US IS BIGGEST SPY POWER WITH THE WORLD’S WIDEST INTELLIGENCE NETWORK, CHINA SAYS

Mon 13 February 2023:

The United States is the world’s biggest spy power with the widest intelligence network, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Monday.

“It is the United States that is the world’s biggest spy power with the world’s widest intelligence network,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said, TASS reported.

Wang Wenbin also noted that “the US National Security Agency reviews text messages and wiretaps phone calls, including those of high-ranking officials in Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and other European countries.”

US high-altitude balloons have illegally flown over Chinese airspace on more than 10 occasions without the approval of the relevant Chinese authorities since January 2022, and the first thing the US should do is to reflect on its own behavior, instead of slandering, smearing and provoking confrontation, Wang Wenbin said, The Global Times reported.

A Chinese civilian unmanned airship’s unintended entry into US airspace was due to force majeure and the incident was totally an accident, according to Wang. China firmly opposed the US use of force to attack China’s civilian unmanned airship, which was indiscriminate use of force and overacted, said Wang.

For a long time, the US has abused its technological advantages to carry out large-scale indiscriminate clandestine operations and stealing of secrets across the world, including its allies, violating the sovereignty and interests of other countries and regions, and violating the international law and basic norms of international relations, Wang said.

The US has also frequently sent aircraft and warships to conduct close-in reconnaissance on China, with 657 flights in 2022 and 64 flights in the South China Sea in January this year alone, which seriously jeopardizes China’s national security and undermines regional peace and stability, Wang said. It is also common for US balloons to illegally enter other countries’ airspace, Wang noted.

China’s handling of the matters is responsible and professional, Wang said, in response to the question over how China responded to US high-altitude balloons illegally flying over Chinese airspace on at least 10 occasions.

In early February, US authorities noticed a Chinese balloon over the mainland at an altitude well above standard parameters for commercial air traffic. However, it did not pose a threat to people on the ground. On February 4, the US armed forces shot down this “reconnaissance balloon” within national airspace. It was, according to the Pentagon, engaged in the collection of important information. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a visit to China in connection with this incident.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry protested the attacks and slander from Washington. Beijing explained that the Chinese meteorological probe ended up in US airspace by accident.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent