AC,

What is clear is that the balloon the US shot down was not a weather balloon, and as the weather balloons generally float down eventually as the helium leaks and if any of them were spy balloons there would be no end of noise from China. The US has 1000s of satellites but uses drones where satellites are not suitable (for loitering around a particular area.

If China dares to shoot down a US drone they will quickly regret it.

"If China dares to shoot down a US drone they will quickly regret it."

I think you meant to say that if China dares to shoot down a US drone, that WE WILL quickly regret it.
America will start a conflict they can't win so far from their homeland, we'll get dragged into it and our boys will end up paying a price.

What's America going to do?
Attack one of China's military bases in the South China Sea?
Launch nukes from subs in the Pacific, and then China will nuke a carrier fleet and the US continent?

None of this in our interest so what do we have to gain from this?
Does what we stand to gain outweigh what we stand to lose?
If they resulting war doesn't destroy us the economic outcome will.

WE WILL QUICKLY REGRET IT.

AC,

There are much more effective ways of dealing with China. China's economy is on a precipice due to the collapse of the housing bubble and their zero covid policy it has built up massive debt and the banks.

Further sanctions or tariffs would cause enormous damage. Alternatives such as arming the Philippines or other countries with anti-ship missiles along the South China sea would leave China's islands very vulnerable etc.

Western consumers denounce China yet they're supporting its economy more then their own.
Talk about stupid !

China was until about a decade or so ago a sensible and law-abiding member of the global community. Since Xi took power, most of this trouble with the South China Sea island and the Wolf worriers started to seriously piss off its neighbours and the rest of the western world.

The world's reaction was to take note of China's poor trade and financial practices and start to apply tariffs and other restrictions to the point where Xi and his cronies are starting to realise where their business came from and dial back their aggression and rhetoric.

Objects shot down aren't from China, likely ‘benign,' Kirby says
http://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/14/objects-shot-down-arent-from-china-likely-benign-kirby-says-00082876

I've heard they were part of a Covid Digital Detection program, but I don't have any proof this was the case.