Don’t feel like talking: China apparently blocks a call from the US Secretary of Defense

The Pentagon requested a secure line between Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe immediately after the balloon launched Saturday, spokesman Pat Ryder said Tuesday. “Unfortunately, the People’s Republic of China has rejected our application.”

“We believe in the importance of maintaining open communication channels between the US and the People’s Republic of China to responsibly manage our relationship,” said Ryder. “Threads between our armed forces are particularly important at such times.” The US would continue to advocate open communication channels.

The soaring of the alleged spy balloon over the United States in recent days has caused commotion, outrage and new tensions between Washington and Beijing. Biden finally had the balloon shot down by a fighter jet over the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the US on Saturday, when the balloon was no longer over the mainland. The debris is now being salvaged and the United States hopes to gain important insights from the evaluation.

After discovering the balloon, China said it was a civilian meteorological balloon that had gone off course. Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the shooting “seriously damaged and damaged relations” between the People’s Republic and the United States. (sda/afp)