Chapter 1663: The Counterattack That Shocked the World
As the "choose one of two" ultimatum was issued, the air across the entire Eurasian continent seemed to freeze in an instant.
London, Downing Street.
The oak doors of the press room were closed; an emergency cabinet meeting had just concluded.
Surrounded by flashbulbs, his expression slightly stiff, the spokesperson read out the carefully worded statement to the camera:
"We are carefully evaluating the technical details of the 'Beacon' program and its compatibility with our country's existing international obligations. In this process, we will carefully weigh multiple factors, including our alliance relations. Any decision will be made in accordance with the principle of maximizing national interests..."
The wording is flawless, but anyone can feel the subtle changes in the wording.
Berlin, Paris, Brussels... the government spokespersons of various countries were surprisingly consistent in their tone, as if they shared an invisible diplomatic rhetoric template.
The BBC's headline that day was straightforward and heavy: "Collective Silence: Europe's Strategic Hibernation under Pressure."
A few days later, core members of Washington's power structure gathered again in the Situation Room, where screens scrolled with summaries of the latest diplomatic cables from the capitals of major European allies.
"Initial feedback suggests our position has been effectively communicated."
Tom Donilon put down the tablet in his hand, and his voice was much more relaxed than a few days ago:
"Most partner countries strictly adhered to our pre-set 'safety wording library'. None publicly expressed interest in participating in the 'beacon' program, and all emphasized the need for a 'comprehensive and prudent assessment' and the 'must comply with the existing international obligations framework'."
Chief of Staff Pete Rouse spread a newspaper in front of him and added, "The mainstream media's interpretation is basically the same - the deterrent effect of 'choose one or the other' is initially effective, and the alliance system has demonstrated resilience under high pressure. The headline of the Wall Street Journal is 'Western Front Re-stabilized Ahead of Space Race.'"
"As expected." Ao Guanhai raised his lips slightly, picking up his coffee cup. "When the stakes are high enough, the ambiguity will naturally disappear. Europeans are well aware of what it means to break away from the technological and security systems we dominate."
Seeing that the European allies chose obedient silence at the first moment, his tense nerves relaxed a little.
This seems to confirm Wright and Pritzker's judgment: as long as strong enough determination and strength are shown, the old order and deterrence will remain effective.
Penny Pritzker nodded in agreement. "They need time to digest the pressure, but silence itself is a statement of attitude. The Beacon project has already experienced a virtual freeze in international cooperation. This is the window of opportunity we need."
However, this fragile sense of "victory" did not last long.
Two days later.
Beijing, Blue Hall.
The atmosphere of the routine press conference was completely different from the past when the spokesperson took the podium.
Without any polite opening remarks, the spokesperson picked up a document and scanned the room:
"Recently, relevant countries have disregarded basic norms, abused coercive force, and continuously escalated unreasonable suppression, wantonly undermining the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain, and coercing other countries to take sides, seriously damaging global security and development interests, and brutally trampling on market economy principles and international trade rules..."
"..."
"In response to this series of serious wrongdoings, and to resolutely safeguard our legitimate rights and interests and safety, we have decided to take necessary countermeasures in accordance with relevant laws and regulations."
The spokesperson spoke clearly, emphasizing each word:
“The following entities are now officially included in the Unreliable Entity List, also known as the ‘Melting Pot’ List:
Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics…”
"..."
The list is so long that it's dizzying. In short, it covers almost all North American companies related to the military industry.
"From now on, restrictions will be placed on the export, re-export, transfer or provision of any technology, materials, components and related design, development, production, testing, installation, maintenance, operation or technical services that can be used for military purposes to the entities listed."
"Key areas of focus include: advanced specialty metals and alloy materials, high-performance ceramic-based composites, military-grade precision sensors, custom-engineered high-end electronic components (including integrated circuits), key components of high-power density powertrains, and core process technologies such as advanced additive manufacturing, precision casting, and surface treatment..."
"..."
The news swept the world like a hurricane.
China's counterattack has also been upgraded!
However, the initial public reaction was different from last time.
Even within the Western world, there is a prevailing skepticism bordering on contempt.
"It's more of a political gesture."
A senior researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said in an interview:
"As we all know, the US military-industrial giants are deeply rooted, with supply chains spanning the globe and strong redundant design capabilities. This list sounds scary, but I can't imagine anything that could really 'choke' Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The greater possibility is that it will hurt their own exporters in related fields."
The Washington Post's editorial title was full of sarcasm: "Bluster or self-mutilation? Analyzing the symbolism of the 'melting pot' list."
The article quoted an "anonymous senior Pentagon official" as saying: "The list is broad and vague. We have the strongest and most resilient defense industrial base in the world, with sufficient supply chain redundancy and diverse alternative sources. Such restrictions are likely to have little actual impact on Lockheed Martin and other companies."
Wall Street's reaction confirmed this assessment. The share prices of several iconic companies on the list fell after the news was announced, but panic did not spread. Within half a day, the decline was significantly narrowed, and some even rebounded.
The market consensus seems to be that this is just normal fluctuations under geopolitical tensions and the "melting pot" list lacks lethality.
The initial conclusions of Washington's internal assessments also tend to be:
The impact is limited and controllable.
However, China did not provide any further explanation for these doubts.
It also seems to confirm the analysis and judgment of these news sources.
However, the good times did not last long.
A week later, a bolt from the blue exploded in the City of London, completely overturning everyone's cognition.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc issued an extremely serious and information-rich announcement and proactively requested the London Stock Exchange to suspend trading of its shares.
The core content of the announcement is as follows:
Rolls-Royce would like to inform customers, partners and investors of a significant supply chain development.
About the MT30 gas turbine:
After urgent verification and confirmation, the MT30 gas turbine supplied by our company for the second batch and subsequent ships of the Zumwalt-class destroyers, its core subsystem "condensate control module" has been included in the control scope of the "Furnace" Entity List. This component plays an irreplaceable core role in ensuring the long-term (>30 hours) reliable operation of the MT10000 in harsh ship environments.
About the F135 aircraft engine lift fan system:
Our company is responsible for designing and manufacturing the core components of the F135 fighter's lift fan system - large-scale, complex, special-shaped curved surface structures, high aspect ratio, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite blades with ultra-high specific strength and excellent fatigue resistance. Its core manufacturing process and the specific grade of high-modulus carbon fiber prepreg required for this process are both included in the control scope of the "Meltdown" Entity List. The performance indicators of these blades (strength, stiffness, weight, fatigue life) cannot currently be achieved at the same level through other supply chains.
Key Statements:
Affected directly by the "melting pot" list and related regulations, our company will no longer be able to legally obtain a continuous supply of the above-mentioned key components, materials and technologies.
Therefore, we regret to inform the relevant parties:
The delivery schedule for the MT2 gas turbines used in the Zumwalt-class Fight 30 destroyers will be suspended immediately.
Production and deliveries of the F135 engine lift fan system will be suspended until December 2015, 12.
Our company has activated its emergency plan and is fully evaluating alternatives, including accelerating internal R&D, searching for alternative suppliers globally, and discussing possible design changes with customers and partners.
However, we must be frank and tell you that developing, validating and mass-producing alternatives that meet the same stringent technical requirements is expected to take an extremely long time (measured in years) and involve huge additional investment, and there is a high degree of uncertainty as to whether they will succeed.
Rolls-Royce deeply regrets the significant delays and potential risks this unexpected situation has caused to customer projects, and will continue to maintain close communication with all parties.
The content of this announcement was so shocking that people's first reaction was to confirm whether it was April Fools' Day.
Most media outlets did not confirm and publish the relevant reports until 12 hours later.
Washington is collectively speechless.
In a rare move, the White House press secretary's office canceled a briefing an hour before it was scheduled to begin, without giving a reason.
Faced with a siege from reporters, the Pentagon spokesman simply repeatedly stated, "No comment, we are evaluating the matter."
Capitol Hill fell into unprecedented chaos, with shouts of accusations from lawmakers from both parties piercing the corridors and emergency hearings being hastily convened...
This unprecedented silence and confusion conveys more clearly than any statement the extreme shock and strategic unpreparedness of Washington's core decision-making circles.
The market reaction was even more dramatic.
Rolls-Royce's stock plummeted 35% in an instant after resuming trading, triggering circuit breakers multiple times.
The stock prices of companies such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics also plummeted, with declines of more than 20% and a total market value evaporation of more than $ billion.
Panic spread to the entire defense sector and related technology stocks, dragging the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indexes down.
The US dollar index fluctuated violently, safe-haven funds poured into gold and government bonds, and Wall Street analysts scrambled to tear up the report that had confidently stated "limited impact" just a week ago.
Compared with these visible losses, the greater impact is intangible.
The "Crucible" list is no longer a symbolic protest or a helpless act of "self-destruction", but a "lethal weapon" supported by precise intelligence and possessing devastating combat power.
For the first time, the world clearly realized that China not only mastered the "trump card" of individual technological fields, but also truly achieved leadership in many key basic fields.
The balance of power across the Pacific is already undergoing a historic and irreversible shift.
A new, more multipolar and uncertain geopolitical technological landscape is clearly presented to the world with the aftermath of Rolls-Royce's announcement.
