The Chinese claim it’s a weather (meteorology balloon) that strayed into our territory. That seems unlikely, so you can expect there’s a great deal of speculation about its purpose.
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What Westerners don’t understand about mainland China - civilian, military its all the same. The principle is Military-Civil Fusion: What is learned in the military is immediately used by the civilian; what is learned by the civilian is immediately used by the military.
In China today there is only a paper separation between things military and things civilian.
The Department of Defense official statement describes this as a Chinese platform sent to spy on our strategic infrastructure.
There is no “quiet part”. Our official position is stated and
openly published.
So we have cast China as liars.
Now…what are we going to do about it?
Prob more stupid stuff.
Like send the House Speaker or more chicken hawk politicians to Taiwan.
Conduct more military exercises.
Ramp up more sanctions.
Pressure our struggling allies to do the same.