BREAKING: Experts Believe Chinese Balloon is Practice Run for EMP Attack on America
Well they have shown us how they intend to do it, and I doubt very much that a view from 60,000 feet was any better than their satellites... unless they are unable to use them for some reason. Like our military already co-opting them. The whole thing has the feel of the Keystone Cops to me.
Saber rattling right now is to be expected. China wants to see if we will face down Putin, and to use that to decide when they will hit Taiwan. By making obvious threatening moves, they hope to measure our resolve.
Unfortunately for them, we are a Representative Republic, that seldom behaves as predictably as an authoritarian government. They are using tactics that they think will provide better insight. But US policy often turns on a dime. I think that's what they will find out, and maybe conclude that taking Taiwan will be more costly than they are willing to risk right now.