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Deterioration in China-US relations not Beijing's fault, diplomat says

Wang Wenbin added that Washington should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, harming China’s interests and creating barriers for the development of China-US relations

BEIJING, April 11. /TASS/. Beijing is not to blame for deteriorating relations between China and the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Tuesday.

"Beijing is not responsible for the current difficulties in China-US relations," he said, commenting on the two countries’ relationship in the wake of the recent balloon incident.

Wang added that Washington should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, harming China’s interests and creating barriers for the development of China-US relations.

Wang also pointed out that the United States needed to meet China halfway in order to bring bilateral interactions back on the right track.

Politico reported earlier, citing sources, that Beijing was unwilling to engage in diplomatic contact with Washington and respond to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s proposal to reschedule his visit to China.

Blinken postponed his February trip to China after US authorities had identified a Chinese balloon at an altitude exceeding the norm for commercial flights. The balloon was shot down with a missile within US airspace. According to the US administration, China was using the balloon to gather critical data. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a protest against Washington’s allegations. Beijing explained that the weather balloon had entered US airspace by accident.

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