Beijing: China opposes Japan’s claim that flying objects found in its airspace in the past included Chinese spy balloons, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Wednesday.

Wang told a press conference that Beijing firmly opposes attacks against it without proof, arguing that Tokyo must maintain an objective and fair position and stop following U.S. propaganda.

Regarding Tokyo’s discussions on revising its criteria on weapons use to respond to spy balloon overflights, Wang repeated that Japan should not follow the United States.

On U.S. media reports that the Chinese balloon shot down over the United States had reached the country’s mainland unexpectedly, Wang stressed that the straying of the balloon was beyond his country’s control, urging Washington not to overreact. He did not mention what the planned course of the balloon had been.

Beijing has repeated since Monday a claim that U.S. balloons illegally entered its airspace around a dozen times since last year.

In his press conference, Wang said that there were U.S. balloon overflights spotted in China, including over Xinjiang and Tibet. Beijing responded calmly and professionally then, while Washington is overreacting this time, he added.

Wang did not disclose details of the response or present evidence of the overflights such as photographs. He blasted Washington’s denials of China’s claims, saying that this is not a responsible attitude.

JIJI Press