Beijing: China on Monday said US high-altitude balloons have illegally flown over Chinese airspace on more than 10 occasions since January this year without permission, widening the ongoing rift between the two countries over the shooting down of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over American airspace earlier this month.
“Since last year, the US’s high-altitude balloons have undergone more than 10 illegal flights into Chinese airspace without the approval of the relevant Chinese departments,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in Beijing, on Monday.
Wang did not provide further details or whether the balloons were military in nature.
Wang said China’s responses to the incursions were “responsible and professional”, in a reference to the downing of the Chinese balloon, adding that Beijing reserves the right to employ necessary means to deal with such incidents.
The US is deservedly the world’s largest repeat offender for spying and use of the surveillance empire, Wang was quoted as saying by state-run media.
Wang added that the US has abused its technological advantages to carry out large-scale indiscriminate clandestine operations and stealing of secrets across the world, including its allies.
China’s latest statement comes after the US shot down what it says was a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina earlier this month.
Strongly criticising the shooting down of the balloon, Beijing has said the balloon was a civilian research craft and accused Washington of overreacting.
The US military has subsequently shot down three other flying objects over North America, a Bloomberg report said.
Washington on Friday blacklisted six Chinese aviation and technology companies as part of its response to a Chinese civilian balloon.
The US commerce department said the five companies and one research institute were supporting “China’s military modernisation efforts, specifically the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aerospace programmes including airships and balloons”.
“Washington’s escalation and expanding of the political implications of the airship case is a sign that US economic and foreign policy has been completely hijacked by its political machines, which is having economic consequences not only on the two countries, but also on global industrial chains,” the state-run tabloid, Global Times, said in a report.
