Offline: Why we must make peace with China

The Chinese Government's decision to float a surveillance balloon over US territory was a surprising violation of American sovereignty. China has issued a statement of regret, describing the incursion as an “accident”. The immediate impact was an abrupt postponement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing to reset diplomatic relations. Whether provocation or mistake, the longer-term result will be a further erosion of trust between the West and China. This moment of confusion comes at a difficult time.