China urges US not to use unmanned airship for political manipulation

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States should not have overreacted to or use the unintended entry of the Chinese civilian unmanned airship for political manipulation to smear and attack China, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's comments that by sanctioning U.S. defense contractors, China is "deflecting" and that what China did in the airship issue was "irresponsible."

"Speaking of 'deflecting,' can the U.S. tell us why it is able to see the 'balloon' 18,000 meters above the ground, but seems to have been blind to the toxic mushroom cloud of vinyl chloride over Ohio?" asked Wang.

"Why was it vocal about investigations and accountability immediately after the Nord Stream blast, and yet unusually silent in the wake of the latest investigative report written by a U.S. journalist?" he continued.

"The U.S. also needs to explain: What exactly were the three high-altitude objects it shot down? If the U.S. does not consider the appearance of these objects in U.S. airspace to be irresponsible, why jab its fingers at China?" he said.

"The U.S. should not have overreacted and abused the use of force, still less use the incident for political manipulation or to smear and attack China," Wang said.