'This Irresponsible act Must Never...': US Warns China in First Meeting Since 'spy' Balloon

New Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday (February 18, 2023) met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi amid strained ties over a suspected Chinese spy balloon and warned that this "irresponsible act must never occur again". Blinken also told Wang that Beijing's material support to Russia over the Ukrainian war would attract sanctions. The two top diplomats met at an undisclosed location on the sidelines of a global security conference in Munich.

"The Secretary directly spoke to the unacceptable violation of US sovereignty and international law by the PRC high-altitude surveillance balloon in US territorial airspace, underscoring that this irresponsible act must never occur again," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

"During the meeting, Blinken made clear the United States will not stand for any violation of our sovereignty, and that the Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon programme -- which has intruded into the airspace of more than 40 countries across five continents -- has been exposed to the world," he said.

"On Russia's brutal war against Ukraine, the Secretary warned about the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia or assistance with systemic sanctions evasion," Price said.

Just met with the PRC’s top diplomat, Wang Yi. I condemned the incursion of the PRC surveillance balloon and stressed it must never happen again. I warned China against providing materiel support to Russia. I also emphasized the importance of keeping open lines of communication.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 18, 2023

During the meeting, Blinken reaffirmed there had been no change to the longstanding 'One China' policy of the US, and he underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the US State Department spokesman added.

"The Secretary reiterated President (Joe) Biden's statements that the United States will compete and will unapologetically stand up for our values and interests, but that we do not want conflict with the PRC (People's Republic of China) and are not looking for a new Cold War," Price said.

It is noteworthy that Russia and China signed a "no limits" partnership last February shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine, and their economic links have boomed as Moscow's connections with the West have shriveled.

Relations between the two superpowers -- the US and China -- have been fraught since Washington said China flew a spy balloon over the continental US before American fighter jets shot it down on President Joe Biden's orders. 

China reacted angrily when the US military downed the 60-meter balloon on February 4, saying it was for monitoring weather conditions and had blown off course. Washington, however, said it was clearly a surveillance balloon with a massive undercarriage holding electronics.

The balloon's flight over US territory triggered an uproar in Washington and prompted Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing. The February 5-6 trip would have been the first by a US Secretary of State to China in five years and was seen by both sides as an opportunity to stabilize increasingly fraught ties.

(With agency inputs)