White House must navigate anti-China hysteria, stabilise relations with Beijing

WASHINGTON - Under almost 24/7 coverage that veered towards parody last week, the United States was transfixed by news about a Chinese “spy” balloon drifting over and across the country until – as seen on live television – it was

brought down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

by a short-range Sidewinder missile fired from a top-of-the-line F-22 fighter jet.

Spectacle aside, the event raised many questions not just about US-China relations, but also about America’s own internal dynamics, leading to the thorniest question of all: Can the two nations avoid drifting towards war?