The ongoing terse exchange of words between China and the US over the “balloon incident” continued on Thursday with China’s top legislature strongly opposing an US Congressional resolution that blamed and condemned Beijing over the incident.
The foreign affairs committee of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC) said on Thursday that it “strongly condemns and opposes” the US House of Representatives’ resolution over the balloon incident, calling it “ill-intentioned hype and political manipulation, and which deliberately exaggerates the ‘threat of China’.”
“China is a responsible country that strictly abides by international law, respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and has no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country,” according to a statement released by the NPC committee and quoted by Chinese official media.
The Chinese statement reiterated Beijing’s position that the balloon was a “civilian unmanned airship that unintentionally entered US airspace”.
It called on the US Congress to “immediately stop maligning China, and refrain from taking actions that could only escalate the situation”.
China’s foreign ministry added to the criticism with its spokesperson, Wang Wenbin saying the resolution does not “reflect basic facts”.
“These resolutions do not reflect basic facts. They are purely meant to score political points and dramatise the situation. China strongly disapproves of and firmly opposes them. We strongly urge the US Congress to respect facts, respect the spirit of international law and the basic norms in international relations, immediately stop smearing China, and stop taking actions that may escalate the situation,” Wang added.
China sanctions top US companies
China, meanwhile, on Thursday imposed trade and investment sanctions on defence giants Lockheed Martin and on a unit of Raytheon for supplying weapons to Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory.
The US’s ties with Taiwan is another major friction point between Beijing and Washington with the former alleging the latter’s relations with Taipei is an interference in internal matters.
As part of the sanctions, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies’ Raytheon Missiles and Defence have been barred from importing goods into China or making new investments in the country, China’s commerce ministry announced.
The ministry said on Thursday that the two companies had been added to the “unreliable entity” list of companies whose activities are restricted because they might endanger national sovereignty, security or development interests.
The new sanctions were announced a day after Beijing pledged to take “countermeasures” in response to Washington’s handling of the alleged suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.
China had sanctioned Lockheed Martin for selling arms to Taiwan in 2020.
Earlier this month, the US approved a possible $100m sale of equipment and services to Taiwan to “sustain, maintain, and improve” the Patriot missile defense system used by the island.
While Washington does not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is the island’s main supplier of military equipment, much to the annoyance of Beijing.
According to the Chinese commerce ministry, the two enterprises are prohibited from engaging in import and export activities related to China and prohibited from making new investments in China among other bans.
“Lockheed Martin has supplied Taiwan’s military with radar, helicopters and air traffic control equipment. It plays a role in the island’s development of its own fighter jet and navy frigates. In China, Lockheed Martin has sold air traffic control equipment for civilian airports and helicopters for commercial use,” the Associated Press said in a report on Thursday.
