China demands US to correct “mistakes” after “hysterical” balloon shoot-down
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has called on the United States to Show “sincerity,” “correct its mistakes,” and “repair the damage.” caused to bilateral relations after the “hysterical” shooting down of a Chinese balloon in what is now known as the ‘balloon crisis’.
Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met Saturday in Germany with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to whom he explained that the balloon was a “civilian aerostat” with “limited self-steering capability” which entered U.S. airspace due to westerly winds that blew it off course. planned. He therefore believes that the US should have handled the incident in a “joint”, “rational” and “professional” manner.
Wang has stressed to Blinken that China considers that. U.S. has “abused” use of force to bring down “lost” balloon which entered U.S. territory for reasons of “force majeure,” according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement published Sunday and reported by the officialist newspaper Global Times.
The U.S. State Department has described a tense meeting with Wang in which Blinken denounced the balloon flight as a “unacceptable violation of US sovereignty and international law.”according to Department spokesman Ned Price.
Blinken stressed to his counterpart that “this irresponsible act must never happen again.”. “The secretary made it clear that the U.S. will not tolerate any violation of our sovereignty,” Price added.
The shooting down of the Chinese “civilian” balloon over the Atlantic is a “political farce” created by Washington “for domestic political needs,” Wang has indicated. “Such an unthinkable and hysterical action is undoubtedly an excessive use of force and It clearly violates common practice and relevant international law.“, he added during his speech at the 59th Munich Security Conference.
Such an action is not a proof of U.S. power, but exactly the opposite
“Unfortunately, the U.S. ignored the basic facts and brazenly sent a fighter to shoot down the aerostat with a missile, which posed no threat“, he assured. Thus he pointed out that “many balloons are flying over the Earth every day”. “Does the US want to shoot them all down? Such an action is not a proof of US power, but exactly the opposite,” he argued.
The Chinese diplomat attributed the uproar caused to the US’s “misperception and wrong strategic judgment of China.” While Beijing bases its relationship on “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation”, Washington considers it the “most serious geopolitical challenge and strategic competitor.” and “is using every possible means to block and suppress China with that misguided view of the country,” he emphasized.
The downing of the balloon also occurred on the eve of a planned visit by Blinken to Beijing, suspended due to the crisis. Department officials assure that the trip is still on and a new date will be given when conditions are suitable.
China “has never feared competition”
In a broader sense, Wang noted that China “has never feared competition despite all the U.S. talk of competing with China but competition must be fair and based on rules“.
Thus, he has referred to the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S., a “one-sided and self-serving” rule. which uses the power of the state to repress Chinese companies, violates World Trade Organization rules and seriously disrupts the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
“The law demonstrates that U.S. is against the free trade that it advocates. It will not only undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all other countries, but also compromise the credibility and their interests,” he warned.
