The Biden administration tried to cover up China’s espionage. It was only discovered because of a viral video out of Montana. Once the scandal broke, the Biden administration put on a show of “taking it seriously.”

Since then it’s been confirmed that it was staged for the benefit of the American public.

While the State Department signaled U.S. displeasure over the balloon by postponing Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s scheduled visit to Beijing, an internal State Department message reviewed by Reuters shows senior U.S. officials delaying planned actions against China.

Rick Waters, deputy assistant secretary of State for China and Taiwan who leads the China House policy division, said in a Feb. 6 email to staff that has not been previously reported: “Guidance from S (Secretary of State) is to push non-balloon actions to the right so we can focus on symmetric and calibrated response. We can revisit other actions in a few weeks.”…

In late March, Waters told a staff meeting that the State Department would “move on” from the balloon incident with China, following guidance from Sherman who was eager to reschedule the Blinken trip, two of the sources said…

Now, Biden is saying the quiet part out loud.

“How will you manage the diplomatic relationship with China?” a reporter asked in the early morning briefing.

“Well, number one, you’re right. We should have an open line [of communications]. With the Bali conference that’s what President Xi and I agreed that we were going to do and meet on,” Biden responded. “And then this silly balloon that was carrying two free cars worth of spy equipment was flying over the United States, and it got shut down and changed in terms of talking to one another.”

“I think you’re going to see that again though very shortly,” he added.

Sure. The diplomatic relationship with China is managed by Bejing saying, “Jump” and Biden sending emissaries to carefully negotiate how high he will be expected to leap. After several weeks, China finally agrees to state the exact height of the jump as a non-negotiable set of statements.

But contrast this moment of relative honesty from Biden with his previous butch address and posturing about the spy balloon. It was all lie. Like everything else.

The only question is when Biden next heads to China, will Hunter be hitching a ride?