NCB activates the first operational Helium-3 fusion reactor, ending their dependence on PCU oil overnight.
The NCB's fusion breakthrough was the most consequential technology event of the 2070s — and the most destabilizing. When the Beijing-4 reactor came online, the PCU lost its primary leverage point over the world's most populous nation overnight.
The PCU's response was military. The Strait Incidents of 2071–2073 were a direct attempt to cut NCB supply lines. GCOA mediation eventually produced a treaty, but the underlying tension never resolved.