Antony Blinken to meet with top Chinese diplomat in Germany: Report
Max Thornberry
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Top diplomats from the United States and China are scheduled to meet in Germany this weekend, according to a report.
On Saturday, an unnamed official told NPR that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, are planning to meet over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference.
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Blinken’s scheduled visit to China this month was called off after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was spotted in U.S. airspace over Montana. The balloon traveled across the country, and the military shot it down over the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 4.
Blinken was scheduled to travel to China on Feb. 5.
Tensions between the two countries escalated over the balloon incident. China insisted the balloon was not an intelligence craft but instead was designed to gather meteorological information.
U.S. defense officials rejected that explanation, insisting they knew for certain it was being used for more nefarious purposes.
It’s not clear how much a meeting in Germany will go to improve relations between the two countries.
China has lambasted the U.S. response to the balloon, saying the U.S. was being hypocritical, claiming that it has flown several balloons over Chinese territory without permission.
Earlier this week, China said it would take “countermeasures” against U.S. entities who were involved in shooting down the balloon.
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“China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures in accordance with the law against the relevant U.S. entities that undermine China’s sovereignty and security,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Wednesday.
China will “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and its legitimate rights and interests.”