The Chinese leaders did not appreciate the destruction by Washington of the ball which flew over the American territory, and say they reserve “the right to take the necessary measures”. The pentagon is convinced that it was espionage.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
China does not intend to release tension in the case of the ball shot down by the United States when it had crossed its territory.
“American actions have seriously affected and damaged the efforts and progress of both parties to stabilize Sino-American relations since the Bali meeting” between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November 2022, said on Monday, February 6 , in a press release, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Xie Feng.
The American army shot down, Saturday, off the coast of South Carolina, in the south-east of the country, this Chinese ball considered by the Pentagon as a spy ball, intended to collect sensitive information.
The incident caused a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Washington with the last -minute cancellation of a visit to China of the American diplomacy, Antony Blinken. Beijing, who argues that it was a civil aircraft, accused the United States of having “surreated” by using the force.
Beijing “closely follows the evolution of the situation “
The Chinese government “closely follows the evolution of the situation” and “reserves the right to take the necessary measures”, specifies the ministry, Monday.
The ball had entered the first time in American airspace on January 28, north of the Aleutian islands (Alaska). He then penetrated Canadian airspace on January 30, then was ironed on the American side, at Idaho level in the northwest of the United States, on January 31, Tuesday.
The general public taught him his existence until Thursday, when he was above Montana. He then continued his journey towards the east of the country until reaching the Atlantic coast.
Colombia announced this weekend that a ball had flown over its territory, before leaving its airspace. She said she made “checks (…) to establish the origin of the object”. Friday, the Pentagon had declared that a second Chinese ball had been spotted flying over Latin America.