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BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The National People"s Congress (NPC), China"s top legislature, on Monday slammed the U.S. Senate for passing resolutions that hype up the "China threat" and malign and discredit China after the unintended entry of a Chinese civilian unmanned airship into U.S. airspace.

The NPC Foreign Affairs Committee said in a statement that the U.S. Senate had followed the House of Representatives in passing resolutions on the airship, calling the move another mistake that the United States has made to distort the facts, mislead the public, and attempt to put pressure on China.

As a responsible major country, China has always strictly observed international law and respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, the statement said.

It said that the unintended entry of the Chinese civilian unmanned airship into U.S. airspace was purely an unexpected and isolated incident caused by force majeure. The Chinese side has repeatedly briefed the United States and the international community on the situation, and asked the U.S. side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner.

The U.S. side, however, has turned a deaf ear to China"s solemn position, abused the use of force and overreacted, seriously violating the spirit of international law and customary practice, the statement said.

"The U.S. Congress is deliberately igniting confrontation, creating tension, and politicizing, complicating and magnifying the unexpected and isolated incident, which is a typical example of hegemony," the statement said.

When it comes to the question of which country is the biggest spying power, the U.S. knows the answer and people across the world can make fair judgements, the statement said.

The Chinese side strongly urges the U.S. Congress to respect the facts, the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations, and immediately cease maligning China to prevent bringing further disruption and damage to China-U.S. relations, it said.

By Wang Huihui