U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that China’s senior foreign minister Wang Yi offered “no apology” for the spy balloon that floated over the U.S. during their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
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China’s senior foreign minister offered “no apology” in his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the spy balloon that floated over the U.S., Blinken said in an interview Saturday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“There was no apology,” Blinken said of his conversation with Wang Yi, director of the People’s Republic of China CCP Central Foreign Affairs office. “But what I also can let you know is that this was a chance to talk very clearly and really directly concerning the indisputable fact that China sent a surveillance balloon over our territory, violating our sovereignty, violating international law.”
“And I told him quite simply that that was unacceptable and may never occur again,” Blinken said.
Blinken met with Wang on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany prior to the interview.
Within the interview, he also voiced concern that China is aiding the Russians of their war in Ukraine. NBC News exclusively reported Saturday that U.S. officials consider China could also be providing Russia nonlethal military assistance.
“We’re very concerned that China’s considering providing lethal support to Russia in its aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said, “and I made clear that that may have serious consequences in our relationship, as well something that President [Joe] Biden has shared directly with President Xi [Jinping] on several occasions.”
Finally, Blinken said he told Wang that there needs to be open lines of communication between China and the U.S: “That is something that the world expects of us — they expect us to administer this relationship responsibly, and so it was vital that we had that chance this evening here in Munich.”
Blinken said the U.S. is not the only nation that has been subject to Chinese spy balloons. “Greater than forty countries have had these balloons fly over them in recent times, and that is been exposed to the world,” Blinken said.
Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China have increased for the reason that U.S. shot down what it says was a spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. China has insisted the balloon was not intended for surveillance.
The balloon, which floated above U.S. for eight days, included “multiple antennas” able to collecting signals intelligence and the balloon maker has proven ties to the Chinese military, NBC News previously reported, in line with a senior State Department official.
The U.S. has not heard any credible explanation and firmly stands by its assessment that it was a surveillance balloon, a senior State Department official said Saturday.
