NewsNation

How spy balloon impacts US-China relations

(NewsNation) — “I think China wants to put this behind them as fast as possible,” Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Rush Hour.”

China called the Biden administration’s decision to shoot down a suspected surveillance balloon an attack.


The balloon was first spotted Jan. 28 and over the course of several days, floated across the U.S., including areas that contained military bases and missile silos. Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis weighs in on NewsNation’s “Rush Hour.”

“I’m sure that this was something that went very much sideways from what they intended, and I think they want to put it behind them as soon as possible,” Davis said. “It’s incumbent on us to make sure that we don’t lose focus on making sure that we don’t get spied on.”

China’s attempts to gather information don’t just impact the government, as industrial espionage is also a major goal. It’s a costly one too, with an estimated cost of $200 to $600 billion in intellectual property theft per year, according to acting director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center Mike Orlando.

Watch Davis’s full discussion in the video player above.