The first article originally appeared in Le Devoir, 13 March 2162, and has been translated from the French. Generals' biographies are excerpts from a declassified Hawai'ian intelligence briefing released later in the year.
High-profile defections rock Chinese army
In Shakespeare's classic play, Julius Caesar was warned to beware the Ides of March. Centuries after Shakespeare and millennia after Caesar, the Chinese government is coming to terms with its own betrayals.
A number of leading generals in the Chinese military have defected over their loss of confidence in the capability of the administration. Common complaints concerned the political mismanagement of the war, and what one officer described as "umost shame" of having been party to nuclear aggression after a missile strike against India.
Also at issue was the appointment of Christos Xinjiang as Commander of the Army. Xinjiang reigned as dictator for a decade, presiding over a brutal régime of state terror and political suppression. His actions provoked the global emergence of the Scarlet Lancers society, who seek to try him for crimes against humanity.
Emblem of the National Army
While some defectors fled to China's immediate neighbours and a few to countries abroad seeking asylum, many have joined the Scarlet Lancers in what the government has condemned as "treason". These expatriate generals have allegedly organized themselves into a special branch dubbed the "National Army". The Lancers are believed to be responsible for covert and clandestine operations within China, although no decisive link has yet been proven. The establishment of the National Army may signal a catalyst for the open militarization of the group.
Army defections were common throughout the Xinjiang dictatorship, but turncoats among field officers were rare. This emigration comprises some of the most highly-decorated general officers, a number of whom were leading proponents of current Chinese military strategy.
Shin Fai
"I have enough men to hold a parade! Can we have it in your base?"
General "Anvil" Shin Fai may not have been the most original strategist, but he had a knack for improving the combat efficiency of ground soldiers with the most modern weapons at China's disposal. He is well-regarded for both the discipline and professionalism of his troops, and can mobilize four divisions within 24 hours' notice by virtue of a streamlined, if somewhat brutal command structure. The strong sense of loyalty imbued in his unit was heavily studied by government propagandists. While he is not especially technologically adept himself, his command is also reputed for the skill of its covert agents, and espionage and sabotage missions were frequently referred to him.
Fai opted to abandon China over the use of nuclear weapons, which if used at the tactical level presented a critical threat to his field strategy, and an overambitious war plan that he felt compromised the army's ability to properly protect the homeland. Given his experience in cyber-warfare, his defection to the Lancers is a major liability to Chinese information networks.
Ta Hun Kwai
"Your tank rush is nothing compared to mine!"
General Kwai was China's leading expert in armoured tactics, and was chief beneficiary of the military budget. He is credited with developing numerous improvements and experimental designs, some of which were green-lighted for production but have not yet been seen in the field. His modifications have also helped to streamline production and cut costs without impacting quality, and Kwai is held to have done for tank command what Fai did with the infantry corps.
The government's recent waffling shook Kwai's faith in the régime, and he abruptly quit soon after the second round of peace negotiations. In addition to providing the Lancers with prototypes the Chinese authorities never saw, his departure also leaves a huge hole in the PLA's combat doctrine, which had just completed reorganization around his strategies and his personal leadership.
Tsing Shi Tao
"It looks like a nuclear winter this year, general!"
China's most controversial general, Tao "the Nuke" advocated the use of weapons-grade atomics in everything from artillery to infantry firearms. Even in the Xinjiang years his requests were frequently denied or heavily restricted, but he nevertheless managed to develop proof-of-concept prototypes for some of his less outlandish ideas, and is believed to have been one of the key figures in China's nuclear programme. More peacefully, he also investigates less-volatile nuclear reactions to allow for novel engines in tanks, as well as developing more efficient power plants.
Tao defected over peace treaty demands for the termination of China's nuclear research, although whether he will gain any sympathy among the Lancers is highly dubious. Of particular concern are rumours he had begun field-testing neutronium-based ordnance prior to his departure, although Chinese officials have consistently denied knowledge of any such technology.
