As soon as the ChiComs let Joey know they got all the sensitive info they needed they let him shoot it down.
I don’t think it was a regular weather balloon, but China claims it was part of a weather research project. I would reserve judgment on that and assume it was perhaps a trial run for a balloon that could produce a military result next time. I don’t know enough about EMP technology to venture a guess as to whether this type of balloon could release that kind of weapon. Also you have to wonder, why take the chance of sending an EMP on something that could be detected and shot down before the release?
Maybe it was just a psy-op event, China sending a message that they have stuff we don’t know about or understand.
Like egg rolls.