China downplayed Blinken canceling a visit to Beijing in the wake of a suspected spy balloon flying over the U.S., saying that a meeting between the two countries had never been formally announced.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks on human rights at the State Department on April 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. flying over the U.S., saying that a meeting between the two countries had never been formally announced.confirmed Friday that he postponed a planned trip to China after the surveillance balloon was discovered.The Chinese balloon — suspected of flying over sensitive areas to collect information — has been flying over the U.S. since Wednesday.
Blinken told Wang Yi, China's top foreign affairs official that the surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace "is a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law." He added that it was "an irresponsible act" and "was detrimental to the substantive discussions that were prepared to have.”What they're saying:
“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning,“We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Pentagon Press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
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