日韓、気球侵入で米支持　中国の挑戦に「結束」―３カ国高官協議

　【ワシントン時事】日米韓３カ国は１３日、ワシントンで外務次官級協議を行った。シャーマン米国務副長官は中国の偵察気球の米上空への侵入に関する情報を共有し、日韓両国はそれぞれ米国への支持を表明。中国による法の支配に基づく国際秩序への挑戦に対し、３カ国が「結束して対処する」（シャーマン氏）と確認した。
　中国側は米国も中国領空に気球を侵入させたと主張しているが、シャーマン氏は会談後の記者会見で「米国の気球などない。ゼロだ」と断言。森健良次官は「シャーマン氏が正しい」、韓国の趙賢東外務第１次官は「同盟国として米国を信頼している」とそれぞれ援護射撃した。（2023/02/14-07:17）

Senior diplomats from Japan and South Korea on Monday expressed support for the United States' position over suspected Chinese spy balloons violating U.S. airspace, including one recently shot down by the U.S. military.
   At a meeting in Washington on the day, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman provided information on such balloons to Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong.
   "We will remain aligned with" Japan, South Korea, and other allies and partners worldwide to "push back" on Chinese behavior that "challenges the rules-based regional and international order," Sherman told a press conference after the trilateral meeting.
   Sherman flatly denied Beijing's claim that the United States is also flying spy balloons in Chinese airspace, saying, "There are no U.S. government balloons over the People's Republic of China--none, zero, period."
   "About American activities, Wendy has the right answer," Mori said. "As an ally of the United States, we trust what the United States officially stated on this issue," Cho said.