US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Saturday that the incident in which a Chinese hot air balloon was shot down by the US military should not be repeated during the meeting in Munich, a State Department spokesman said, AFP reported on Sunday.

The US secretary of state also warned Wang Yi of “consequences” for China if it is found to be providing “material support” to Russia in its war in Ukraine, according to the same source.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, lasted about an hour and the exchange was “frank and sincere,” a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Anthony Blinken, in a conversation with his colleague, insisted that the flight of the Chinese balloon, which flew over the US territory for several days before it was shot down, was an “irresponsible act that should not happen again”.

The incident forced the US Secretary of State to dramatically postpone a visit to Beijing scheduled for early February and reignited tensions between the two great rivals.

“The secretary of state made it clear to him that the United States will not tolerate any infringement of its sovereignty and that China’s high-altitude surveillance balloon program has been disclosed to the world,” the quoted source said.

“Regarding Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, the secretary warned of consequences and consequences if Beijing is found to be providing material support to Russia or helping it evade sanctions” imposed by the West.

In a dialogue with Wang Yi, Anthony Blinken reiterated that the US does not seek a “conflict” with China or a “new Cold War” and that Washington intends to keep the lines of communication open despite differences.