Beijing, People's Republic of China

6 days after the coup

......

It was just a regular meeting at the Main Officer's Club of the PLA's Central Theater Command. The building is not far from Beijing's Olympic Tower. Such events were always punctuated by elaborate ceremonial dinners.

But the time was special, as both General Hu and Admiral Sun greeted their fellow generals and admirals at the main entrance, and when all were assembled, they led them straight to the dinner table.

Present in the room were all service chiefs, all Theater commanders, each accompanied by their deputies, air force commanders, strategic support force commanders, paramilitary commanders, and the fleet commanders: a small galaxy of stars, ribbons, and braid. Without their shining, Teflon-coated uniforms, they were just another group of middle-aged men and women, perhaps a bit fitter than was the average in the People's Republic.

They all knew one another. Though many were rivals, they were members of the same profession nevertheless, and with the amount of closeness characteristic of Chinese traditional dinners with various kinds of soup, meat, rice, and vegetables, they exchanged small talk for several minutes. Several of them were grandfathers or grandmothers now, and spoke with animation about the continuation of their lines. Regardless of personal rivalries, it was expected that senior officers would look out for the careers of their comrades' offsprings serving in the force, and so information was briefly exchanged on whose son - and few daughter - was in which command and wanted advancement to what new posting. Others spoke with concern about their fast-diminishing investments, many of them are in the West namely infrastructure, energy, property, art, education, capital market, etc. Especially prior to coronavirus pandemic and after the 2007 financial crisis and using shell companies, China had expanded it's soft power by investing in strategically and culturally important sectors, especially in the economically struggling Europe, and only increased when the Belt and Road Initiative was kicked off in 2013, only for the rise of populism, branded as fascism in the Chinese political discourse, since 2017 was a reversal of it's fortune in Europe.

Finally, came the classically Chinese games of chance like traditional poker as well as mahjong, with betting being part and parcel of such games.

Hu, the senior-most among the pack, had not given the first hint of what is in store for them. Better, he thought - shared by Sun as well - to shock them into the situation and get candid reactions to the situation at hand.

"Comrades, I must make an announcement." Conversation stilled, and the generals and admirals looked inquiringly in his direction. Here we go. "Comrades, on March second of this year, we'll launch a final offensive against Taiwan, this means, we will be at war with the United States and it's allies, old and new, as well. This also means that we will take and solidify what is ours permanently; our sacred Nine-dash Line, South Tibet, and the Diaoyu Islands." For a moment, only the click of cards and dices being passed could be heard, then three men laughed, having imbibed a few stiff drinks in the sanctity of their staff cars.

"You are serious, Comrade General?" asked General Gao Bu, the overall Commander-in-Chief of the PLA Ground Forces. Receiving a nod in reply, he said, "Then perhaps you will be so kind as to explain the reason for this action?"

"Of course, comrade. You are all aware of the Alashankou oil-field disaster, the state of our POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricants) supply, and the recent purges, so I won't repeat it here. What some of you might not know or fully aware, was what is our next action and its implication." It took six brisk minutes to outline what the Politburo had decided in the recent emergency session called after the military takeover.

"All of us here had acted to pull order back from chaos. We chose to act because there was no other choice in the end," Hu said. "Thousands of years have brought us to this point. We protected China from those who held our country back from what Great Leader Mao, Deng, and Xi had envisioned, and we should not grow meek on the brink of the next great step."

"In just four months from now, that step will aim for the destruction of American power in the Pacific Ocean Region. And we will succeed to the point that Russia has no choice but to join us."

Finished, he stared at the officers in silence. His mere words were having its desired effects on the ensemble of flag officers. Meanwhile, those who had been drinking have been rendered sober by their peers by any means necessary. Few were sweating, thinking about what will happen next. However, Hu thought, better sweat a lot than a bloodbath in battle.

"Early March?"

Sun, as well as Hu, was right now looking at Admiral Lu Huaping, Commander of the Southern Theater Command (CINC-South) whose main area of responsibility included the special region of Hong Kong, Macau, Hainan, Guangzhou, and most importantly, the South China Sea. At fifty-six, he was the third-youngest officer present, a respected Guangzhou-born intellectual sailor with a surface warfare background and a fit man with the shoulders of a fisherman. His intense, dark eyes squinted down through the steam from the hot plates.

"Yes" replied Sun to his fellow naval officer. "We have that long to prepare our plans and our forces as well as equipment."

"If so, I'll tell my people to be ready then, I am looking for that showdown with those rebels anyway."

Sun replied on his fellow naval officer "Of course, we are all aware of the reasons given for why it will never be our time. Our population demographics are not optimal, they say. Our trade routes are too vulnerable, they say. Our need for outside energy is too great, they say. These statements are all true. And they will always be true if we turn our backs on our duty to make our destiny manifest. The worst thing we can do is fear our own potential. And now this happened, so we have no choice than to complete the unification."

"Anyway, I presume we are here so that we may speak frankly among ourselves, am I right comrades?"

"This is so, Comrade Zhu" not the least surprised that General Zhu Lanzhong, Commander of the Northern Theater Command (CINC-North) with it's HQ in Shenyang had decided to gave his own view. A combination of being protége of CINC Ground Forces and his own work, his competence is unquestionable.

"Comrades." Zhu stood, positioned himself to ensure that the whole room paid attention to him. "I accept everything that Comrades General Hu and Admiral Sun had told us. But-four months! Four months in which we may be detected, four months in which we may lose all the element of surprise, or got hacked, even with our space assets! Then what may happen? No, I know that the entire People's Army got a plan already for this: Dehuai-7! Instant mobilization! We can all be back to our command posts in six hours. If we are going to conduct a surprise attack, either it be on Taiwan, India, South China Sea, Korea, or even Japan, wherever it is - then let us make it one no one can detect in time - seventy two hours from now!"

"I second that motion." added his deputy Air Force General Guan Gong. "And we will take responsibility if this went not according to the plan."

Again the only sound in the room was that of the melancholic Chinese pop music blaring from speakers, then the room erupted with noise. Dehuai-7 was the winter variant of a plan which hypothesized the discovery of IPSDC intention to launch a surprise attack of its own on the PRC, specifically mentioned the introduction of IPSDC, mainly American, ground troops and mobile missile launchers in Taiwan and/or inside the Nine-Dash Line.

In such a case, standard PLA doctrine was the same as anyone else's: the best defense is a good offense-preempt the IPSDC armies by the following method:

1. By attacking it's space capabilities in combination with a large scale cyberattack targeting military and economic infrastructure in places like Japan, India, and the Continental US;

2. By using it's ballistic missile arsenal to knock out American carrier strike groups and forward bases in the Pacific especially Guam, Okinawa, Australia, and Hawaii;

3. Ground combat by attacking at once at multiple axis with amphibious and airborne landings on Taiwan and the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, and a frontal assault using the First Rate heavy combined arms brigades against American presence in South Korea; as simply neutralizing it's bases there has been deemed not enough especially with South Korea had built a significant force of missiles on it's own.

"As much as I am looking for that time, comrades, we are not yet ready!" Objected CINC-East. Air Force General Deng Huai was the "point" command with it's HQ in Nanjing, one of the historical capitals of China. The Eastern Theater Command is one of the most powerful military command in Asia-Pacific and arguably the world. A cross-strait invasion to Taiwan was primarily his responsibility along with Admiral Huaping's in support/reinforcement.

Zhu held his head up. "I agree, Comrade Huai, but neither are they. Especially the Taiwanese separatists." he said reasonably but with a significant amount of snicker when he mentioned Taiwan.

"For the Taiwan's military, for example, based on the latest intelligence data six hours ago. Six, comrades!" he emphasized the timeframe of the latest intel before continuing. "Eighteen percent of their officers are on holidays. They are coming off a training cycle, true, but because of it much of their equipment will be down for maintenance, and many of their senior officers will be away in Taipei for consultations, just as we are now. Their troops are still in winter quarters, on a winter routine. This is the time of year for maintenance and upgrades and paperwork. With their smaller size even with their long conscription time like the Israelis, this will leave up to one third of their force not ready. I can explain about South Korea's one as well if you want to..."

Huai growled back. "And so are we, comrade!"

"It can be changed in 48 hours." replied Zhu. "Our people are not off doing things like skiing in Harbin, or chasing the latest item on mobile games... No way possible for the IPSDC and NATO to react in so little time, with our people rooted deep inside their government.... Taiwan and the Nine Dash Line will be the first priority, and the second will be Korea and Japan..."

"Comrade, I don't think it's possible for now." observed one of Huai's generals, General Lin Xiangyu, Commander of Eastern Theater Command Ground Forces, careful to keep in line with his superior's line of thinking.

"I agree about how reaching maximum readiness will take some months." Zhu agreed. His only chance to carry his point with his seniors was to reason with them. He knew that he was almost certainly doomed to failure, but he had to try. "It will be difficult, if not impossible, for us to conceal it."

"As Comrade General Hu had told us, Zhu Lanzhong, our political leaders and diplomats, at this moment, are doing their best to make them think otherwise about what we are planning." pointed out General Yang Xiaobo, Commander in Chief of the Strategic Support Force. "While we are trying to figure out the new defenses the Americans had put on their network, something what we do everyday in the SSF."

"Of course, Comrade Xiaobo, I won't doubt our political leaders, your space and cyberwarriors as well as the Guoanbu' abilities to shape the necessary terrain to our favor. Miracles exists after all." Zhu replied at the CINC-SSF. "However, it will also be wise to think about contingency plan..."

"Go on."

"If it fail?"

"Well, I have to remind you, Comrade Zhu." replied Xiaobo. "Just like Comrade Lenin had said, that the Americans and their allies had made their own rope to hang themselves ever since they visited Great Chairman Mao in the seventies. Yes, we are all agree that we had no better choice than to strike a deal with them back in the day for sake of our survival as one of the oldest civilization in the world, however..."

"Comrades, May I speak?"

"Go on."

The one who had just raised his hands, interrupting Zhu was Admiral Ma Zhanghe, the CINC-SOF, overall commander of the People's Liberation Army Special Warfare Command - Chinese theater command equivalent to US Special Operations Command in echelon - formed in 2021. "Before you continue, Comrade Zhu, remember this; The Special Forces is the best, but we can't do it all alone when it comes to campaigning, We are always ready for any situation, but we must allow the rest of the People's Army to follow us in readiness before we can proceed."

"Enough, I insist that Dehuai-7 had too much opening for the enemy to exploit it! Too many things can go wrong!" CINC-East rose so swiftly that he nearly dropped his mobile phone to the floor. His left hand grabbed downward while his right fist shook at the younger man. "What about the arrangement of ships; traffic control; training... and what about getting our manned and unmanned pilots ready for combat operations against the Separatists? There - right there, we have an insurmountable problem!"

Damn you, Comrade... you are competent, but you can do your job better and your people will be ready now, bian tai (pervert)! Zhu thought but did not dare to say aloud. CINC-Eastern was a man of fifty-nine, while generally a competent commander, he had often boasted on his prowess with woman, in many cases to the detriment of his professional duties. An open secret, nevertheless the man was considered as politically reliable. Such is the People's Republic, the younger general reflected. Honestly... we need every man to do their part civil or military. However, what do we get with which to build and to defend our homeland? Political reliability! He remembered bitterly what happened two years ago to his elder brother, the vice president of a well known technology company Tencent, who was charged with corruption and then imprisoned for life, masking his falling out of favor with the President. Nevertheless, thanks to the Party being the State and vice versa and also the fact that the said elder brother was spending his sentence in a relative comfort, he cannot shake off it's control over the Army, and he was a sworn servant for both the State and the Party.

But he still have one card to play: the standard of the People's Army.

"Comrade General... you have good officers commanding your group armies, brigades, and battalions. Trust them to know their place and duty."

Then Hu stood, and everyone in the room strained to hear his pronouncement. "What did you just say has merit, Comrade Deng Huai, but do we gamble on the safety of our people with our situation right now?" He shook his head, paraphrasing the PLA combat doctrine, as he had been doing for too many years. "We rely on surprise, yes, on the first weighted blow to open the path of our fleet and rapid deployment forces into and beyond the First Island Chain, and, at the same time, a path to resolve the contradiction of our land borders in India and Korea using mountain troops and mechanized forces. And that surprise will be on our side. The Capitalists will not wish to believe what is happening, they think we are unwilling to fire the first shot, and with our leadership and it's adjuncts soothing them even as we prepare the first blow, we will have that strategic surprise. It will require three days at best for them to completely figure out what it's coming for them, and even their leadership won't be prepared mentally for us; remember, we are too deeply integrated inside their society to be easily rooted out in a timely fashion."

In the meantime, the waiters and other staff at the club, many of them are MSS informers, noted the subdued mood and quiet conversations as well as electronic interferences that frustrated their effort to listen in. The generals and admirals know, despite the success of the PLA and MSS joint operations to take helm of the country, President Jiaxu's slick maneuver had managed to keep the independence of the latter and every missteps can still cost them their career and even their lives in extreme cases if they weren't careful, with the Qincheng Prison in the outskirts of Beijing as well as Yancheng in Hebei where political prisoners as well as disgraced officials and businessmen were held always have enough room for newcomers.

"Our plans?" Zhu asked his deputy. "How many times we played this war game for our part in the Peninsula?" the man responded. "We already know everything about their troop and tank concentrations in South Korea and Japan, we know the routes, and those used by the IPSDC. We know our mobilization schedules and theirs."

"Exactly, Comrade Gong." He was awfully quiet during the main discussion, Zhu thought. "What we have concern is, is about if this carefully laid plans will work."

"I concur, Comrade General Zhu. We don't know if the Americans can resort to use tactical nukes to stop our advance in Korea, for example. However knowing their politics, it will be a while before any decision to actually do a first strike is taken."

"What I see from the others was that we are to attack at once, at all sides. You name it, Korea, South China Sea, Taiwan, India."

"So the unknowns will work against both sides equally, Comrade Zhu. as we cannot forget that time is not in our side, and the chance of strategic surprise, once lost, will be difficult to regain."

"We have "persuaded" our political leaders to support us, and so we have to win!"

"Forgive me, comrade General." interrupted Guan.

"Go on, I can tolerate it, remember. But others, especially the commissars, will not be so accommodating, keep that in mind, Comrade Guan."

"Don't flail against the world, instead, use it. Flexibility is an operative principle in the art of war." the younger general started. "In our case, being flexible will also mean to have a plan when such strategic surprise is not achieved."

"You are correct." Zhu replied. "Continue."

"The complication is that such situation will force us into a campaign of attrition, man and machine on a vast scale, an Industrial Revolution 4.0 or even 5.0 version of the First World War."

"Which we will win and must win." replied Zhu. Even with our demographic state, we still have enough reserves for at least one war of attrition, at least to the point that the Western world had no choice but to sue for peace on terms dictated by us, a reverse of what they had imposed to us in the late nineteenth century! he thought.

"For that to occur, we have to count on our friends in the Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and Strategic Support Force to prevent the resupply of America's Asian allies. We had no choice but to break through the first, second, and third island chains as well as to the Indian Ocean, and if necessary, we have to make ourselves physically present in the US territory..."

"Comrades" the officers present put every attention to the one who had just call it; the second CMC chairman. Admiral Sun started. "Speaking of physical presence in American territory, you will be happy to know that it's something that is on the table. Especially in case of our plans of surprise in Eurasian landmass had not gone to the plan, and I know what I said had a good chance to be true... Knowing such scenario, the Navy and Air Force had long proposed this and it bears the mark of approval by the Commission by the fact that it's already got a codename; Operation Zheng He. Thanks with our policy to put one brigade of marines and one airborne brigade of the PLAAF in reserve as well as reservists for such units, we have core strength to use in such case."

Unlike many others, Sun was one of the most sober among all and rarely drink even in official functions thanks to the fact that he had lost his father due to it. "The reason is simple, we cannot discount any successful American or it's allies attack on our soil. Never! I am not just talking about their electronic and cyber capability, but kinetic ones as well. The option of executing Operation Zheng He is our plan to seize the combat initiative and dictate the nature of operation across the Third Island Chains on our chosen terms, In this case, we won't simply deny part of the Pacific to the Americans, but also to accelerate the destruction of American naval and airpower in the Pacific that they used to enjoy in terms of superiority. This will also mean that we will make the maximum use of every means in our disposal short of nuclear."

"Better to draw their carrier forces inside our bubble and then destroy them completely with our Dong Fengs (1)." CINC-North joined the conversation.

This time, the Commander in Chief of the PLA Navy, Admiral Li Kang finally put on his defense as the one who proposed the daring Zheng He.

"Of course our Dong Fengs will play a pivotal role in this plan, Comrade General. However, you have to know that the Americans had long figured out how they must not rely on their big nuclear carriers and their F-35 capable big deck amphibious ships. State Security had recently got this intel from their asset codenamed "Murphy", the last one that he managed to send before we lost contact with him; our comrades there had assumed that he's either killed or captured by the Americans... The US Navy is about to complete their first two smaller "fleet carrier" in the East Coast. 70,000 ton in displacement. Old Cold War program, cancelled back then, but revived and modernized... Powered by a British designed gas turbine and sporting the old steam catapult technology with some adjustments to accommodate their new combat drones, all it all, it's cheaper compared to their new Ford-class and in capability, those things are roughly equivalent to our Fujian class, as well as more support ships. Bottom line, they might soon be able to re-create the carrier force that won them World War II and our Dong Fengs can only do so much. The Operation Zheng He is precisely to further keep those ships as far away as our soil as possible."

"Then" CINC-North replied. "So we must go with your plan then when it's time to use it. All for China."

"All for China!" Sun replied.

"All for China!" General Hu repeated the word again, in a slightly more forceful tone than his naval co-chairman.

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(1). Dong Feng or East Wind is a family of Chinese nuclear-capable land-based ballistic missiles.