Berkowitz (Getting Real)

Secretary of Defence Berkowitz was one of three U.S. officials to meet with the Chinese diplomat Hu Zhiaoxing in Los Angeles to discuss Real. The other two were Secretary of State Jackson and Secretary of the DEA Kojima.

Hu was uncooperative with the U.S. demands that China stop distributing Real viewing it as an attempt to limit trade. Jackson eventually issued an ultimatum, that Real distribution stop or there would be war. Hu indicated that that would be unadvisable and the meeting ended.

After the U.S. failed in its attacks on Chinese holdings on the Channel Islands, Hu again met with the U.S. authorities, this time via video. When he indicated that he was safe and comfortable on Catalina Island while the U.S. had suffered casualties and damage, Berkowitz raged that he had no right to talk to them that way. Hu responded sadly that centuries ago his ancestors had said the same thing to European envoys and were answered with gunboats, cannons and rifles. He then offered terms which the three rejected.

After the Chinese punitive raid on Los Angeles, Hu once again met with the three U.S. Secretaries. This time, as the losing party, the U.S. officials went to Catalina Island. They met on the dock where Hu dictated terms. Berkowitz stoically kept his colleagues focused on the issues at hand when they objected to the terms and the three eventually agreed to them ending the war.