Washington had contact with Beijing over the 'spy' balloon

UPGRADE DAY

The United States has communicated with Beijing over the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon, shot down on February 4, after requests for dialogue from the Pentagon were denied for several days, an official said Sunday. defense.  

'Contact has been made with the PRC regarding the high-altitude balloon,' Deputy Secretary of Defense Melissa Dalton told reporters, referring to the Republic People's Republic of China. 

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had asked to speak with his Chinese counterparts shortly after a US fighter jet shot down the balloon that was in the American skies for several days.

These demands have gone unheeded, with Beijing lambasting Washington's “irresponsible” act of shooting down the balloon. 

“This irresponsible and seriously erroneous did not create a climate conducive to dialogue and exchanges between the two armies” had justified the Chinese Ministry of Defense in a press release.

“The United States insisted on using force against a Chinese civilian airship, which seriously contravenes international practice and sets a bad precedent,” according to the same source.

Ms. Dalton did not give details of the exchanges between the two powers.

On Sunday, Washington announced that it had shot down a new “object” at altitude, without specifying the nature. This is the fourth object shot down over the United States or Canada in less than ten days.