“Oh? Explain yourself, Admiral.”
“Comrade General Chin is quite correct: the American capitalists and special interests determine the law and direction of government in the United States,” Sun went on. “The American government does not interfere in the South China Sea because the American oil companies profit by operating the drilling platforms; they do not side with the Nationalists because it is in their economic interests to side with. us. But if we bombard Taiwan or Quemoy and imprison or kill theJMationalist leadership, they will seek retribution from the American government and its military forces. And as mighty as the People’s Liberation Army is, we cannot long stand against a strong, determined, organized American military. It would be a complete failure. My former commander of the South China Sea Fleet, Admiral Yin Po Lun, acting on orders from General Chin, proved this.
“In my opinion, the Nationalist forces on Quemoy can easily withstand a blockade, bombardment, and even a full-scale invasion long enough for the United States to organize a counterattack,” Sun went on. “Meanwhile, our country would suffer the anger of world opinion. We would be twice defeated.”
General Chin looked as if he were about to explode; the other generals shifted resdessly, offended but interested enough to want to hear more before they tore off this insolent pup’s stars. What nerve! Jiang thought. What courage! Sun could be dead in four hours — Chin could never allow Sun to remain on his general staff after this blatant show of disrespect, and Jiang knew of Chins henchmen that would work secretly and effectively to cause Sun to have an untimely, unexplained “accident”—but Jiang admired him his youthful strength and audacity. Chin thundered, “I order you to leave this chamber and report to—! ”
Jiang raised a hand. “I wish for the young admiral to continue,” he said, then turned his hand palm upward, a signal to continue. Chin looked as if he had been slapped — he even rubbed his face, as if still feeling the blow. Jiang said, “So, Comrade Admiral, you think we cannot prevail against the Americans?”
“Not in a direct engagement with an organized, determined, and bloodthirsty American military force, sir,” Sun replied. “The American military — any large military force, including our own—is like a large, heavy sledgehammer. It is unwieldy and takes great strength to employ, but once in action, it is highly effective. Hammer against hammer, army against army, the American military is clearly superior, and Sun-tzu teaches us to evade a superior opponent.
“But the buzzing of a single mosquito, the hot rays of the sun, or a single bead of sweat in the eyes can disrupt he who wields the hammer enough so that his blows are less effective, or can even prevent him from swinging the hammer altogether. Even more important, if the target of the hammers blow is small, irregular, or moves too quickly, even the best smith can miss his mark. After several ineffective blows, the strongest smith will tire, lose patience, make mistakes, and eventually cease. He has lost. He has been defeated by a vastly inferior force — and he has been defeated by himself.
“Sir, I have studied the tao of the American military, and I have examined our tao, and my studies conclude that the Americans have no desire for prolonged battle in Asia. Asia in general and China in particular have an aura of deadly mystery and foreboding for Westerners — they fear China’s massive population, its history of violence and warfare, our homogeneous society, and the knowledge we have gained over centuries of civilization. Americans in particular are reluctant to have anything to do with us, fearing to be drawn into another protracted Vietnam-like battle — they fear traveling far from home, of being drawn into a dark tunnel of mystery and killed by punji sticks and knives carried by billions of tiny yellow hands. And they are far weaker than they appear. The American navy is three-fourths the size it was in 1991 after the Persian Gulf War; the American air force is almost half the size. American forces in Japan, including Okinawa, have been cut in half since 1992. And for all their bluster about safeguarding Taiwan, the United States still has not recognized the Nationalist government and still has no embassy, consulate, bases, soldiers, advisors, or equipment there. During the Olympic games last year, the Americans even referred to the rebel government as ‘Chinese Taipei,’ not as ‘Taiwan’ or the ‘Republic of China.’
“But even so, Comrade General Chin is wrong — the American president Martindale will send in his carriers,” Sun went on. “Two of them are within four days’ steaming time to Taiwan, and within two weeks a third will join them. The U.S. government claims that the three carriers will rendezvous somewhere in the Philippine Sea for what they term a ‘photo opportunity,’ because one of the carriers supposedly will be decommissioned, but we all know that these carriers are rendezvousing to set up an attack on our homeland. They will set up east of Taiwan so they can take advantage of air defense protection from Taiwan and appear not to be concerned about events in China, but close enough so they can conduct air attacks on our ships and land bases if war breaks out. We must not blindly cruise within range of the Americans’ carrier-based attack planes. Instead, we must draw the carriers toward us.
“The key to victory over the Americans is contained in the words of Sun-tzu: we must draw their carriers away from the protection of the Nationalists’ air defense forces and into ‘fatal terrain’—that is, a battleground where they must be unconquerable, where they must fight with reckless abandon and complete disregard for any protest against the campaign, or face total defeat. In order to draw them into fatal terrain, we must force them to come to the rescue or force them to intervene with the thought of preventing a conflict. That conflict is Taiwan, comrades. In the confines of the Strait, we can destroy the carriers. At the same time, we strike at the most likely resupply and air staging base in the area: Okinawa. Once Okinawa is destroyed, American forces will be forced to stage out of the heart of Japan, and so the threat to Japan becomes clear—”
“You speak in double-talk, Sun,” General Chin shouted. “You talk about dancing around the American carriers, but then talk about a full frontal assault on Okinawa. How do you expect to destroy one of the Americans’ strongest bases, comrade?”
Without one change in his expression or voice, Admiral Sun said matter-of-factly, “We should by all means use our nuclear arsenal.”
The reaction was swift and powerful — and all of it against Sun. President Jiang called for order, and his command was echoed by the sergeant-at-arms and his officers. Jiang said crossly, “Admiral Sun, you are to be reprimanded once again for your impertinence and ignorance. It is obvious you are not familiar with the Party’s policy on the use of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.”
“If I may speak, sir — I am very familiar with the Communist Party’s policy,” Sun said. “The government of China and the Chinese Communist Party officially rejects the first use of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons because it conflicts with the ideals of peaceful unification of all the peoples of the world under socialism. I studied the policy towards the use of special weapons in both the National Academy and the College of War, and advised the office of the premier on its implementation.”
“Then you should know that no one on this Commission or the Communist Party is suggesting or even contemplating the use of nuclear weapons against the Americans, Admiral.”