[Right Wing Vegan]

This is what countries do to each other.

Including seize each others' spies and spy equipment without hesitation when discovered.

But that's only when a government is loyal to it's nation.

[WalkerinSC]

That is a good and valid point. I also don’t think we have a disloyal government. We have a vacillating head of state that is in over his head. His indecisive actions lead to hot and cold responses. He was a legislator, not a leader at any point in his career. If the thing can be brought down safely, so be it. Otherwise chalk it up to missed opportunity and send some CIA blackmail pics to Xi to remind him just how deep we are there. Too much ink has already been wasted on this “story”.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Private round the world balloonists negotiated permission to cross countries in advance. Soviets shot down a U2 AND pilot Powers once it was able. They weren't criticized for shutdown, we were for the flights. Chicom's forced down our P3 in international (we claimed) territory. Satellites overfly everyone, but (as far as we know) don't have the ability to deliver malicious payloads. Bombers can deliver such and are routinely intercepted and chased away. Lighter than air craft such as this can carry and deliver sizable payloads and we don't know what they're carrying. Their precedent says it should be brought down.