In an unusually harsh criticism of the leading Western power, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday termed the US response to what Washington has dubbed a Chinese spy balloon “hysterical and absurd.”
Speaking to a group of world leaders at the Munich Security Conference, Wang claimed that the US administration of US President Joe Biden has a “misguided” view of Beijing.

And he claimed that Washington was attempting to “smear” the Asian power while enacting laws against its ideals, including free trade.

“In the sky, there are numerous balloons from various nations. Do you intend to consume all of them at once?” Wang sprinted.

“We implore the United States not to engage in such absurd actions merely to deflect attention from its own domestic issues,”

Since a massive white Chinese balloon was observed above several highly classified nuclear weapons locations on February 4 and then shot down close off the east coast, the country has been on high alert.

Beijing claims the craft was used for weather research and denies using surveillance balloons. Later, it claimed that the US had sent its espionage balloons above its territory, a claim that the US has refused.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hastily postponed a rare trip to China due to the flood.

All eyes are on whether both sides are successful in arranging a meeting because Blinken is also attending the conference in Munich.

Yet when asked if he intended to meet with the US delegation, Wang responded angrily.

He claimed that Washington incorrectly perceived China as a significant geopolitical danger to and challenge to the United States.

“This is a false picture of China, and because of this misunderstanding, the United States is co-opting other nations to do the same while using all of its tools to slander and oppress China,” he said.

Instead, Wang charged that US economic measures like the Chips Act were “100% unilateral action, 1000% protectionism, and 1000% self-serving.”

He continued, “We hope the US side would adopt a realistic and pro-active attitude toward China and collaborate with China to restore our bilateral relations and accept a sound development track.

“Don’t make the same error.”

Reestablishing relations with Beijing, which he refers to as Washington’s largest rival, has become a top goal for US President Joe Biden after four years of hostile relations under his predecessor Donald Trump.

Yet, tensions erupted last year following Nancy Pelosi’s travel to Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that China claims as its own.

Given that a senior Pentagon officer is allegedly slated to visit Taiwan soon, that initiative may soon be put to the test once more.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has also made Western nations suspicious of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the presidents of China and Russia, who refer to one another as “friends.”

Jens Stoltenberg, the head of NATO, stated in Munich,

“China is intently watching to see the price Moscow pays or the prize it receives for its aggressiveness.”

He cautioned, “What is happening in Europe today can happen in East Asia tomorrow.”

In addition, according to Stoltenberg, Moscow’s intrusion has shown the perils of Europe’s over-reliance on autocratic governments.

It should be a lesson as the continent shapes its relations with China.

He urged caution, saying,

“We should not commit the same error as China and other totalitarian governments.”