China’s vice FM urges U.S. to avoid escalation after airship shot down

Beijing, The Gulf Observer: China’s vice foreign minister has urged the U.S. not to escalate the situation and increase tension after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese civilian unmanned airship that was used for meteorological purposes.

“China firmly opposes and strongly protests the U.S. move,” Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng told the U.S. embassy in China on Monday. “The Chinese government is closely following the development of the situation and reserves the right to take further measures in response.”

The Pentagon confirmed the U.S. military shot down the airship after it drifted off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.

China has repeatedly informed the U.S. side, after verification, that the airship is civilian in nature and entered U.S. airspace due to force majeure and completely by accident, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.