(Beijing) The Chinese government said on Monday that the United States, by shooting down the Chinese balloon flying over their territory, “seriously affected and damaged” relations between the two countries.
“US actions have seriously affected and damaged both parties’ efforts and progress to stabilize China-US relations since the Bali meeting” between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Foreign Affairs, Xie Feng.
The American army shot down on Saturday, off the coast of South Carolina, in the south-east of the country, this Chinese balloon considered by the Pentagon as a spy balloon, intended to collect sensitive information.
The incident sparked a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Washington with the last-minute cancellation of a visit to China by US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken.
PHOTO JONATHAN ERNST, REUTERS ARCHIVES
US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken
Beijing, which maintains that it was a civilian aircraft, accused the United States of having “overreacted” by using force.
The Chinese government is “closely monitoring the development of the situation” and “reserves the right to take the necessary measures”, the ministry said on Monday.
The balloon entered American airspace for the first time on January 28, north of the Aleutian Islands (Alaska). He then entered Canadian airspace on January 30, then returned to the American side, at Idaho in the northwestern United States, on January 31, or Tuesday.
The general public only learned of its existence on Thursday, when it was over Montana. He then continued his journey eastward until he reached the Atlantic coast.
Colombia announced this weekend that a balloon had flown over its territory, before leaving its airspace. She said she was carrying out “verifications […] to establish the origin of the object”.
On Friday, the Pentagon said a second Chinese balloon was spotted flying over Latin America.