Kilo Class (16 page)

“With respect, Admiral,” replied Zhang. “We had paid only six hundred million. And it is hard for me to assume responsibility for an unwarranted, unprecedented act of war by the United States of America.”

“Then you have much still to learn, Admiral. In military matters, as in the boxing ring, the rule is: defend yourself at all times. Those who have forgotten this have had the error of their ways thrust upon them. I am very much afraid that as the Commander in Chief of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy you are entirely responsible for the safe passage of
all
Chinese warships, and with the greatest respect for your high authority, I am obliged to mention that you did a singularly unpleasing job in protecting our substantial investment in the Russian-built submarines.”

Admiral Zhang remained calm. “What would you recommend I should have done?” he asked coldly.

“I am afraid that I cannot be expected to solve your problems as well as my own,” replied Admiral Yang. “I would, however, prefer to have a man on the job who was big enough for it, and who might have shown foresight in the light of known hostility from the USA.”

“It would do me no honor to remind you that you were never once considered sufficiently competent to command even a regional fleet,” rasped Zhang. “You were a fourth-rate Captain of an aging frigate that would have fallen in half if you had ever fired one of its guns. And you consider you have a right to sit in judgment on me… you are a political commissar because you married well and had already failed abjectly as a commanding officer—”

The Paramount Ruler banged his frail fist softly on the table. “Gentlemen, this is unseemly, and unproductive. Admiral Yang, you are now a member of a greatly revered Naval family. I forbid you to cast doubts on the ability of my Commander in Chief. It does you no honor and is of no value to this meeting. I am looking to the future, and if you cannot be constructive perhaps you should not be here. I admire you and would like you to think more deeply before you speak. Please continue, Zhang.”

“Of course, sir. I think we should concentrate on two areas — whether we consider taking retribution against the USA, which I am in favor of doing, and how to ensure the safe delivery of the final five Kilos—”

“Yes, yes I do understand the anxiety of the Navy in this matter, but you know, Zhang, there is a broader picture here and we should not ignore it. Let me just say that we have already agreed we are a satisfied state and do not really have any territorial claims. We enjoy a permanent seat at the United Nations, and a veto on the Security Council. We also enjoy Most Favored Nation status with the United States — permanently.

“Let me remind you of the words of Deng Xiaoping. He said we should hide our capacities, bide our time, remain free of ambitions, and never claim leadership. He meant, Zhang, that we should avoid adventures. And I am drawn to the conclusion that this is an adventure, but I would like to hear you say more.”

“Sir,” said Zhang, “I am wondering if I should just clarify for myself, and with the wisdom of your guidance… was it not decreed in all of our greatest Councils for the past forty years that we must work carefully toward the reintroduction of Taiwan to the mainland government? And have we not stated endlessly that we would like to remove the formal American influence in the area, just as we removed the British from Hong Kong?”

“Yes, Zhang, you are correct in those assumptions.”

“Then, with respect, if I may speak as a military man, I would like to put forward the idea that unless we can frighten the American carriers out of our waters we can never achieve those aims. As we now know more clearly today than we did last month, the United States is utterly ruthless in the pursuit of her own aims. She wishes to dominate the sea trade routes, which surround our eastern seaward border, and with every passing year she drives a bigger and bigger wedge between us and Taiwan.

“And when we show any sign of Naval power in our own Taiwan Strait, a giant American aircraft carrier appears, which could take our Eastern Provinces off the map if it felt so inclined. And who could do anything about it? No one. We have one chance, sir — the Kilos, and I implore you, in your unfathomable wisdom, to permit the program to go forward with the additional security Admiral Yang would like me to organize. And in which he is, of course, entirely unqualified to play a part.”

The Paramount Ruler smiled and shook his head. “You are not a good man with whom to pick a fight, Zhang,” he said. “But I am indebted to you for your clarity of vision. There is one further thought I would like to offer. You know of course that we did sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. I do not want to provoke the West into believing that the acquisition of the Russian Kilos is merely to provide us with a vehicle to deliver an underwater nuclear warhead.

“Zhang, we are not at war with anyone, and I do not want that situation to change. I want this nation of ours to join the world, to be a part of the great interchanges and relationships that go with world trade. There is nothing for China in a major military disagreement with the United States. Might we not be better off to forget the whole thing and let the USA prowl around in the Taiwan Strait for as long as they wish? They are, Zhang, our biggest customer, and we are growing rich on the proceeds. The distant joy of reuniting Taiwan with Beijing is a very long-range hope, and I wonder if it would be worth it.”

Admiral Zhang smiled. “I am always awed by your discernment and learning, sir. And as usual your erudition is beyond reproach. But might I ask you for a few moments to consider the question of Taiwan from another angle. As that Chinese island grows ever closer to America, we must face the fact that it is just a matter of time before she acquires her own nuclear deterrent. Every country in this world that has grown rich enough, and felt threatened enough, has always tried to have an independent nuclear capacity.”

The Paramount Ruler spoke again. “You know, Zhang,” he said, “we should not perhaps forget that Taiwan is not a country alone. It remains a part of China. It was not so long ago they stopped threatening to retake the mainland.”

“No, sir. I am very aware of the situation. But I would also remind everyone that it was not
so
long ago that the United States sent in warships from the Seventh Fleet when they thought the forces of Communist China might attempt to retake Taiwan. The lines of self-interest are finely drawn.”

“They are, Zhang, they are,” replied the old man. “And we should attend to the unmistakable truth that all of our efforts to prevent major arms sales to Taiwan have in the end come to nothing. The island grows ever richer and will soon wish to own a nuclear deterrent.”

“Taiwan in my view,” said Zhang, “has already reached that stage, and I am certain has given the matter serious consideration. The only way we can discourage having a rich, possibly hostile, nuclear power right in our own backyard is to return them to our own fold. They will not come voluntarily. And we can only achieve that by ensuring that the big American Carrier Battle Groups cannot roam at will through our trading waters, two hundred miles out from the mainland, encompassing the whole of Taiwan.

“The Kilos from Russia will give us that capacity, and subsequently that freedom. But time is not on our side. The Taiwanese, as we all know, are very clever. I regard them as a time bomb that we cannot defuse, not for as long as they remain under close American protection.”

The Paramount Ruler nodded. “You are saying, Zhang, that in your judgment, we are not dealing with a problem that places us in an unwanted aggressive mode. You are saying that in the end, the Kilos represent the heart of a possible Chinese defense policy?”

“That is precisely what I am saying, sir. This is a turbulent world, and for a country of our size and potential wealth, we must have a capability to keep our own seas free from enemy warships. And our Navy cannot do that at present.”

The second of the elderly Deputy Commander in Chiefs, Vice Admiral Zhi-Heng Tan, now spoke for the first time. He was respectful but in disagreement. “I understand your desire to own the Kilos, Admiral Zhang,” he said. “And I also understand a certain youthful desire to exact a revenge on the USA. But there is a saying among Western lawyers that has a significance here:
never
go to the law for revenge… only for money.

“I believe it should also be applied to acts of war…
never
attack anything or anyone for revenge. Only for money… there is no money in such a move against the USA for us. I see only heartache, problems, and possibly bloodshed, and damage to our trade. The United States wears a large and friendly smile, but she has very sharp, white teeth. The men of the Pentagon are as vicious as Genghis Khan. They are ten times as strong as we are, and are likely to remain so for another half century. If we try anything against them, they will strike back at us. There will be loss of life, and perhaps even worse, the most horrible loss of face.

“I am as much of a patriot as you are, Admiral Zhang, and I offer my wholehearted support for whatever this Council decides. But I would like to implore all of you not to sanction some kind of direct action against the USA. Because that’s a fight we are destined to lose, to no sensible purpose.”

“I understand your concerns, Admiral,” replied Zhang. “And I hear great wisdom in your words as I hear that same wisdom in the words of our Paramount Ruler. But I would like to request, with all humility, that we continue to build our fleet of Kilos. That way leads to security and to our mastery of the South China Sea, and the waters that surround Taiwan.”

“That is, unless the US Navy decides to eliminate the entire Kilo fleet before we start,” interjected Admiral Pheng.

“May I remind you, sir, they have to find them first, and that will not be easy.”

“It was apparently easy four days ago — they got them two at a time,” snapped Admiral Yang.

“I accept your rebuke, Admiral,” replied Zhang. “And you have my word, such a thing will never happen again.”

“I remain unsure about your word, Admiral,” said Yang.

“For the moment I am unsure about your motives,” growled Zhang. “But I do know you speak not in the interests of China…” At this point the crisp veneer of the Fleet Admiral slipped away temporarily. And the haughty, supercilious Admiral Yang found himself face-to-face with a man who had been brought up on the rough waterfront of Xiamen — a hard, seasoned street fighter whose brain had carried him far, but who remained afraid of no one. Zhang snarled across the political table. “YANG… YOU ARE EITHER A FOOL OR A COWARD.”

Like a panther, the old man who ruled China was on his feet, tipping his chair over backward. “STOP,” he said. But his anger was directed at the Commissar. “I warned you, Admiral Yang, that I would not permit you to cast doubts on the abilities and integrity of my Commander in Chief. You have chosen to ignore me, and that is unwise, because I happen to believe in what he is saying. Your insults to him are thus insults to me and to the great and exalted Navy Commanders in this room who also agree with him, and who have illustrious careers behind them, perhaps even greater than your own.

“It is my judgment that we do not require a political commissar in this room who challenges the sincerely held views of our High Command. We already have here the General Secretary of the Party, and the matter is in any event military. We are dealing with a possible strike against a proven enemy, and the buildup of our submarine fleet. I would be honored if you would leave us.”

Admiral Yang, a slight man of perhaps fifty years, stood up without another word, bowed to the head of the table, and left in silence. He left with an arrogant expression on his clean-shaven face, another mistake for an officer whose career was drawing to its inevitable close. The Paramount Ruler was unused to disobedience. In another age he would have been an emperor.

Admiral Zhang stood while the Ruler was seated again. He then offered his most humble apologies for any part he may have played in the great man’s displeasure. But the Ruler merely looked up and said gravely, “You, my son, have elected to shoulder these terrible burdens yourself. You are treating China’s woes as if they were yours alone. I see in you much of myself when I was a younger man. How can I be displeased with a loyal and distinguished officer, who I know will torture himself unto the grave over the loss of those submarines? The difference between you and most people, Zhang Yushu, is that I would gladly trust you with my own life.”

Several of the men seated around the table nodded in assent. “I can only thank you for your kindness, sir,” Admiral Zhang replied, “and hope that you always understand that I have no motives of a personal nature, only those that I judge to be correct for our nation.”

The Paramount Ruler asked for some tea to be served and then he made his judgment. “There will be no strike against the USA. We will act as if nothing has befallen us. I entrust Admiral Zhang to do everything in his power to ensure the safe delivery of the last five Kilos. My thoughts will be with him, and all of his Commanders.”

They sipped their tea as the meeting broke up, and again it was the South Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Zu Jicai who walked with Admiral Zhang along the endless corridors of the Great Hall of the People, which is probably the biggest center-city government building on earth, comprising 562,000 square feet.

“Well done, sir,” said Zu. “I thought he was going to cancel the last five.”

“You did? What do you think I thought? I thought I might have to remind him of the words of Mao Zedong: ‘Real power comes from the barrel of a gun.’”

“If he was still alive, he’d have to admit that in the twenty-first century, real power lies with the Navy, and its capacity to own and operate the most modern warships.”

“You’re right, Jicai. And I’ll tell you something else. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would give me greater pleasure than to sink one of those American aircraft carriers. And then say in amazement, “Us? Don’t be ridiculous. You are our friends. We would not dream of doing such a thing. How could you think that of us?”