Empire Rising
by Rick Campbell
After a long, secret military buildup, China launches a swift and deadly attack on Taiwan. But that's only their first move in a much deadlier game. Xiang Chenglei, Chinese president and party secretary, has both a problem and a plan. The problem is that China's limited supply of oil is threatening to derail its economic growth and prosperity. Having failed to win access to a greater supply diplomatically, he sets his backup plan in motion. And what is war, but diplomacy by other means? The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the major military force in the area, and when Taiwan is invaded, the fleet is sent in to repel the invading Chinese forces. The U.S. military expects it to be an easy operation, but after a decades-long, super-secret buildup, China has military capabilities far greater than the United States is aware of. With a faster, larger submarine fleet, hidden batteries of long range missiles, and a secret weapon that wipes out the U.S. fleet's advantages, China is able...