The US recovers parts of the Chinese balloon shot down off the US coast ten days ago
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said Saturday the US was handling the balloon incident unimaginable, hysterical, ridiculous and an absurd act that violates international norms.
An alleged Chinese surveillance balloon, which Beijing denies being a spy device, flew over the United States and Canada for a week before being shot down off the Atlantic coast on orders from US President Joe Biden earlier this month.
“There are so many balloons around the world, so the US will shoot them all down?” Wang said.
According to Wang, the US was clearly told that it was a civilian balloon that had deviated from its course, suggesting it posed no security risk. “We advise the US not to do anything this ridiculous again.”
Wang Yi, director of the China Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, speaks during the security conference in Munich, Germany, February 18, 2023 — Photo: Portal/Wolfgang Rattay Wang Yi, director of the China Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, speaks during the security conference in Munich, Germany, 02/18/2023 — Photo: Portal/Wolfgang Rattay
Wang Yi, director of the Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the statement at the Munich Security Conference.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also in Munich and there is a possibility of a meeting with Wang on the sidelines of the Munich conference, but there has been no confirmed meeting as of Saturday morning.
Before the balloon incident, Blinken had a planned trip to China that was postponed indefinitely.
2 of 3 USA shoot down alleged Chinese spy balloon into the Atlantic on February 4, 2023 — Photo: Randall Hill/Portal USA shoot down alleged Chinese spy balloon into the Atlantic on February 4, 2023 by 3 sailors from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 wreckage of the mysterious Chinese Balloons retrieved by United States off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Explosive devices contain debris from the mysterious Chinese balloon that was shot down by the United States off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — Photo: US Fleet Forces /US Navy via Portal