Anglo-Dutch Entente declares French Indo-China a "failed state".

Royal Navy Battleship Glorious preparing to bombard French coastal defenses

In their first summit meeting, hosted in the Viceregal Palace in Delhi, the Emperor of India and the Governor of the Dutch East Indies have analyzed the rapidly deteriorating authority of France in its Indo-Chinease Provinces as Communist and rebel guerrilla attacks become more frequent and damaging. The two leaders have concluded that something must be done to curtail this chaos, uncomfortably close Anglo-Dutch possessions, before communist and seditious influence spreads. Following a French catastrophe at the village of Dien Bien Phu, the Anglo-Dutch leaders finally have declared French Indo-China to be a "failed state" which "merits immediate intervention by our Imperial forces to restore order and stability". A British fleet has already landed marines in the Gulf of Tonking and seized major northern cities of Vietnam such as Hanoi. As they await British and Dutch reinforcements, British forces are digging for what may be a long campaign against the scattered remnants of the French army, as well as the Vietcong and other insurgents.