The World Briefly
February 20, 2023Deflated Relations
China
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Top diplomats from China and the US met Saturday for the first time since Washington shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast, with China failing to offer an apology and instead asking the US to mend the damage to the relationship, the Washington Post reported.
During the meeting, which comes at a low point in relations between the world’s two largest economies, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed a variety of issues, including China’s surveillance activities and its alliance with Russia.
Blinken pressed his Chinese counterpart for more open lines between Beijing and Washington and criticized the lack of communication by China’s military.
Blinken told NBC News that Wang offered “no apology” over the balloon row.
Instead, China’s state media said the foreign minister criticized Washington’s decision to shoot down the balloon and asked the US to “change course, face up to and resolve the damage caused by the indiscriminate use of force to Sino-US relations.”
Earlier in the month, the US downed a Chinese balloon that had entered its airspace, saying that it was used by Beijing for surveillance purposes. But Chinese officials countered that the high-altitude balloon was being used for meteorological purposes and condemned the US for its aggressive approach.
Still, US officials noted that the balloon had “multiple antennas” capable of collecting signals intelligence and the balloon maker has proven ties to the Chinese military.
Meanwhile, the meeting also touched on China’s relationship with Russia: Blinken warned Wang that there would be repercussions if China provided military support to Russia in its war on Ukraine.
The meeting came on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference, where leaders from across the globe have gathered to discuss key geopolitical challenges – including the Ukraine war and China’s contentious engagement with the West.
Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to deliver a “peace speech” shortly to lay out China’s position in resolving the Ukraine conflict.
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