Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, the commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, has criticized the “China blindness” of most Americans in understanding the threat posed by China. Speaking at the West 2023 conference in San Diego according published accounts from Justin Katz, BreakingDeadefense.com. Reports also quoting Studeman “blamed the problem on a “knowledge crisis,” but also accused the Pentagon of overclassifying information”. The admiral also addressed the issue of the US policy on Taiwan, saying that the country should maintain its policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding the possibility of military intervention in the event of a Chinese invasion. The comments came in the wake of the Chinese government deploying a high-altitude balloon over US airspace.