China and the USA are talking about the balloon scandal for the first time

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Recovery of the remains of the downed balloon off the US Atlantic coast

Photo Credit: IMAGO/Mc1 Tyler Thompson/Us Navy/ IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

It's been ten days since the suspected spy balloon was shot down over the Atlantic.

Ten days of speculation and blame on both sides.

Now the US has communicated with China on the case.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Melissa Dalton announced to journalists on Sunday that there had been "contacts with the People's Republic of China because of the high-altitude balloon".

She did not provide any information on who was involved in the contact or what it contained.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had unsuccessfully requested a meeting with the Chinese defense minister after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over the US for days and was eventually shot down by a US fighter jet off the US east coast.

Beijing confirmed on Thursday that it had declined a phone call to Austin after the balloon was launched.

"The irresponsible and seriously erroneous approach taken by the US has not created a suitable atmosphere for dialogue and exchanges between the two armies," the Chinese Defense Ministry said.

Three more incidents within a few days

The day-long overflight of the Chinese balloon over the United States had led to a scandal between Washington and Beijing.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned trip to China at short notice.

A US fighter jet finally shot down the balloon over the Atlantic on February 4th on the US east coast when the balloon was no longer over the mainland.

Washington said on Wednesday that the downed balloon was one of a fleet of spy balloons that flew across five continents.

In the past few days, three more mysterious flying objects had been shot down over the United States and Canada.

After discovering the balloon, China denied the allegation of espionage.

Instead, Beijing spoke of a civil balloon for meteorological purposes that had gone off course.

US officials have meanwhile firmly rejected this account several times and affirmed that it was a question of a spy balloon.

jok/AFP