According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng stressed this position by presenting a formal protest before Washington´s embassy after the device was shot down last Saturday.

“The facts are clear and cannot be distorted. However, the US side turned a deaf ear and insisted on using excessive force against a civilian device that was about to leave its airspace,” he emphasized.

The diplomat considered the decision an overreaction and a serious violation of international laws and practices. He also spoke of the negative impact on efforts to stabilize relations between Beijing and Washington after the first face-to-face meeting of Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden last year in, Indonesia.

“China opposes and protests this and urges the US side to refrain from further actions that are detrimental to Chinese interests and exacerbate or escalate tensions,” he said.

Xie added that the Chinese government is still watching the development of the situation and reserves the right to take necessary measures to defend its dignity and the interests of domestic enterprises.

The vice minister’s meeting with the US embassy was the latest event related to the presence of the Chinese balloon in US airspace.

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