After US jet fighters took out a Chinese “spy balloon” that had slowly traversed the country last week, the idea of stabilizing relations between the two superpowers might seem naïve and quixotic. Yet the two sides still need to try — and China must take the first step.
The bizarre incident has undoubtedly made any rapprochement harder. Republicans have blasted US President Joe Biden for not shooting down the balloon immediately. The atrocious optics forced US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a long-awaited trip to Beijing. Chinese officials professed to be outraged by the downing of what they claimed was a “civilian airship.”
