China reprimanded the United States on Monday for deploying “indiscriminate use of force” against its suspected spy balloon over the weekend.
Repeating Beijing’s condemnation of the move, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Xie Feng revealed that he filed a complaint with the U.S. Embassy and described the incident as a “U.S. attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship by military force.”
CHINA ‘STRONGLY DISAPPROVES OF’ US SHOOTING DOWN SPY BALLOON, DANGLES RETALIATION
“The United States turned a deaf ear and insisted on indiscriminate use of force against the civilian airship that was about to leave the United States airspace, obviously overreacted and seriously violated the spirit of international law and international practice,” he said, per the Associated Press.
America shot down the balloon Saturday off the South Carolina coast after it floated across the U.S. mainland for days. The suspected surveillance device first entered U.S. airspace on Jan. 28 and moved through Canadian airspace as well. China has countered claims from the Pentagon that it was used for espionage, instead insisting the balloon was a civilian aircraft used for meteorological purposes.
Chinese officials have also claimed that the balloon veered off course and was not meant to hover across the U.S. mainland — a notion the Pentagon has rejected. Military officials have highlighted how the balloon flew near sensitive military outposts and sounded alarms that it may have collected sensitive information.
President Joe Biden weathered an onslaught of domestic criticisms from Republicans over the length of time it took to down the balloon. The Pentagon first divulged the balloon’s existence to the public last Thursday after civilians spotted it. Military personnel defended the decision not to shoot it down right away, arguing that doing so posed risks to civilians.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his planned trip to China following the revelations. Chinese officials initially apologized for the intrusion into U.S. airspace, but Xie argued that Washington’s response had damaged relations.
“What the U.S. has done has seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations since the Bali meeting,” the Chinese official said, referencing Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He also added that “[China will] resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, resolutely safeguard China’s interests and dignity, and reserve the right to make further necessary responses.”
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On Sunday, China’s Foreign Ministry said that it “strongly disapproves” of the downing of the balloon. A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry also confirmed Monday that a balloon spotted over Latin America was Chinese.
The full Senate is slated to get a briefing on China next week on Feb. 15.
