China

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is criticizing former President Donald Trump for being too friendly to China during his time in office while also warning that weak support for Ukraine would "only encourage" China to invade Taiwan. Haley said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday that Trump was "almost singularly focused" on the U.S.-China trade relationship but ultimately did "too little about the rest of the Chinese threat." Specifically, Haley noted that Trump failed to rally U.S. allies "against the Chinese threat" and that he had congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China.

U.S. officials say the military has finished efforts to recover the remnants of the large balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, and analysis of the debris so far reinforces conclusions that it was a Chinese spy balloon. Officials say the U.S. believes that Navy, Coast Guard and FBI personnel collected all of the balloon debris off the ocean floor. This includes key equipment from the payload that could reveal what information it was able to monitor and collect. U.S. Northern Command says the recovery operations ended Thursday and that final pieces are on their way to the FBI lab in Virginia for analysis.

The downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon just off South Carolina's coast created a spectacle over one of the state's tourism hubs that drew reactions ranging from bewilderment to cheers. The balloon was struck by a missile from an F-22 fighter just off Myrtle Beach, fascinating sky-watchers across a populous area known as the Grand Strand for its miles of beaches that draw retirees and vacationers. Crowds gathered in neighborhoods, hotel parking lots and beaches to watch the balloon hover, with some cheering just after it went down.

Today at 2:00 p.m. President Trump is holding a press event following China's move to impose national security laws on Hong Kong. Watch his remarks live…