It’s a euphemism for a nonsequitor, OP is asking what balloon size has to do with it being okay to shoot it down since there’s nothing about size in protected airspace laws.
Maybe would have been clearer to use a nonseqiotor that doesn't involve China- for a second there I thought that there was something linking these balloons to tea trade or sanctions or something
It's an uncommon expression then. The commenter might be British. Anyway, anyone reading this thread knows it now.
I recently met someone who uses the expression "country mile" all the time. Hadn't heard it before but it's cool. "That's more popular by a country mile" Country miles are obviously better than city miles. So now I'll probably end up using it.
A country mile is often hot and dusty and walked uphill both ways by your grandpa. Time stands still and the cicadas buzz. It’s bigger than a city mile even in how much imagination it takes to conjure.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/price_of_tea_in_China