“I suggest you calm down and be careful how you address the President, Mr. Crane,” Jerrod Hale cut in.
“Relax, everyone, relax,” Finegold said, holding up her long, slender fingers to both Crane and Hale. “We’re not here to accuse or make demands.” She allowed a few moments of silence in the room; then: “Mr. President, we in the Congress want to get behind you in this—”
“The House is one hundred percent behind the President already,” House Majority Leader Nicholas Gant interjected, “and there seems to be a floor fight brewing concerning your blatant, public criticism of the President. Whatever disharmony is present on the Hill is from your media tirades, Senator Finegold!”
“We realize the tremendous pressure you’re under, and we want nothing more than to show a united front to China and the rest of the world,” Finegold went on, ignoring Gant’s comments. “You are the nation’s chief diplomat, but you should not operate in a foreign-affairs vacuum. Give me something positive I can take back to the Hill, something that shows we have room to compromise, something that shows we’re not being intractable and demanding.”
“I made a decision, and I’m sticking with it, Senator,” the President said. “It might not be comfortable or popular, but I’ve got no choice. I’m counting on Congress’s support, but I’m prepared to continue on without it.”
“Mr. President, the financial markets are collapsing, the price of oil is nearly at a record high, and our allies are in a panic about whether or not you’re leading them to the brink of World War Three,” Crane said. “You’ve suddenly got nuclear missiles and stealth bombers all over the place, threatening a nuclear showdown with China. With Hong Kong and Macau rejoining the PRC, China is one of the world’s richest countries and America’s largest trading partner by far. You may have already destroyed any chance we had of normalizing relations and expanding trade with China. If there is any chance of salvaging some ties with China, you’ve got to reverse this deadly course you’ve set us on.”
“You’re suggesting we sell out Taiwan, Mr. Crane?” the President asked. “Do you think it would be a good idea to simply abandon them now? ”
“You don’t have any choice, Mr. President — unless you’re ready and willing to fight China, economically and militarily, and risk a nuclear war,” Crane responded. “According to the news reports, China is apparently ready to start the occupation of Nationalist Taipei by invading Quemoy and Matsu Islands with four hundred thousand troops. We can’t stop that many Chinese troops from moving forward.
“Face reality, Mr. President — the island of Formosa and the Nationalist army have been blasted to hell, South Korea is on alert for its own invasion from the north and is under its own nuclear threat, Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz again because they caught us with our hands in the cookie jar, and Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines won’t let U.S. troops stage combat operations from their islands,” Crane went on hotly. “And even if they did, it would take months to put together an invasion force, and they’d be under constant threat from Chinese air and rocket assaults. The death toll would be enormous. And then if China decided to mobilize its entire army? That’s nearly two million active-duty soldiers, and almost two hundred million reservists, paramilitary, border guards, militia, and national police.
“You have got to think of something else, Mr. President! There’s no way you can win! You’ve lost any tactical advantage we ever had. The only way to dislodge China’s troops and stop them from reoccupying Taiwan is to use nuclear weapons, and we in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, will not support such a move. And we’re willing to make that a public statement.”
“The President of the United States does not respond to threats or blackmail, Mr. Crane,” Vice President Whiting said angrily. “Not from the Chinese, not from the Iranians, not from the North Koreans — and not from a U.S. congressman.”
“No one is threatening anyone here, Madame Vice President,” Barbara Finegold said. She decided to use a bit gentler approach in trying to reach the President: “Mr. President, the Chinese government’s suggestion is rational and logical, and it’s in the best interests of the United States of America.” Martindale made an exasperated “here we go again” expression, but Finegold went on quickly: “Mr. President, if China unites with Taiwan, the industrial and financial nation that results will be the largest potential marketplace ever conceived on this planet. Nearly a billion customers, many of whom are still living in turn-of-the-century conditions. Think of the investment needed to bring those people up to Western living standards.”
“So you’re concerned about the money aspect of a conflict with China,” the President said.
“Of course I’m concerned about the financial aspect, and so are you,” Finegold said, stepping a bit closer to Martindale as she spoke, letting the language of her body speak to the most powerful man on planet Earth as much as her words. “We’re concerned with whatever it takes to make America grow and prosper, and one of the largest untapped resources in the world that we need to exploit is China, especially a strong, capitalist-leaning China united with Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
“Mr. President, you know, and I know, that China will become the next United States of America in terms of its economic and industrial strength,” Finegold went on. “China is where America was three generations ago — mostly agrarian but becoming more urban, isolationalist, suspicious of all foreigners, but expanding rapidly and embracing change, as innovation and new ideas sweep across the frontier. China will not be ruled by warlords forever. We must stake our position to steer China in a direction that’s right for them and right for America. You want to be instrumental in shaping China to meet America’s needs. We cannot allow China to become isolated.”
“Barbara, I agree with your sentiment…” the President began.
“Then stop this saber-rattling,” Finegold said, her bright eyes locking tightly onto his. “Be the peacemaker, be the visionary. Let us join forces, Kevin. You and me. We can take control of this situation together. ” She knew she had far overstepped her bounds by calling the President by his first name, but her powers of personal seduction were one of her formidable strengths, and she was determined to use them — even here, in the Oval Office, with her adversary surrounded by his generals and chiefs, a place where she had almost no leverage at all.
“First, keep the carriers and the fighters away from China,” Finegold went on. “Their very presence is destabilizing and a direct threat to China. Besides, we’ve proven that we can’t keep our carriers safe from saboteurs. If the carriers aren’t within striking distance, China won’t feel as if they need to use nuclear weapons to counterbalance the threat.”
“I’ve already ordered that the George Washington and the Carl Vinson stay in the Pacific for the time being,” the President said. “Our fighters based in South Korea, Japan, and Alaska are committed to the defense of South Korea right now. They’re not a threat to China.”
“Very good,” Finegold said. “Second, keep the long-range bombers out of the fight. Admiral Balboa has explained to me that the bombers are all on nuclear ground alert. I don’t agree with the decision to put nuclear weapons on them, but keeping them on the ground in the United States is the best option.” The President merely nodded, casting an irritated glance at Balboa. So he had continued to talk with Finegold, he thought.