(PartiallyPolitics.com) A top Chinese diplomat called the United States’ response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon “hysterical.” The balloon was shot down in the direction of President Biden off the coast of South Carolina.
Wang Yi, the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Committee, during the annual Munich Security Conference, reiterated that the balloon was an unmanned civilian airship that had simply drifted off its course because of the wind. The balloon also did not have a lot of self-steering capabilities which is why it continued to drift across the country.
He continued by saying that China had asked the U.S. to handle the situation calmly, but the Biden administration had instead chosen to disregard the assertion that the balloon was simply used for meteorological research and instead claimed that it was designed to be used for surveillance. Wang called that assertion “absurd and hysterical.” He added that the U.S. decision to shoot down the balloon constituted a violation of international customary practice.
He added that there were many balloons across the world and questioned whether U.S. officials were intending to shoot down every single one. He concluded that the U.S. ‘s behavior exhibited weakness and not strength and that the country should try to sincerely apologize for their approach in order for the relationship between the two countries to improve.
The incident has led to increased tension between the two countries.
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