Withitsglobalsurveillancenetwork,"theUnitedStatesitselfisthetrueeavesdropper,"saidtheGermanmagazineFocus,thoughthecountrypreferstoframeitselfasavictimofspying.

BEIJING,Feb.25(Xinhua)--DespiteChina"srepeatedexplanationthattheentryofaChinesecivilianunmannedairshipintoU.S.airspacewasanentirelyunintended,unexpectedandisolatedeventcausedbyforcemajeure,theUnitedStates,withoutanyevidence,slanderedtheairshipasa"spyballoon"andabusedforcetoshootitdown.

Washington"s"unthinkableandhystericalaction"blatantlyviolateditsobligationsundertheChicagoConventionandmanybasicprinciplesofinternationallaw,assomeU.S.politiciansinsistedonsuchabsurdthingsonlyfortheirownpoliticalneedattheexpenseofChina-U.S.relations.

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ABUSEOFFORCE

Weatherballoonsareregularlylaunchedaroundtheworldforweatherforecastingandscientificresearch.Everyday,free-risinglatexballoonsarereleasedfromalmost900locationsworldwide,withnearly1,000balloonsgatheringdailyobservationsthatprovideinputinreal-time,theUNWorldMeteorologicalOrganizationcounted.

However,inthefirsttwoweeksofFebruary,U.S.fighterjetsshotdownfourobjectsflyingoverNorthAmerica,includingtheChinesecivilianballoonthatthePentagonsaid"doesnotpresentamilitaryorphysicalthreattopeopleontheground,"orasignificantriskofintelligencecollection.

U.S.PresidentJoeBidenonThursdayalsoadmittedtheotherthreeobjectswere"mostlikelytiedtoprivatecompanies,recreationorresearchinstitutions."

"AlotofballoonsareflyingovertheEartheveryday.DoestheU.S.wanttoshootthemalldown?"seniorChinesediplomatWangYiraisedthequestiononthesidelinesofthe59thMunichSecurityConference.

Washington"sdrasticreactiontotheweatherballoonnotonlygoesagainstscientificcommonsense,butalsoviolatescustomaryinternationalpracticeandconventions.

Aboveall,anyinternationaldisputeshallbesettledbypeacefulmeanssothatinternationalpeace,securityandjusticearenotendangered,accordingtotheUNCharter.

Basedongeneralprinciplesofinternationallaw,inthecircumstancesofforcemajeure,distressandnecessity,aircraftunauthorizedtoenterothercountries"airspaceshallbeexemptoflegalliability.

Sincelastyear,U.S.balloonshaveillegallyflownoverChina"sairspacemorethan10timeswithouttheapprovalofrelevantauthorities.ButChinahandledthoseillegalflightsinacalmandprofessionalmanner.ThathasdemonstratedBeijing"srespectforinternationallawandsincerityinproperlymanagingChina-U.S.relations.

Asfarasthe"strayballoon"isconcerned,ChinahasclearlyaskedtheU.S.sidetoproperlyhandlethematterinacalm,professionalandrestrainedmanner,whereastheUnitedStatesused"themostadvancedU.S.weaponssystems"--asdepictedbyTheWashingtonPost--toeliminatetheobject.

Clearly,Washingtonhasresortedagaintodoublestandards.In2016,Chinaseizedanunmannedunderwatervehicle(UUV)--laterclaimedbythePentagon--intheSouthChinaSeatopreventitfromharmingnavigationalandpersonnelsafetyofpassingships.TheU.S.DefenseDepartmentcalledonChinato"returnourUUVimmediatelyandtocomplywithallofitsobligationsunderinternationallaw."Itsurgestandsinsharpcontrastwithitsdowningofthefourcivilianaerialobjects.

SUPERPOWEROFSURVEILLANCE

TheUnitedStates,asasuperpowerofsurveillance,hasalonghistoryofsendingsurveillanceballoonsandblimpsbeyonditsborderstogatherintelligence.Thathelpsexplainwhytheill-grounded"spyballoon"narrativecanraisemasshysteriainU.S.mediaandpoliticalcommunity.

BeforetheLockheedU-2reconnaissanceaircraftandspysatellitescameintoservice,theU.S.AirForcehaddevelopedreconnaissanceballoonprogramsknownasWS-119LandWS-461LforthemissionofcollectingintelligenceoverEasternEuropeandtheSovietUnionbetweenthelate1950sandearly1960s.

Nowadays,asthecenterofgravityforglobalInternetandintelligenceactivity,theUnitedStateshasfurtherconsolidateditsprivilegedpositiontomonitor.AmongthecountriesitsnoopsonisChina,whichhasbeenharassedbyU.S.spydevicesmultipletimesoverthepastfewyears.

TheChineseForeignMinistryconfirmedinJune2022thattheUnitedStateshasdeployedmanymilitaryaircraftandwarshipsintheSouthChinaSeaonaregularbasisanditsreconnaissanceaircrafthaveelectronicallyimpersonatedcivilaircraftofothercountriestheretimeandagain.

Theministrysaid,citingstatisticsfrominstitutionswithprofessionalknowledge,thatthenumberoftheU.S.close-inmilitaryreconnaissancemissionsagainstChinahasmorethandoubledcomparedwithadecadeago.

InSeptemberlastyear,China"sNationalComputerVirusEmergencyResponseCenterandcybersecuritycompany360respectivelyreleasedinvestigationreportsontheattacksonChina"sNorthwesternPolytechnicalUniversityfromtheU.S.NationalSecurityAgency(NSA),whichshowedthattheagency"sTailoredAccessOperationsunitmountedhundredsofthousandsmaliciouscyberattackstargetingChineseobjectives.

Permeatingthrougheverypartoftheworld,theU.S.surveillancenetworkalsotargetsWashington"sallies.

InMay2021,Denmark"snationalbroadcasterDRNewsreportedthattheDanishDefenseIntelligenceServicehadgiventheNSAopenInternetaccesstospyontargetedheadsofstate,aswellasScandinavianleaders,toppoliticians,andhigh-rankingofficialsinGermany,Sweden,NorwayandFrance,includingthenGermanChancellorAngelaMerkel.

ThatwasnotunfamiliartoEuropeanleaders.In2013,formerNSAcontractorEdwardSnowdenrevealedthatWashingtonhadbeenspyingontheemailandcellphonecommunicationsofasmanyas35worldleaders.

SnowdenalsodisclosedthataU.S.surveillanceprogramcodenamedStateroomorderedtheinstallmentofsecretintelligenceequipmentinsome100foreigndiplomaticembassiesandconsulatesinothercountriesforspying.

"Washingtonislosingitsmoralground,"theGermanmagazineFocusoncequotedanexpertonforeignpolicyassaying.

Withitsglobalsurveillancenetwork,"theUnitedStatesitselfisthetrueeavesdropper,"Focussaid,thoughthecountrypreferstoframeitselfasavictimofspying.