As the political and military rivalry between China and the U.S. intensifies, American officials and analysts worry a lack of reliable crisis communications could cause a minor confrontation to spiral into greater hostilities.

The drones are a cutting-edge surveillance system that could help China gather real-time mapping data to inform strategy or carry out missile strikes in a future conflict.

Two cases are part of a series of Justice Department prosecutions aimed at disrupting Chinese government efforts to suppress the speech of America pro-democracy activists and others who are openly critical of Beijing’s policies.

It will be the latest display of American firepower in Asia, as the Biden administration strengthens an arc of alliances to better counter China.

An American fighter jet shot down the balloon near the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4.

While Taiwan is carefully calibrating Tsai’s stops in the United States and forgoing official meetings with senior U.S. leaders in Washington in an effort to limit the scale of China’s response,