Think threat of China's spy flights are bad? It's much worse than you think
Fox News
That China thought it could fly a surveillance balloon into American air space is not good for America now, nor in the future.
Mike Rogers served as the Republican representative in Congress for the 8th District of Michigan from 2000 until 2015, including as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2011-2015. He previously served as an FBI Special Agent in an Organized Crime Unit in Chicago, Illinois
President Xi Jinping wants to claim what he sees as his country’s rightful place as world leader. This means undermining America’s position and global leadership and working to strengthen its armed forces and deploy them further afield. China is working to modernize its nuclear arsenal, develop and deploy next generation weapons, expand its navy, and secure bases around the world. The risks of conflict with Beijing are real, and rather than reduce the risks from a position of strength, successive White Houses have shown weakness toward China by acting only belatedly, or not acting at all.
Allowing these balloons to transit our country’s territory is a sign of weakness, and one that allows Beijing incredible opportunities to gather intelligence and map our capabilities. Who knows how much sensitive information was transmitted to Beijing and is now being meticulously sifted through by the Chinese Communist Party.