The Chinese populist Tuanpai faction, dissatisfied with the rapid pace of change by President Zhou’s elitist princeling coalition to transform the country into a full market economy, conceives a shocking plan to devastate America and put themselves in power.
With his friend Chen Teng, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Keung Yeng, Chairman of the Standing Committee, conceives a plan to send a nuclear attack submarine to La Palma, and island in the Canaries chain, and set off a slump of the Cumbre Vieja Volcano’s western flank. This would generate an enormous tsunami that would wipe out the American eastern seaboard, crippling the country, making way for Keung’s Tuanpai faction to assume power, elevating China as the only world superpower.
The mission is only partially successful and the tsunami causes minimal damage. Keung now faces the horrible prospect of America striking back if evidence if found that China was responsible. Thomas Meecham, FBI Special Agent in Charge, is placed in charge of a team to investigate the incident as a possible terrorist attack. Hull material is retrieved from the sunk Chinese submarine and President Walters confronts Zhou, threatening military retaliation for the unprovoked attack. Zhou suspects he knows who the perpetrators are, and to salvage something of China’s reputation and forestall a global economic and diplomatic backlash, he invites U.S. investigators to help him find proof.
Meecham is sent to Beijing in an attempt to uncover whether the attack was planned by Zhou or a dissident faction. Everyone knows that if Zhou was responsible, the investigation would yield nothing. Under a cloud of mutual suspicion, Meecham faces assassination on Keung’s orders and America readies itself for a military confrontation.
Proportional Response is a mind-bending expose of international politics and distrust between two vastly different cultures.
2015 Readers’ Favorite finalist!
Check out Stefan Vučak’s other political drama books: Cry of Eagles and Strike for Honor.
