According to Xinhua, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on February 5 expressing “deep displeasure and opposition to the US use of offensive force”. hot air balloon Civil.”
The statement stressed that this move by the US was “an excessive act and a serious violation of international practice.”
Earlier, US media reported that the US warplane shot down a Chinese hot air balloon that passed over US airspace in the area off the Carolinas, in the Atlantic Ocean, on the afternoon of February 4 (hours) local).
[Mỹ bắn hạ khinh khí cầu Trung Quốc bay qua không phận]
In a statement released later, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that this was a balloon used for scientific research purposes, mainly meteorological research.
Declaration affirming the hot air ballooning Civil This appearance in US airspace was unintentional, due to the influence of wind and limited self-correction ability, the balloon deviated too far from the planned route.
In a later conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Wang Yi, head of the Office of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, stressed that Beijing and Washington should focus on maintaining timely communication. time, avoid misjudgment and handle differences in the face of unexpected situations.
(VNA/Vietnam+)