US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the incident in which the Chinese balloon was shot down by the US military “should never happen again” during a rare meeting on Saturday in Munich, Germany, the spokesman for the US military said Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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The US Secretary of State also warned Wang Yi of the “impact and consequences” for China if it were found to be “materially supporting” Russia in its war in Ukraine, according to the report.
The meeting, held away from the media on the sidelines of the security conference in Munich, Germany, lasted about an hour and the exchanges were “frank and frank,” a senior State Department official also told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Mr Blinken insisted to his counterpart that the Chinese balloon affair, which flew over US territory for several days before being shot down, was an “irresponsible act that must never happen again”.
The balloon incident forced Mr Blinken to severely postpone a rare trip to Beijing scheduled for early February and reignited tensions between the two rival great powers.
“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 repercussions and consequences if China is found to be providing material support to Russia or helping it circumvent sanctions” imposed by Westerners.
However, Mr Blinken reiterated to Wang Yi that the United States does not seek a “conflict” with China or a “new Cold War” and that Washington intends to keep lines of communication open with Beijing despite their differences.