The US secretary of state also warned Wang Yi of the “implications and consequences” for China if it were to provide “material support” to Russia in its war in Ukraine, according to the report. same source.
The meeting, which took place away from the media on the sidelines of the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, lasted about an hour and the exchange was “frank and candid”, said a senior State Department official also told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Mr Blinken insisted to his counterpart that the affair of the Chinese balloon, which flew over US territory for several days before being shot down, had been an “irresponsible act that must never happen again”.
The United States has found the last parts of the downed Chinese balloon
The balloon incident forced Mr. Blinken to postpone a rare trip to Beijing scheduled for early February in extremis and reignited tensions between the two major rival powers.
“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.
Mr. Blinken, however, reiterated to Wang Yi that the United States was not seeking “conflict” with China or a “new cold war” and that Washington intended to keep the lines of communication open with Beijing despite their differences.
The last remnants of the Chinese balloon collected on the American coast: “They will be exploited by counterintelligence”