WASHINGTON, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese State Councilor and Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi on Saturday on the margins of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Blinken “directly spoke to the unacceptable violation of US sovereignty and international law by the PRC (People’s Republic of China) high-altitude surveillance balloon in US territorial airspace, underscoring that this irresponsible act must never again occur,” US State Dept. Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

“The Secretary made clear the United States will not stand for any violation of our sovereignty and that the PRC’s high altitude surveillance balloon program, which has intruded into the air space of over 40 countries across five continents, has been exposed to the world.

“On Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, the Secretary warned about the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia or assistance with systemic sanctions evasion,” according to the statement.

Blinked reiterated President Joe Biden’s statements that the US will “compete and will unapologetically stand up for our values and interests, but that we do not want conflict with the PRC and are not looking for a new Cold War.” Blinken underscored “the importance of maintaining diplomatic dialogue and open lines of communication at all times”.

Furthermore, Blinken reaffirmed “there had been no change to the longstanding US one China policy” and underscored “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

The US top diplomat also condemned Intercontinental ballistic missile test by North Korea today as the latest “destabilizing act” carried out by Pyongyang and emphasized “the need for responsible powers to respond to such significant international challenges.”

Source: Kuwait News Agency