Illustration photo – View of the Pentagon building in Washington, where the United States Department of Defense is located.
Washington – China rejected the American request for a phone call, the Pentagon said today according to Reuters. Washington requested a phone call between the defense ministers of the two countries after the US shot down a Chinese balloon it said was equipped with spy technology.
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The Pentagon requested a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fengchem on Saturday immediately after a US fighter jet shot down a balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina. The wreckage was picked up by the US from US territorial waters on Monday.
“Unfortunately, China has rejected our request. We remain committed to keeping the lines of communication open,” Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said.
Beijing accuses of espionage, and claims it was a civilian facility used for meteorological research purposes. White House security spokesman John Kirby previously called the claim completely untrustworthy.
