China’s Claims
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters that since May 2022, the US has released “a large number of high-altitude balloons,” which have “continuously circled the globe” and “illegally” flown in Chinese airspace on more than ten occasions, including its volatile provinces of Xinjiang and Tibet.
Wang accused the US of “spreading disinformation” and not commenting on the “illegal flight of its balloons” over China.
The #US has released a large number of high-altitude #balloons, which have continuously circled the globe and illegally flown over #China’s airspace, including Xinjiang and Tibet, more than ten times at least since May last year. https://t.co/r1KPIa6tqb
— Chinese Embassy in UK (@ChineseEmbinUK) February 15, 2023
He said that China has handled “the illegal flight of US balloons” through its airspace “in a calm and professional manner,” but in contrast, the US had “overreacted to the unintended entry of a Chinese civilian airship into its airspace caused by force majeure.”
The spokesperson called on Washington to “give an explanation to China,” “reflect on its behaviour,” “stop smearing and attacking China,” and “stop misleading the US public and the international community.”
Wang also warned that Beijing “reserves the right to further respond” if necessary.
Japan and South Korea
Wang also chided Japan for making “unfounded allegations to smear and attack China… without any solid evidence.”
Japan had said on Tuesday that it “strongly” suspected that previously spotted unidentified objects in its airspace were spy balloons from China, similar to the one recently shot down by the US.
As a matter of fact, it is the US who is the No.1 surveillance country and has the largest spy network in the world. pic.twitter.com/fk8cJqOkb3
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) February 13, 2023
The spokesperson called on Japan to “adopt an objective and just position,” view the “unexpected incident” in the “right way,” and “stop following the US’s suit in dramatising it.”
On a similar note, during their meeting on Tuesday, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong told Korean ambassador Chung Jae-ho that South Korea must “discern right from wrong and make objective, rational and fair judgments.”