Sun Tsu II, in “The Art of War2 teaches that one should never show the enemy superiority, even when one is strong, nor inferiority, when one is weak.
Based on this teaching, perhaps one can understand the invasion of North American airspace by an alleged Chinese spy balloon, tracked for several days by the Pentagon. Drifting high above commercial air traffic. This object did not represent any immediate threat and, according to information from the Department of Defense, this type of presence has been observed in recent years.
The seriousness of this type of meddling by the People’s Republic of China was not overestimated by the military, who instead advised President Joe Biden not to shoot him down. Due to the fact that it is completely unknown what it contains inside and if, when it reaches it, something harmful that could cause damage to American people and properties, since what it contains is completely ignored.
It is also noteworthy that it was sighted in the state of Montana, where ICBM missile silos are located at Malmstrom Air Force Base, according to different journalistic sources in America. It is important to emphasize that Canada is also following the developments of this situation.
According to the Pentagon, the balloon’s movements depend mainly on an air current moving at high altitude and speed, which allows the Chinese military to predict and plan a likely trajectory.
Additionally, the balloon appears to be powered by a solar panel that provides reliable high-attitude power. However, the military who analyzed the case believe that there does not seem to be any kind of remote control engine in Beijing.
Everything indicates that the Chinese are not just testing strategies in a war game. More than that, they move pieces to confirm that on the other side of the board there is a government that holds office by right, but that is unable to exercise its functions due to lack of credibility and political strength, isolated by the opposition and the fragmentation of your allies. Or, as they say in America, a “Lame duck”.
On the eve of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing, the trial balloon was perhaps used to find out how America reacts to an aggression like this, and it says much more than any speculation.
José Roberto de Souza Dias, PhD
Two Flags Post Founder, Publisher & Editor-in Chief Journalist, Mtb 0083569 / SP/BR, Master in Economic History and PhD in Human Sciences at the University of São Paulo, Doctor Honoris Causa at Cesusc.
