WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2023) The People's Republic of China (PRC) has declined the United States' request to hold a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and PRC Defense Minister Wei Fenghe after the US military downed a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, Defense Department spokesperson Pat Ryder said in a statement.
"On Saturday, 4 February, immediately after taking action to down the PRC balloon, the Department of Defense submitted a request for a secure call between Secretary Austin and PRC Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe," Ryder said in the statement on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, the PRC has declined our request."
The United States believes in the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the US and PRC to responsibly manage the relationship and remains committed to those open lines, the statement said.
Lines between the US and PRC militaries are "particularly important" in moments such as this, the statement added.
