Beijing has accused Washington of flying balloons over Chinese airspace on several occasions. The allegation comes after U.S. forces shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon on Feb. 4.
- U.S. balloons
have entered Chinese airspace over 10 times since 2022, said China's
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday.
- “It is nothing rare for U.S. balloons to illegally enter other country’s airspace,” said Wang.
- He advised the U.S. to "reflect on itself and change course, rather than smear and instigate a confrontation.”
- Wang dodged a question during the press briefing relating to a report that China was preparing to destroy an object flying near the port city of Qingdao.
- China denied allegations that the balloon destroyed on Feb. 4 was used for espionage and it rejected a call from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the device was shot down.
- U.S. forces have destroyed four aerial objects flying over North America in eight days amid "heightened tensions" following the destruction of the Chinese balloon.
