russia or helping it circumvent sanctions” imposed by Westerners.
However, Mr Blinken reiterated to Wang Yi that the United States is not looking for a “conflict” with China or a “new Cold War” and that Washington intends to keep lines of communication open with Beijing despite their differences.
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