US officials addressed mounting tensions between the US and China Sunday at the Munich Security Conference after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, to discuss the country's high-altitude surveillance balloon and concerning stance on providing support to Russia.

The US military shot down a high-altitude Chinese balloon on February 4, to which Blinken called an “unacceptable violation of US sovereignty and international law” and warned of “implications and consequences” if China provides material aid to Russia.

Blinken then went on to say that “there's no doubt” the high-altitude balloon was attempting to actively surveil “very sensitive military sites.” The US Secretary of State, however, did not receive an apology from China as a result of the incident.

“More than 40 countries have had these balloons