China warned that it will retaliate against the U.S. over violations of its sovereignty, potentially escalating the lingering balloon dispute just as top diplomats from both nations plan to attend a security conference in Germany.
At a briefing Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin repeated Beijing’s view that the Chinese aircraft downed by a U.S. jet off the South Carolina coast this month had inadvertently floated over the country after being blown off course. He criticized the Biden administration’s decision to take it out and later sanction Chinese companies, saying the moves would have consequences.
“China is strongly opposed to this and will take countermeasures against relevant U.S. entities that have undermined our sovereignty and security to firmly safeguard our sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests,” Wang said.
