Dragon Fire

Western Hills, Military Headquarters, China

President Tao chaired the meeting in the conference room which looked out onto the main operations centre of the Chinese military’s war headquarters. General Leung Liyin, Defence Minister and General Secretary of the Central Military Commission, was giving a gloomy summary of China’s incursion into India. Also present were Tang Siju, the General Staff strategic planner, who was mainly tied up with Tibet, and the Foreign Minister, Jamie Song.

‘We are cut off in Arunachal Pradesh,’ said General Leung Liyin. ‘The Indians have moved their airpower from the western front with Pakistan to the east against us. Our satellites show Indian aircraft at Kalaikunda, Barrakpore, Hashimara and Bagdogra in West Bengal and Tezpur and Chabua in Assam. Airports in Sikkim, in Gauhati and Jorhat in Assam and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh are supporting fighter and transport detachments. The main air-defence squadron is operating out of Hashimara, using MiG-23s and MiG-27s with maximum weapons loads because of the short range of the strikes. Indian airstrikes have cut the road north and destroyed the bridges, and are wearing down our positions. Artillery barrages are continuous. They have airdropped thousands of troops behind our lines. Some are Tibetans from the Special Frontier Force, which India said it had disbanded. None has been taken alive. They commit suicide with cyanide capsules rather than face capture.’

‘Will we hold the territory?’ said President Tao.

‘At the present level we can hold for two or three days. We need to bring aircraft in from the north and the east to use against the paratroopers. Until we do that we cannot begin to repair the bridges.’

‘It would mean weakening our defences along the Taiwan Straits?’

‘Yes. If we were to bring an effective force to rout the Indians.’

‘The Prime Minister of Singapore kindly telephoned me warning that President Lin might exploit our difficulties. He didn’t say what, but Singaporean intelligence is second to none in East Asia. He also warned that our South-East Asian neighbours were uneasy about Myanmar’s role in our dispute with India.’

‘It’s none of their business,’ said Tang.

‘Comrade Song, could you let me have your assessment.’

‘It sounds as if Singapore is speaking with a forked tongue. Naturally, Taiwan will be planning the most effective measures to humiliate us. You don’t need to be a spy to know that. I would also expect the Association of South-East Asian Nations to be worried about our relationship with Myanmar now that conflict has broken out. What I’m unsure of is whether Prime Minister John Chiu is acting as a messenger for the United States or on his own initiative. His warning, however, points up dangers in continuing our campaign.’

‘We must also remember that as soon as we appear weak, internal forces of dissent might appear,’ said Tang. ‘I would forfeit Arunachal Pradesh and concentrate on Tibet and Taiwan.’

‘Are we in danger of losing Myanmar’s support?’ asked Tao.

‘It depends on Japan and ASEAN,’ said Jamie Song. ‘If ASEAN withdraws its tacit support for the regime and if Japan withdraws its aid programme, the regime may look at its options.’

‘I disagree,’ said General Leung. ‘Myanmar is run by a military government which relies on us for its international defence and its weapons. If Myanmar abandons us at this time, the government will fall within weeks.’

‘How can you be sure of it?’ said Song.

‘I will make sure it happens, and they know it.’ General Leung broke off abruptly as an aide walked into the room with a message on a computer printout. The meeting was silent as he read it, then passed it onto President Tao. ‘This is a signals report from Little Cocos Island. The naval base at Great Cocos Island is under attack.’

‘By India?’ said Song

‘That is unclear. It says that one of the enemy has been captured and he has a white face.’

President Tao slammed his hand on the table and shouted at Jamie Song: ‘Call Ambassador Overhalt and tell him that while I have tolerated direct American participation in the action against Pakistan, I will not tolerate it attacking our military bases. I want a full explanation within thirty minutes, or we’ll send a missile into Guam.’

Song retreated to a quieter spot to call Reece Overhalt. When he returned to the meeting, he said: ‘The Americans know nothing about the raid. They were not involved.’