Chinese-American war crisis

The War between the United States and China conspiracy was a conspiracy between terrorist Cheng Zhi and the Russians to cause a war between the United States and China. The conspiracy happened in the aftermath of a major terror plot by Margot Al-Harazi to assassinate US President James Heller which involved the device Cheng intended to use to cause the war. His plan was to use the device to hack into the American military system and cause an American submarine to attack a Chinese aircraft carrier that was traveling in the Mediterranean Sea against the wishes of the United States to intimidate the United Kingdom in not renewing the lease on the United States' drone base on Diego Garcia. The idea was to make it look like the United States' disapproval went as far as them sinking the carrier and cause the two countries to go to war. Cheng wished to get revenge on his former country by causing the war while Jack Bauer speculated that the Russians wished to the opportunity caused by the destruction of the United States and China to further their own power in the world though he wasn't sure if it was a sanctioned operation or an off-the-books one.

While the plot came very close to succeeding, Jack Bauer was able to track down Cheng with the help of CIA agent Kate Morgan and White House Chief of Staff Mark Boudreau. With the aid of Belcheck and Chloe O'Brian, Jack raided the freighter Cheng was using to escape the UK and captured the terrorist. After transmitting proof of Cheng's continued existence to President Heller, Jack executed Cheng for his crimes. The proof of Cheng's survival along with promises of reparations for the loss of the Shenyang and its crew was enough to narrowly avoid war. However, all of this came at the cost of the loss of Audrey Boudreau, President Heller's daughter and Jack's ex-girlfriend who was murdered by Cheng when Jack refused to back down and let him escape.

Framing of Adam Morgan
At some point, CIA Station Chief Steve Navarro decided to sell American secrets for money. To this end, he stole secrets and sold them to Open Cell leader Adrian Cross who in turn sold them to China. Needing someone to frame, Navarro framed his friend Adam Morgan for his own crimes, successfully making it look like the man was a traitor. After everyone refused to believe him including his wife, Adam committed suicide while Kate was disgraced for not figuring out her husband was a traitor.

Trading with Cheng
Feeling he needed money to further fund his operations, Open Cell leader Adrian Cross made a deal with Cheng Zhi who he believed to be a representative of the Chinese government, not knowing that he was in fact a believed-dead terrorist. In exchange for the funding he wants, Adrian agreed to create a device that will allow Cheng to hack any military system in the world. He eventually designed such a device, but the plans for it were stolen by Open Cell member Derrick Yates to sell to Margot Al-Harazi for her own revenge scheme.

Aftermath of Day 8
Following his role in foiling the Kamistani peace treaty cover-up, former CTU agent Jack Bauer flees the United States wanted by the United States and Russia as a terrorist. Jack begins working for Karl Rask, a major arms dealer in order to take down organizations that he can get at that cause great harm. While working for Rask, Jack took down a human trafficking ring and a drug cartel, but abandoned his work when he learned of Margot Al-Harazi's plot to assassinate US President James Heller, an old friend of Jack's and the father of his old love Audrey Boudreau.

Having helped Jack escape, Chloe O'Brian was arrested and sent to prison for her actions. She was eventually released after some time in prison and returned to her family. However, her husband and son died in a car accident that Chloe believed was an attempt to kill her as she knew too much. As a result, Chloe joined Open Cell, advocating against government secrets as she believed they had gotten her family killed. Though Adrian Cross eventually learned that the accident was just an accident, he kept this from Chloe as he loved her and wanted her to stay with him.