China calls US handling of spy balloon ‘hysterical’

The US handling of the spy balloon incident was “hysterical” and “unimaginable,” China’s top diplomat said Saturday.

How the US dealt with the situation also violated international customs, added official Wang Yi.

“There are so many balloons all over the world, so is the United States going to shoot all of them down?” Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said at the Munich Security Conference.

An object thought to be a Chinese surveillance balloon spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it shot down off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4. China denied any espionage.

Wang made the remarks in response to a question at the Munich conference. He was also asked if he would try to work with US delegates to get US-Sino relations on a better track.

“We ask the U.S. to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-U.S. relations,” he said.

“We hope the U.S. could pursue a pragmatic and positive policy towards China, and work with China to push Sino-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy development.”

With Post wires