布林肯国务卿与大韩民国外长朴振出席联合记者会（摘译）

讲话 

安东尼·J·布林肯国务卿 

本杰明·富兰克林厅 

华盛顿D.C. 

2023年2月3日 

布林肯国务卿：大韩民国是一个至关重要并且长期的战略伙伴，我尤其感谢能有朴振这样一位好友，来让我们两国之间的这一联盟更加密切。在我谈我们今天进行的有成效的讨论和我们刚刚签署的协议之前——朴振，如果可以的话——我想简短地讲一讲中国的侦察气球存在于美国领空一事。 

今天上午，我与中共中央外事工作委员会办公室主任王毅通话，表示鉴于中国让人无法接受的行动，我现推迟本周末对中国的计划访问。正如你们所知，拜登总统和习主席在他们11月于巴厘岛的会晤中商定，我将前往中国，跟进他们的讨论。我们美国政府各部门一直都在努力为了就对美国人民和世界各地人民重要的事宜开展一系列实质性的讨论而进行准备。而且一段时间以来，我们也在和我们在北京的对口方进行互动，为这些会谈作准备。 

昨天，国防部公布说，我们发现了并且正在追踪一个仍留在美国大陆上空的高空侦察气球。我们继续密切追踪和监视这个气球。我们相信这是一个中国的侦察气球。我们一发现这个气球，美国政府便即刻采取行动，防止对敏感信息的收集。 

我们通过多个渠道直接与中华人民共和国政府沟通了这一问题。我的团队成员征询了我们在其他部门和国会的伙伴们的意见。我们也接触了我们的紧密盟友和伙伴，告知他们侦察气球存在于我们的领空一事。我们得出的结论是当前的条件不利于此时进行建设性的访问。 

在我今天与王毅主任的通话中，我清楚表明，该侦察气球存在于美国领空明显侵犯了美国主权并违反了国际法，这是一种不负责任的行为，以及中华人民共和国在我计划访问的前夕采取这一行动的决定不利于我们原本准备开展的实质性的讨论。我告诉王主任，美国依然致力于与中国的外交接触，而且我计划在条件允许时访问北京。 

同时，美国将继续与中国保持畅通的沟通渠道，包括为了着手解决正在发生的这起事件。的确，这就是为什么我们首先需要直接和定期的沟通，这也是为什么在所有时候都保持这些渠道的畅通对于帮助避免误判和冲突至关重要。 

最后但也是很重要的一点，世界期望美国和中国负责任地管理我们的关系。而且着手解决今天的许多全球挑战——影响我们的人民和世界各地人民的生活的挑战——也的的确确要求我们找到一种一起努力的方式。美国将继续以一种体现这一责任的方式行事。我们期望我们的中华人民共和国对口方同样这么做。 

EXCERPT from REMARKS

ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ROOM

WASHINGTON, D.C.

FEBRUARY 3, 2023 

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  The Republic of Korea is a vital and longstanding strategic partner, and I’m particularly grateful to have such a close friend in Jin to bring this alliance between our countries even closer.  Before I talk about the productive discussions that we had today and the agreement we just signed – Jin, if you’ll allow me – I’d just like to briefly address the presence of the Chinese surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace.

I spoke this morning with Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi to convey that in light of China’s unacceptable action, I am postponing my planned travel this weekend to China.  As you know, President Biden and President Xi agreed during their meetings in Bali in November that I would travel to Beijing to follow up on their discussions.  We’ve been working across the U.S. Government to prepare for a substantive set of discussions on issues that matter to the American people and to people around the world.  And we’ve been engaging for some time with our counterparts in Beijing to prepare for these meetings.

Yesterday, the Department of Defense announced that we had detected and were tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that remains over the continental United States.  We continue to track and monitor the balloon closely.  We’re confident this is a Chinese surveillance balloon.  Once we detected the balloon, the U.S. Government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.

We communicated with the PRC Government directly through multiple channels about this issue.  Members of my team consulted with our partners in other agencies and in Congress.  We also engaged our close allies and partners to inform them of the presence of the surveillance balloon in our airspace.  We concluded that conditions were not conducive for a constructive visit at this time.

In my call today with Director Wang Yi, I made clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace is a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law, that it’s an irresponsible act, and that the PRC’s decision to take this action on the eve of my planned visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.  I told Director Wang that the United States remains committed to diplomatic engagement with China and that I plan to visit Beijing when conditions allow.

In the meantime, the United States will continue to maintain open lines of communication with China, including to address this ongoing incident.  Indeed, that’s why we need direct and regular communications in the first place, and that’s why it’s critical that such lines remain open at all times to help avoid miscalculation and conflict.

One final but important note.  The world expects the United States and China to manage our relationship responsibly.  And indeed, addressing many of today’s global challenges – challenges that affect the lives of our people and people around the world – demands that we find a way to work together as well.  The United States will continue to act in a way that reflects that responsibility.  We look to our PRC counterparts to do the same.