The head of American diplomacy also warned his Chinese counterpart against “the consequences” for China if it turns out that it provides “material support” to Russia in her war against Ukraine. /p>
mo12345lemonde with AFP
The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the Chinese ball incident shot down by the American army should “never happen”, during a Rare meeting, Saturday February 18 in Munich (Germany), reported the spokesperson for the State Department.
The US Secretary of State also warned Wang Yi against “implications and consequences” for China if it turns out that it provides “material support” to Russia in her war against Ukraine , according to the same source.
The meeting, which took place sheltered from the media on the sidelines of the Safety Conference, lasted approximately an hour. Mr. Blinken insisted with his counterpart on the fact that the Chinese ball case, which flew over the American territory for several days before being shot, had been an “irresponsible” act.
Revived tensions
This incident forced Mr. Blinken to postpone at the last moment a rare trip to Beijing scheduled for early February and rekindled tensions between the two countries.
“The Secretary of State has clearly told him that the United States will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty and that the high-altitude surveillance program of China had been exposed to the world,” continued the spokesperson for the State Department.
“Regarding the brutal war waged by Russia in Ukraine, the secretary warned of the implications and consequences if it turns out that China provides material support for Russia or helping to escape sanctions “imposed by Westerners.
m. Blinken, however, reiterated to Wang Yi the fact that the United States did not look for the “conflict” with China or a “new cold war” and that Washington intended to maintain the communication lines open with Beijing despite their differences.