Following the shooting of the Chinese spy balloon on Saturday, the Pentagon sought a telephone call between a Chinese official and the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, however, the officials disclosed on Tuesday that the offer was rejected.
Pentagon Press Secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder stated:
“Lines between our militaries are particularly important in moments like this. Unfortunately, the PRC has declined our request. Our commitment to open lines of communication will continue.”
A week after the balloon was discovered over Alaska, on Saturday afternoon, an F-22 fighter jet took down the Chinese spy balloon near the coast of South Carolina
Initially, China was very calm about the whole incident as they claimed “Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure.”
However, China shifted to a more fierce stance after the spy balloon was hit by an American missile on Saturday.
on Tuesday, a spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, stated:
“The U.S. should have properly handled such incidents in a calm and professional manner not involving the use of force, yet they decided to do otherwise, which is a clear overreaction. The airship does not belong to the U.S. It belongs to China.”
The balloon was 200ft tall and weighed around 2,000 pounds. It was also carrying a jetliner-sized payload for self-detonation.
Coast Guard and Navy ships were responsible for gathering the debris of the balloon before handing it over to the FBI processing laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, where they will be examining it further.
The Chinese embassy in the U.S. still hasn’t commented on the whole incident.
