The destruction of a Chinese civilian balloon by the Pentagon does not confirm the strength of the United States of America, but, on the contrary, testifies to its weakness. This statement was made on Saturday, February 18, by the head of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee) Wang Yi at the 59th Munich Security Conference.
“There are a lot of balloons in the sky from different countries. Really, they all need to be shot down. This step does not indicate that the United States is strong, but suggests the opposite, ”the politician said.
According to him, in the situation with the balloon, the United States “behaved absurdly and hysterically” and their “actions on this occasion were disproportionate to the event.”
“The American side, ignoring the facts, has abused military force. The US overreacted by making a big fuss. Such hysterical actions indicate that the United States in relation to China is guided by prejudice and ignorance, which have been brought to the stage of absurdity, ”he said.
At the same time, Wang Yi added that China takes a “clear and transparent position” towards the United States, trying to build relations with Washington on the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
The politician also pointed out that the White House, in turn, considers Beijing as a competitor country, constantly trying to denigrate the face of China, calling it a “serious geopolitical challenge” and “inviting other countries to do the same.”
On the night of February 3, a huge balloon was seen in the sky over American territory. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the balloon flew from China, but stressed that it was a civilian apparatus for scientific research, which ended up there unintentionally.
The next day it became known that the object was shot down off the east coast of the country on the orders of US President Joe Biden. The Pentagon said it examined the equipment on the balloon, establishing that it was used for intelligence gathering by China.
On February 5, Beijing made a serious presentation to Washington in connection with the incident. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the incident damaged relations between the two countries.
Following this, on February 14, White House National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby emphasized that Washington does not seek conflict with Beijing in the wake of the downed balloon incident. He noted that the United States intends to keep channels of communication with China open.
On February 15, First Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that dialogue with Beijing is very important for Washington. She stressed that the US should speak to China when its actions are contrary to the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The next day, US President Joe Biden, during his address to the nation, commented on the incident with a Chinese balloon in the sky over the United States. The American leader stressed that the apparatus had nothing to do with Chinese intelligence. Biden added that he plans to have a talk with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the near future.
