U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program that senior Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi “made no apology” for the spy balloon flying over the United States. Ky during their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
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Senior Chinese Foreign Minister ‘doesn’t apologize’ his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken Blinken said in an interview Saturday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program about the spy balloon hovering over the United States.
“There is no apology,” Blinken said of his conversation with Wang Yi, director of the CCP’s central foreign affairs office. “But what I can also tell you is that this is an opportunity to speak very clearly and directly about China sending surveillance balloons over our territory, violating our sovereignty, violate international law.”
“And I told him quite simply that it was unacceptable and could never happen again,” Blinken said.
Blinken met with Wang on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany before the interview.
In the interview, he also expressed concern that China is supporting the Russians in their war in Ukraine. NBC News exclusively reported on Saturday that US officials believe China can supply Russia nonlethal military support.
“We are very concerned that China is considering providing lethal assistance to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine,” Blinken said, “and I have made it clear that that would have serious consequences in our relationship. us, as well as what the President [Joe] Biden shared directly with President Xi [Jinping] on several occasions.”
Finally, Blinken said he told Wang that there should be open lines of communication between China and the US: “This is what the world expects from us – they expect us to manage the relationship. responsible, and so it’s important that we have that opportunity tonight here in Munich.”
Blinken said the US is not the only country that has been the subject of Chinese spy balloons. “More than 40 countries have flown these balloons over them in recent years and it has been exposed to the world,” Blinken said.
Diplomatic tensions between the US and China have increased since the US shot down what it said was a spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. China insists the balloon is not for surveillance purposes.
The hot air balloon that hovered over the US for eight days includes “multiple antennas” capable of collecting signals and the balloon maker has demonstrated ties to the Chinese military. Country. NBC News previously reportedaccording to a senior State Department official.
The United States has not heard any credible explanation and firmly upholds its assessment that it was a spy ball, a senior State Department official said on Saturday.
