US move to shoot down China’s unmanned airship denounced
Print Edition
CHINA yesterday expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition towards the United States’ use of force to attack China’s civilian unmanned airship.
The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the US side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the US due to force majeure was totally unexpected, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, noting the Chinese side has clearly asked the US side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner.
Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, also sternly protested against the US use of force.
The US attack was a clear overreaction, Tan said in a statement.
“We express solemn protest against the move by the US side and reserve the right to take necessary measures to deal with similar situations,” he added.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday the civilian airship is used for research, mainly meteorological purposes. Hit by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.
According to the statement, the spokesperson of the US Department of Defense also noted the balloon does not present a military or physical threat.
Under such circumstances, the US’s use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserve the right to make further responses if necessary.
China and the US need to stay their course in maintaining timely communication, avoiding misjudgment and managing differences in the face of a chance occurrence, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.
During the phone conversation, the two sides communicated with each other on how to deal with a chance occurrence in a calm and professional manner.
As a responsible country, China always strictly abides by international law and will not accept any groundless speculation or hype, Wang stressed.
A US military fighter jet shot down the airship off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it entered US airspace. One US military official said the debris field was spread out over 11 kilometers of ocean.
The balloon entered US airspace in Alaska on January 28 before moving into Canadian airspace on January 30. It then re-entered US airspace over northern Idaho on January 31, a US official said.
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