The Communist Chinese leadership decides to move up their timetable to become the world's sole superpower, from 2049 to the present. Part of this is to unify Taiwan by force. They believe the best model for accomplishing their wider goals is to copy the comprehensive moves by Imperial Japan in 1941-1942. The CCP/PLA thinks they can replicate the successes of the Japanese, while, at the same time, eliminate the failures. By means of subterfuge, they strike their East Asian neighbors, Western Pacific sea lanes, and the key American naval bases in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and the United States. They rely on advanced missile and drone technology and are initially successful.