Spy balloon; Blinken may meet Xi; PRC-Australia; Private sector; More pressure on TikTok

I am finally almost feeling human again so next week’s newsletters should be back to normal. Thanks again for your patience, sadly I know many of you have also had your own unpleasant Covid experiences.

US news outlets and Twitter are blowing up with reports of a “Chinese spy balloon” floating over the US state of Montana. Reports say that this is not the first time it has happened, but it is the first time it has become such big news. The timing is problematic, on the eve of the Blinken trip to the PRC. Here is one report on it from CBS News: