China On ‘Spy’ Balloon Being Shot Down

The suspected Chinese language ‘spy balloon’ was shot down by the US army earlier this week.

Beijing:

In a response to the White Home’s assertion on suspected ‘spy balloons’ being part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, the Chinese language International Ministry yesterday mentioned that the US overreacted by utilizing pressure and that the narrative might be a part of the knowledge and public opinion warfare Washington has waged on China.

Throughout a daily press convention yesterday, the Chinese language International Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning mentioned that the unmanned Chinese language civilian airship into US airspace is completely attributable to “pressure majeure.”

“On the airship, the Chinese language aspect has repeatedly shared its info. The unintended, sudden entry of the unmanned Chinese language civilian airship into US airspace is completely attributable to pressure majeure. The Chinese language aspect has made that clear in its communication with the US aspect repeatedly, but the US overreacted by utilizing pressure. China firmly opposes and deplores this. I’m not conscious of any “fleet of balloons,” the official readout of the Ministry of International Affairs of China quoted Mao Ning as saying.

The suspected Chinese language ‘spy balloon’ was shot down by the US army over the Atlantic Ocean earlier this week.

Furthermore, Mao Ning additionally took a jibe at Japan and mentioned that it ought to undertake an goal and truthful place on the airship incident as an alternative of dramatizing it just like the US.

Talking additional, Mao Ning, the Chinese language International Ministry Spokesperson mentioned that when it comes to reconnaissance and surveillance, the US leads the world and in addition has international intelligence applications which were ongoing for some time. She blamed the US for threatening China’s nationwide safety and undermining regional peace and stability.

“The US is the primary nation in surveillance and reconnaissance. It has long-running intelligence applications throughout the globe. US plane and warships steadily conduct close-in reconnaissance round China, which critically threatens China’s nationwide safety and undermines regional peace and stability. The Chinese language aspect has repeatedly voiced our grave issues. The US must put an instantaneous finish to such provocations,” the Spokesperson mentioned.

The ties between the US and China have at all times been dicey as a consequence of Beijing’s territorial claims over the Indo-Pacific.

China’s remarks got here after White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre on Wednesday responded to a media question on whether or not China is utilizing balloons to spy on Japan, Taiwan, and another Asian allies. She mentioned that the balloons are a part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations.

“So these balloons are all a part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, as you understand which have additionally violated the sovereignty of different nations. And over the previous a number of years, Chinese language balloons have beforehand been noticed over nations throughout 5 continents. Now we have been in contact with allies and companions on this challenge,” Jean Pierre mentioned through the briefing.

The US State Division official earlier mentioned the balloon was a part of a Chinese language fleet developed to hold out “surveillance operations” with a producer linked to China’s Individuals’s Liberation Military (PLA), as per the CNN report.

The official steered that the US is eyeing sanctions for the presence of the balloon in US airspace which the administration has repeatedly termed a “violation of US sovereignty and worldwide legislation.”

Earlier on February 4, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in a press release mentioned that US fighter plane assigned to US Northern Command efficiently shot down the high-altitude surveillance balloon belonging to China over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace.

He mentioned that the balloon which was utilized by China in an try and surveil strategic websites within the continental US was shot down above US territorial waters.

(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)