The top diplomats from the US and China have discussed a Chinese balloon that flew over the US mainland, but their views remain divided.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's top foreign policy official Wang Yi met on Saturday on the sidelines of the security conference in Munich, Germany. It was their first face-to-face meeting since the US military's downing of the balloon earlier this month.

US officials say Blinken criticized China for flying the balloon in US territorial airspace, underscoring that such an "irresponsible act" must never be repeated.

They also say Blinken "made clear the United States will not stand for any violation of our sovereignty," noting that Chinese surveillance balloons have "intruded into the airspace of over 40 countries across 5 continents."

He also mentioned Russia's assault on Ukraine and warned of the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia, or assistance with systemic evasion of sanctions.

Blinken also stressed that Washington does not want conflict with China, and is not looking for a new Cold War, underscoring the importance of maintaining diplomatic dialogue.

China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Wang made clear " China's solemn position" on the downing of the balloon in "an unofficial contact" with Blinken.

The report said Wang urged the US side to "change course, acknowledge and repair the damage that its excessive use of force caused to China-US relations."