Just days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to China for “high-level talks,” the Pentagon announced that the US government has detected a Chinese spy balloon drifting over the continental United States for the past two days.

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said:

“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government, to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”

A senior official told Fox News that the government is “confident” the balloon belongs to the People’s Republic of China.

It’s great that the government acted immediately to protect against the collection of their sensitive information, but what about information from US businesses and individuals? Completely spitballing, but could this surveillance balloon also be receiving information helpfully left on devices by Chinese assets in the US? Why was it not immediately shot down? Was Alec Baldwin not available?

Attn @AlecBaldwln____ https://t.co/xZynSJgMVG

— John Phillips (@Johnnydontlike) February 2, 2023

All joking aside, this is an extremely serious matter that should be handled decisively and quickly, and Blinken’s visit to China should be canceled.