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China’s Defense Ministry says it refused a call from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin following the shooting down of an alleged Chinese spy balloon because the U.S. had “not created the proper atmosphere” for dialogue and exchange.
The U.S. action had “seriously violated international norms and set a pernicious precedent,” ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei was quoted as saying in a statement issued late Thursday.
“Given that this irresponsible and seriously wrong approach by the U.S. did not create the proper atmosphere for dialogue and exchanges between the two militaries, China did not accept the U.S. proposal for a phone call between the two defense ministers,” Tan said.
China, Tan added, “reserves the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations.
