In an informal meeting on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), China’s top diplomat Wang Yi scolded Secretary of State Antony Blinken over President Biden’s “hysterical” response to the recent spy balloon incursion.

According to Chinese state media, Wang laid all of the blame for the balloon incident on the “absurd and hysterical” reaction of the Biden administration, denounced the destruction of the balloon as an “abuse of the use of force,” and told Blinken that his government would have to repair the “damage” it has caused to U.S.-China relations.

Wang’s public remarks to the MSC were caustic and patronizing:

During the MSC, Wang told the audience when asked about the China-US relations that the airship incident is actually a political farce created by the US. The US ignored the basic facts and dispatched military jets to shoot down a non-threatening airship with missile, which is unbelievable, almost hysterical and absolutely an abuse of force, clearly violating relevant international conventions.

“China will never accept this and has lodged strong protests with the US,” Wang said. There are many balloons floating above the Earth every day, is the US going to shoot them all down? The Chinese diplomat asked.

Wang also noted that the underlying reason behind this incident is that the US has engaged in misunderstanding and strategic misjudgments when it comes to China.

Wang portrayed China as peaceful and interested only in global prosperity, while the warmongering United States is “using all means to crack down on China and coerce other countries to follow suit.”

A Global Times article on Sunday reported that Wang told Blinken, “What the U.S. needs to do is demonstrate sincerity and face up to and resolve the damage that its abuse of force has done to China-U.S. relations. If the US continues to dramatize, hype up or escalate the situation, China will surely respond by doing what is necessary. All consequences arising thereof shall be borne by the U.S. side.”