China does not accept unfounded speculation and hype over the balloon situation, Wang Yi, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, Director of Staff of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, said in a conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
⠀
“China is a responsible country and always strictly observes international law,” the politician said, quoted by the Foreign Ministry.
⠀
The parties discussed how to calmly and professionally deal with unforeseen situations and maintain interaction. Wang Yi advocated that Washington and Beijing “remain focused” and maintain interaction, avoiding “misjudgments.”
⠀
The Chinese Foreign Ministry again called the situation with the balloon over the territory of the United States an incident caused by force majeure, the facts of which are absolutely clear. At the same time, Beijing accused American politicians and the media of trying to use the incident to attack and discredit Beijing.
⠀
The conversation, according to the department, took place on the evening of February 3, Beijing time.
⠀
On Friday, Blinken announced the postponement of a visit to Beijing scheduled for Sunday due to an incident with a Chinese balloon. At the same time, he refused to announce new dates, making it clear that it would be premature to talk about this until the current situation is resolved.
⠀
On Thursday, a Pentagon spokesman said a reconnaissance balloon had been spotted over the US. The military said it belongs to China. The probe arrived from the Aleutian Islands through Canada. The balloon’s movements are tracked by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
⠀
The US administration declared the presence of a foreign intelligence apparatus in sovereign airspace “unacceptable” and canceled an upcoming visit to Beijing by State Department head Anthony Blinken. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged not to speculate on the “spy balloon” theme. As noted in the department, the balloon seriously deviated from the route due to the wind and Beijing regrets that it was over the United States.
