Chapter 1683: Another Knife

The development of events was just as Chang Haonan had expected.

Washington's ability to keep such news secret is like a castle in the sand.

It looks strong, but in fact, there is nothing left after a wave hits it.

That afternoon, several authoritative North American media outlets released a piece of bombshell news almost at the same time.

The core content is surprisingly consistent, all quoted from so-called "relevant insiders who wish to remain anonymous"

"According to reliable sources, Beijing has initiated high-level contacts with Washington to ease recent tensions in economic, trade, and technological relations. The dialogue has been positive and pragmatic, and the two sides are expected to reach a landmark memorandum of understanding as early as next month..."

"The core content of the memorandum is expected to include: the complete lifting of all trade restrictions, technology blockades and entity list sanctions imposed on each other since December 2014, 12. At the same time, some cutting-edge US technology companies, such as SpaceX, will provide key assistance in the 'Beacon' space station project in exchange for market access and broader cooperation space..."

"..."

In the following hours, this carefully "processed" news swept the global public opinion field like a tsunami.

The news occupied the front pages and prime time of almost all major news websites, TV stations and radio stations around the world at the speed of light.

Whether it is evening in East Asia, noon in Europe or early morning in America, countless hosts, commentators and analysts have been urgently summoned to engage in endless interpretations, analyses and speculations around this sudden "ice-breaking signal".

The country that reacted the fastest and was the most overjoyed was Europe, which had been caught between the two giants and suffered from economic consequences in the past six months.

The European Commission made an official response almost immediately after the report was released.

The committee spokesperson's statement was filled with irrepressible joy, even selectively ignoring the fact that the source of the news was the media and not any official confirmation:

"We are pleased to hear that both sides of the Pacific are engaging in discussions on easing tensions and restoring rules-based free trade and constructive technological cooperation. This approach is in the fundamental interests of the global economy. The EU has always been a staunch force in upholding multilateralism and global stability. We welcome any positive progress that contributes to this end and are ready to provide the necessary bridges of communication and constructive negotiation venues."

People who don't know might think that they got the wrong script, after all, this kind of statement used to appear in standard Chinese rhetoric.

The mainstream media in Europe was in a frenzy, as if it was Christmas in advance.

The Financial Times, with the title "A glimmer of hope for a thaw in frozen relations?", analyzed how this move would "save the global economy on the brink of recession";

The headline of the online edition of Germany's Der Spiegel magazine was "A pragmatic signal from the East?", praising this as a "return to rationality";

The French newspaper Le Monde published a long commentary titled "A New Paradigm of Cooperation in the Post-Conflict Era?"

It seemed as if overnight, the dark clouds hanging over Europe had dissipated, and the world was about to return to the "familiar and stable" old order before 2015.

It must be admitted that the original report is a master at information packaging, and its writing is very strategic:

First, a smokescreen of half-truths:

There was indeed preliminary contact between the two sides of the Pacific, but this so-called "contact" was just a brief message. Even the Chinese side has not given a clear and positive response. However, the report cleverly elevated and concretized this extremely preliminary "contact" and made it a strong signal that the two sides are about to fully ease the situation.

Then comes the psychological implication of subject reversal:

The report uses "China" as the subject of action throughout the article, whether it is "contact has been initiated to ease tensions" or "seeking to lift restrictions in exchange for assistance"...

This subtle wording subconsciously instills in readers the illusion that "it is China that is actively seeking reconciliation and asking for help from others", completely reversing the current true balance of power.

Finally, the core twist of verb substitution:

Regarding SpaceX's role, the report deliberately used the vague and condescending word "assistance", completely ignoring the fact that it was Musk who actively sought cooperation. This echoes the previous strategy of reversing the subject, further strengthening the narrative of "China has technological shortcomings and needs external help."

The power of journalism is also revealed at this moment——

After these three steps, the effect is almost immediate.

The North American financial market, which had previously suffered an epic plunge for two consecutive days due to the mass production of Hua Xia's 7-nanometer chips and the front page of Nanyang Siang Pau and was filled with doomsday panic, was like being injected with a powerful shot of adrenaline.

In the pre-market trading after the news broke, the three major stock indices' previously bottomless decline lines seemed to be suddenly strangled by an invisible hand and narrowed rapidly. Even some severely oversold technology and aviation sectors began to show a technical rebound in the green.

Market sentiment has shifted from extreme panic to a cautious, wait-and-see approach.

Wall Street traders temporarily loosened their clenched fists, wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, and began to reassess the risks.

However, just as most of the world was swept up in the optimism triggered by this "good news" and began to imagine the beautiful picture of the "post-conflict era", an extremely critical "silence" that was intentionally or unintentionally ignored became increasingly glaring.

The other party in the incident has never given any official response.

Initially, this silence was interpreted as "caution" or "internal procedures."

But soon, some people with a keen sense of smell began to notice something strange.

At the first regular press conference after the news broke, when a reporter asked for confirmation of the relevant information, the spokesperson's response was extremely intriguing:

"We have always believed that differences between countries are normal. The key is to properly resolve them through equal and mutually respectful dialogue. Regarding the specific issues you mentioned, I have no further information to provide. my country's position on safeguarding its core interests and development rights and interests is consistent and clear. We are committed to developing relations with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit."

This response, which neither confirms nor denies nor comments on the "Memorandum of Understanding" itself, is almost a piece of oral gymnastics.

The only clear message conveyed is that the premise of cooperation is "mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit."

This is in stark and irreconcilable contrast to the picture portrayed by the media.

Sensitive financial analysis agencies began to quietly adjust their models, and the market's rebound momentum also showed a subtle sense of stagnation.

Sure enough, this doubt received a thunderous response three days later.

CCTV Comprehensive Channel broadcast a special report in the news, the theme of which was "commending advanced collectives and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to major aerospace projects."

The unit that was awarded was the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The report itself seems to be nothing special, but unlike the usual commendation reports of this type that look back on past glorious achievements, the language used in this report appears unusually "pragmatic" and even "forward-looking."

Not only were a number of old models with outstanding achievements not mentioned at all, even the frequently launched models such as the Long March 5B and Long March 7 only received a brief mention.

Instead, the camera focused repeatedly and for a long time on a new type of rocket that was undergoing assembly and testing in the workshop.

Although it was not directly named in the introduction, its huge fairing, unique configuration, and sporadic words such as "space stack" and "orbital transfer" mentioned in the background all clearly point to the same model - the Long March 1C that will undertake the launch mission of the XS- space nuclear reactor.

This in itself shows an attitude.

When the program came to an end and it was the turn of Shen Jianqing, director of the Launch Vehicle Research Institute, to make a concluding speech, the screen did not show the usual office or wall of honor.

But it is the brightly lit rocket general design hall.

The camera uses a clever angle to clearly capture a large design display board in the back that is slightly illuminated by lights.

The above is a highly simplified diagram of the overall structure of the new rocket, but its key features are extremely striking.

Just one glance is enough for anyone who knows the matter to see the clues!

The outline of the rocket exudes a suffocating sense of oppression:

It was a behemoth never seen before. The scale next to the drawing clearly indicated that its height exceeded 100 meters, almost twice that of the basic model of Long March 5.

What is even more eye-catching is the engine layout of the bottom-stage rocket.

The drawings clearly show that the ten huge main engine nozzles are arranged in two layers of rings, and there are sixteen smaller booster engine nozzles distributed on the four outer boosters.

This is a layout that China has never used before, and the nozzle characteristics are also different from any known rocket engine.

The rocket adopts a typical three-stage configuration as a whole, but the diameters of the core second and third stages are significantly smaller than the thicker core first stage. This configuration optimizes the structural efficiency of different flight segments and is a typical feature of super-heavy rockets.

At the moment when this visually striking image of the giant arrow took over the background, Shen Jianqing's voice came steadily, forming a perfect intertextuality with the image:

"…We are currently steadily advancing the development of a new generation of super-heavy-lift carrier rocket with a takeoff weight of 4000 tons. This model will initially be used for launch missions of large modules from the 'Beacon' relay base, ensuring the smooth implementation of the country's major space infrastructure construction…"

"At the same time, it will also serve as the main means of transportation for my country's future exploration of the moon, Mars, and even deeper into outer space..."

"..."

"Transportation".

Shen Jianqing used such a plain and even slightly simple word to describe this national weapon that is enough to shock the world.

There are no grand words or deliberate exaggeration, as if talking about a high-speed train or a ship.

However, it almost completely denied all previous speculations from the outside world.

And it directly turned the so-called "anonymous source" into a complete clown.