The encounter was the subject of much speculation. It took place at an undisclosed location, sheltered from the media, in Munich. US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken met Chinese Wang Yi. A meeting that comes after US President Joe Biden this week expressed his willingness to ease tensions between the two great rivals, even saying he was ready to speak to Chinese leader Xi Jinping despite the ball affair which reignited tensions between Washington and Beijing.
US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the incident of the balloon being shot down by the US military should "never happen again", the State Department spokesman said. The US Secretary of State also warned Wang Yi of the "implications and consequences" for China if it is found to be providing "material support" to Russia in its war in Ukraine, according to the report. same source.
"The Secretary of State made it clear to him that the United States will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty and that China's high-altitude surveillance balloon program has been exposed to the eyes of the world," the carrier continued. word of the State Department.
"Regarding Russia's brutal war in Ukraine, the Secretary warned of the implications and consequences if China is found to be providing material support to Russia or helping it evade sanctions" imposed by the Westerners.
Antony Blinken, however, reiterated to Wang Yi that the United States does not seek "conflict" with China or a "New Cold War" and that Washington intends to keep lines of communication open with Beijing despite their differences.
The meeting, ardently desired by American officials, comes after the American secretary of state had to postpone a rare trip to Beijing in early February due to the incident. Earlier on Saturday, the head of Chinese diplomacy had however delivered a violent charge against Washington, denouncing its "hysterical" reaction to the overflight of a balloon and its economic "protectionism".
The meeting lasted about an hour and the exchange was "frank and candid," a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
