[August]

Here are two predictions about the Chinese spy balloon now floating across the continental U.S.
First, we'll learn that President Joe Biden was offered a shoot-down option with very low risk to Montanans. Second, Beijing will come to deeply regret this incident.

Whatever political challenges the balloon poses for Biden, Xi Jinping has made a big mistake. In exchange for what is likely to be very limited new intelligence data, Xi has crystallized China's threat to the U.S. in a directly physical and unequivocally aggressive form. All of Xi's recent work trying to shift away from China's self-destructive "wolf warrior" diplomacy/violent antics has floated off into the ether.
Yes, there is a litany of far more serious Chinese threats to U.S. national security than this balloon. These include Beijing's vast intellectual property theft, responsible for thieving hundreds of billions of dollars from the U.S. each year. They include China's highly capable anti-ship ballistic missiles, designed to force American aircraft carriers far away from Chinese (or Taiwanese) shores. They include China's overseas police stations, used to harass innocent people living abroad. They include the seduction of American corporations, entertainment and sports entities, and powerful investors into the Communist Party's service.
But this balloon encapsulates China's threat in a way that none of those other threats has yet achieved. Indeed, were one tasked with inventing a way to scare or anger Americans in a memorable fashion, this balloon flight would fit the bill perfectly.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/o...d-balloon-shot