US Says China Denied Request for Call With Pentagon Chief After Balloon Downing

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over a debris field during recovery efforts of a high-altitude surveillance balloon on Feb. 4, 2023. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Jerry Ireland

The United States attempted to contact China’s communist regime after its military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4, but Beijing refused to take the call.

The Pentagon said on Feb. 7 that it requested a phone call between U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese defense minister Wei Fenghe after the balloon downing, but the request had been turned down.