• Following October’s Communist Party congress, Beijing made moves to stifle the combative and confrontational group of diplomats known as wolf warriors and hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the capital.
• The tone of China’s leading diplomats noticeably softened, and for the first time in almost six years, Xi planned to host a U.S. secretary of state in China.
• However, a Chinese spy balloon drifted across the U.S., forcing Beijing into damage-control mode and handing the U.S. a rare opportunity to rally public concern and international solidarity.
• The balloon stunt galvanized attention and raised grave suspicions among Americans, as well as other countries such as Costa Rica, Taiwan, Japan, London, and NATO.
• The incident has derailed Beijing’s charm offensive and provided an opportunity for the U.S. to raise public awareness of the challenge posed by China.
• The Biden administration is making the most of the opportunity by publicly referring to a fleet of Chinese balloons that have conducted surveillance over five continents, and providing multiple public briefings.
Published February 13, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Richard Fontaine’s original post China’s Balloon-Size Blunder Is a Huge Opportunity
