Anne ApplebaumHas someone written the definitive explanation of why China, which has high tech satellites, internet spyware and access to reams of stolen data, would even need a spy balloon?
Steve Gibson 
@anneapplebaum
I haven’t heard anyone with a definitive explanation. It’s all been speculation — proof of concept? See how long it took for it to be detected? Capture and relay as much SIGINT as possible before it’s taken out? Maybe next time it’ll be 1000 of them with EMP devices dangling underneath. It’s so bizarre that most people knowledgeable in this area seem to be scratching their heads.
BibbleCo