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US Says China Denied Request for Call With Pentagon Chief After Balloon Downing

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The United States attempted to contact China’s communist regime after its military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4, but Beijing refused to take the call.
The Pentagon said on Feb. 7 that it requested a phone call between U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese defense minister Wei Fenghe after the balloon downing, but the request had been turned down.
“Lines between our militaries are particularly important in moments like this. Unfortunately, the [People’s Republic of China] has declined our request,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
Ryder stated that Washington remains committed to maintaining open lines of communication with Beijing.
On Feb. 4, a U.S. F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon from an altitude of 58,000 feet near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The balloon itself was flying between 60,000 to 65,000 feet in altitude, according to a senior defense official.PRC Explanation ‘Lacked Any Credibility’
The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. move as “a clear overreaction,” claiming that the balloon was a civilian airship that had been blown off-course and posed no threat to national security.

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