China ‘disinformation’ alleging US spy scheme impedes top-level diplomatic talks: State Department

Beijing on ‘its back heels’ as Washington shares details of balloon incident with ‘dozens’ of countries, says spokesman

‘Constructive dialogue’ in both private, bilateral conversations and public messaging encouraged, he adds

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An American sailor prepares material recovered in the Atlantic Ocean from a high-altitude balloon the US shot down on February 4. Photo: EPA-EFE via US Navy handout

Published: 6:10am, 15 Feb 2023Updated: 12:31am, 16 Feb 2023

Washington has suggested Beijing’s “disinformation” about an alleged US surveillance programme has impeded the rescheduling of a meeting between the two countries’ top envoys that was postponed just before the Pentagon shot down a Chinese balloon over American territory.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Tuesday told reporters that the Chinese government was on “its back heels” owing to details that American officials were providing to “dozens” of countries about the balloon incident.

“There is no question that the [People’s Republic of China] is operating from its heels at the moment” because it is “facing legitimate questions from a number of countries … regarding this high-altitude spy balloon programme that we’ve detailed in recent days”, said Price.

“I can’t say specifically what countries the PRC is hearing from, but it’s quite clear that they’re under some pressure as we expect they might be given the scope and the scale and the brazen nature of this programme, which … violated the sovereignty of dozens of countries,” he added.

The bilateral row over the suspected Chinese spy balloon and contradictory explanations that have emerged since it was brought down have aggravated tensions between the US and China just as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing for a trip to Beijing aimed at easing friction that had been building for years.