US reaction to balloon ‘absurd and hysterical’, says top Chinese diplomat

Wang Yi also says China is preparing to outline position on Russian war against Ukraine

China's most senior diplomat has described the shooting down of a balloon by the US as absurd and hysterical", as well as an abuse of the use of force.

Speaking on stage at the Munich security conference on Saturday, Wang Yi said: It does not show the US is strong; on the contrary it shows it is weak". The foreign affairs director said he believed the shooting down was part of an attempt to divert attention from the domestic problems of the Biden administration.