[Forum Game] The Dragon Ascendant

[Korona]

“We become what we do.”​

Hello all and welcome to The Dragon Ascendant, a game inspired by Frymonmon’s Crisis series and Noco19’s Motherland Asunder. In The Dragon Ascendant, players will be throw into an alternate-history China, where Chiang Kai-shek won the Chinese Civil War instead of Mao Zedong. The game begins on April 26th, 1951, the day the Chinese Communists lost to Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalists. China is still reeling from the Japanese invasion and a bloody civil war and it is a crippled country. The question that is posed to the players, will the Dragon Ascend into the Heavens, or will it lie broken on the ground?

Course of Play

The base on which this game will be played will be democracy, something I’ve taken a few liberties with. Since we don’t know how exactly Chiang would’ve ruled if he had won in China, I’ve decided to take artistic license and establish China as a multi-party democracy. That means, yes, elections and legislating! I generally plan for the game to go as follows.

1. Election - Self explanatory, players will IC and campaign for their respective parties in order to gain a majority in the Legislative Yuan and National Assembly.
2. Crisis Update- This is where players will be given a specific issue, and they’ll have time (and orders, if need be) to react properly to it. Usually, this is before the legislature convenes, so there’ll be no voting at this phase, but a crisis update could happen after the convening of the legislature.
3. Legislation - This is where players propose bills, acts, statutes, and all the juicy stuff that makes a country run.
4. Main Update - This is where I’ll go over the domestic going-ons, and players will learn the result of orders. Yup, that’s right. Each player can send one order, regardless of their position. The highest ranking military officer in China, the President, and the Premier have two orders as well to represent their influence within Chinese society.

I'd like to take this time to venerate and praise Noco19 who let me copy and use many of the rules and formats of The Motherland Asunder. Long may he live.

Character Creation

Pretty self-explanatory, your characters are going to be the meat of this game and is what will drive it ever forward. Some general guidelines for character creation are down below. The general format for character creation I want you to follow can be seen below, but if you want to add some flashy "Positions Held" or something then feel free.

Name: Chiang Kai-shek
Born: 1887
Position: Savior of the Chinese
Background: Born of August Wind, Chiang Kai-shek defeated the Communist scourge with one hand and is the savior of all China.

All characters must be grounded in reality and I reserve the right to deny characters based on grounds of implausibility. Some general rules for character creation are:

• You may not have multiple characters
• You may not play as a person in a foreign country
• You may play as expats in foreign countries
• Your character must be human.
• If you wish to play as a historical character (IE Chiang Ching-kuo or Chiang Kai-shek), PM me on the Paradox Forums with your application. Do not post it in the thread. I will only give historical characters to players I trust, and I will hand them out sparingly. I want this to be a narrative driven by the player and their creations.

Government of the Republic of China

The Government of the Republic of China is quite unlike anything else in the world, for it contains Five Branches, or Yuan, of Government. These five branches make it extremely complex, so bear with me as I try to explain the craziness that is the Government of the Republic of China. At game start, the country is a semi-presidential republic de jure, but Chiang Kai-shek is almost a dictator, due to his power over the KMT, thereby controlling the Legislative Yuan and most of the country.

The National Assembly and Legislative Yuan serve as the chief legislative bodies of China, with the National Assembly being the lower house, and the Legislative Yuan being the upper house of sorts. The National Assembly elects the President and Vice President, and amends the Constitution, with elections being held for the National Assembly once every six years. However, the National Assembly only serves as a rubber-stamp body for the Legislative Yuan, which is where all the legislative power is vested in China. All legislation can only originate in the Legislative Yuan, and it does not even touch the National Assembly unless it is a constitutional amendment or a proposed referendum, in which case it must pass the National Assembly and Legislative Yuan.

The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of China, and is the symbol of the nation. The President is the supreme commander of all Chinese armed forces, and has the power to declare war, sign treaties, and can make peace. The President is elected by the National Assembly, and must be of forty years of age, and can be elected to an unlimited number of six-year terms. The President of the Republic of China works with the minister for foreign affairs in terms of dictating foreign policy and represents the nation abroad.

The administration itself of China is vested within the Executive Yuan, which is essentially the cabinet of the Republic of China. The Premier of the Executive Yuan is elected by the Legislative Yuan, who is subsequently appointed by the President as a formality. The Premier of the Executive Yuan serves as the head of government, and is given the duty of appointing a series of ministers to serve within his government. The Executive Yuan submits a budget to the Legislative Yuan, and can dispute any law passed by the Legislative Yuan and can demand reconsideration as moderated by the President of the Republic of China.

All judicial power in China is vested in the Judicial Yuan, which serves as the supreme court of China. The Judicial Yuan is tasked with interpreting the constitution, as well as all laws and ordinances passed by the Legislative Yuan. Each Grand Justice on the Judicial Yuan is nominated by the Control Yuan (see below), and serves for life.

Now, China varies in the establishment of the Examination Yuan, which is the continuation of China’s proud history of civil service exams. The duties of the Examination Yuan is to be responsible for employment, promotions, tenure, salaries, pensions, and most bureaucratic duties of any government. The Examination Yuan issues civil service exams, which all public employees must pass before being hired to any position within the Chinese government. All members of the Examination Yuan are nonpartisan, and function effectively separate from the Executive and Legislative Yuans.

The Control Yuan is China’s version of a Censor, serving as the ‘police’ of the government. The official powers of the Control Yuan is the ability to exercise the powers of consent, impeachment, censure, and auditing within the government. Operating independently of any branch of government, the Control Yuan consists of members elected by the provinces of China. They can request any orders and relevant documents from the Executive Yuan, and can impeach any public official. The members of the Control Yuan nominate the Grand Justices of the Judicial Yuan and the President of the Examination Yuan. To represent the independence and nonpartisan nature of the Control Yuan, it will be controlled by yours truly (the GM) for the duration of the game.

Elections

Elections for the Legislative Yuan, which I encourage all political players to run in, are held every three years, for a grand total of 759 seats. Elections for the Legislation Yuan are held in a proportional manner, with each deputy representing an average of 600,000 people. If you are running in the National Assembly, then you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot, for 2,961 delegates are up for reelection every six years. When elections are held, each candidate will compete for the largest number of votes within their electoral district. Whoever receives the most votes in their district wins, to make it easier for me.

The party with a majority in the Legislative Yuan is able to form a government, or the party with the largest share will form a minority government, if they do not wish to seek a coalition. If they do wish to seek a coalition, then the largest party in said coalition must submit a government to me, with said government containing ministers from all parties in the coalition. The Legislative Yuan then elects the Premier, who is typically the leader of said party within the Legislative Yuan. It was typical for most Chinese parties to have a caucus leader in the Legislative Yuan, a caucus leader in the National Assembly, and a national leader who dictates the platform for the whole party. For example, Chiang Kai-shek was the Director-General of the Kuomintang, but he had a different leader who served as the leader of the KMT in the Legislative Yuan, who in turn served as Premier. Because of this, most parties will have complex leadership systems and inter-party struggles for power can occur, if the national leader of a party is not effective enough in their leadership.

At game start, China is still feeling the effects the ideology of Dang Guo. Dang Guo was the single-party state policy of the Republic of China from 1924 - 1946. Dang Guo ensured that the Kuomintang dictated all policy of the Republic of China, the KMT governed the military, and all bureaucrats of China were dedicate themselves to “Party and State”. Despite being dismantled by the 1947 Constitution, which returned power of the military to the civilians and broke down the single-party state, there are many in China who are adherents to this policy, and as an effect, ascendance of other parties to a national stage is going to be difficult.

However, this isn’t to say that the Kuomintang is the only party in China. The right-wing Chinese Youth Party is on the rise, serving as a counter to the KMT’s brand of nationalism. Although generally ineffectual, if it was reorganized and lead properly, it could emerge as a serious opposition to the KMT. It is the second largest party in the Legislative Yuan, and although that doesn’t really mean much, it is posed to make great gains in the next election if lead properly. Representing the left that hasn’t been persecuted by Chiang Kai-shek is the Chinese Democratic Socialist Party, which, as the name suggests, a democratic socialist party that serves as the vanguard of what’s left of the Chinese left. In the most recent election, the CDSP made gains among the peasants, and it is poised to take the CCP's place as the 'Party of the Peasants'. However, it is still being monitored very closely for any overt communist activity. The Chinese Communist Party is banned, but still has a significant following among the peasantry and some of the intelligentsia in the Chinese mountains.

Players should feel free to participate in any historical parties, but they should also feel free to start their own parties if they want. However, keep in mind that not every party could be seen as 'legal' per se in the eyes of the government, and it could be banned.

IRC

It's not mandatory, but highly recommended you join IRC, where players will be discussing the game, and I'll be able to answer your questions quickly. I personally use Mibbit as my IRC client, but if there's a specific one you prefer, feel free to use that instead. For those who aren't acquainted with IRC, here are some step by step instructions on how to join.

1) Go to https://client00.chat.mibbit.com
2) In the Username box, put in your forum name so you're easily recognizable.
3) In the Connect box, click on it and scroll down until you find 'The Airlock'. Click on that.
4) In the Channel box, type in '#WiR_Main'.
5) You're done!

 

[Korona]

A Timeline of the Chinese Civil War from 1934 - 1951​

• October 16, 1934 - Bo Gu and Otto Braun begin the Long March, with Communist and soldiers civilians departing Ruijin.
• January 15 - 17th, 1935 - The Communists hold the Zunyi Conference. The party begins to fray at the seams, with power being fought over by the 28 Bolsheviks under Bo Gu against Zhou Enlai and the Maoists. Bo Gu retains his position, but Zhou Enlai established as the second most powerful man in the party.
• June 18, 1935 - Bo Gu links up with Zhang Guotao, who joins with Bo Gu and his armies. Zhou Enlai and the Maoists are enraged, and they split from the Bo Gu’s forces to take their own path to Shaanxi. This path resulted and death and destruction, as well as the loss of Mao Zedong along their separate route.
• April 29, 1935 - Crossing of the Jinsha River.
• May 29, 1935 - The Battle of Luding Bridge. The Communists easily defeat the Nationalist forces garrisoning the bridge.
• October 22, 1935 - The Red Army convenes in Shaanxi. The Long March ends.
• November 2, 1935 - Zhou Enlai/Zhu De and Bo Gu/Zhang Guotao fight for control of the party. An incredibly unstable coalition is formed in the interest of fighting the Nationalist Chinese.
• 1936 - The civil war begins to slow down with a looming Japanese invasion hanging over the heads of the fragmented CCP and KMT.
• January 1, 1934 - January 1st, 1937 - During the course of the Long March, Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist Chinese enact significant reforms to address the issues that plague China. Vast progress is made in terms of industrialization and addressing the issues that plague the countryside of China.
• December 18, 1936 - Xi’an Incident. Chiang Kai-shek is kidnapped and forced to make an agreement of ceasefire with the Communist Chinese in light of the Japanese threat.
• July 7, 1937 - September 9, 1945 - Japan invades China. The Second Sino-Japanese War breaks out. Nationalist China is the chief Chinese combatant, with the Communist Chinese fighting more amongst themselves than the Japanese.
• October 10, 1945 - The Double Tenth Agreement for peace between the Communists and the KMT is signed. Accomplishes nothing.
• July 20, 1946 - March 1, 1947 - Chiang Kai-shek orders an assault on the Communists, who established a foothold in the north of China. The CCP itself is split between Zhang Guotao and Zhu De, who managed to become the sole leaders of the Soviet and Maoist factions in the party. Guotao often holds off on giving Zhu De and the Maoists desperately needed supplies and reinforcements in order to erode their position. Because of this, Chiang’s offensive is wildly successful and Yan’an is seized.
• February 12, 1948 - Chiang orders another series of offensives against the Chinese, who managed to seize Beijing from the Nationalists in late 1947. The offensive succeeds, and manages to seize southern Shaanxi from the Communists.
• April 19, 1948 - Chiang’s counteroffensive after the decidedly bland outcome of the Communist Liansheng campaign, which saw the Communists seize north China, manages to push the CCP back to the outskirts of Beijing. The four month long Siege of Beijing begins, which ends up as a bloody, yet incredibly important victory for Chiang.
  July 12, 1949 - A series of military defeats for the CCP sees the party split into the Soviets and Maoists, the two factions outwardly engaging each other in conflict. Chiang seizes his opportunity and pushes deep into Communist heartland, seizing Shaanxi and half of Suiyang.
• March 5, 1950 - Chiang pushes yet again into Suiyang, the CCP finds itself almost completely encircled. After what would prove to be the final offensive, the Soviet Faction flees into Mongolia for Moscow while the Maoists dedicate themselves to an insurgency against the Nationalists.
• April 19, 1951 - The Chinese secret police captures the majority of the CCP Politburo and Secretariat in a midnight raid on a hotel they were taking refuge in. They are all summarily executed in the forests of China. Their bodies were never recovered.
• April 29, 1951 - Despite low-level Communist hotspots in northern China, Chiang Kai-shek declares the Chinese Civil War to be over. He assumes the reigns of government in Nanjing. Elections for the Legislative Yuan are to be held in October of 1951.

 

[Korona]

The Republic of China
April 26th, 1951

The Republic of China and East Asia as a whole


Capital: Nanjing
Currency: Chinese Yuan

His Excellency Chiang Kai-shek ((Cheef))
President of the Republic of China
Generalissimo of China​

The Executive Yuan

Premier of the Republic of China: He Yingqing
Minister of Foreign Affairs: George Yeh
Minister of the Interior: Chiang Ching-kuo ((Maxwell))
Minister of National Defence: Bai Chongxi ((Aedan))
Director General of the National Police Agency: Chen Kuo-en
Minister of Finance: Wang Yun-wu
Minister of Education: Chu Chia-hua
Minister of Economic Affairs: C.K. Yen

Other Offices of Importance in China

President of the Control Yuan: Yu Yuoren
President of the Examination Yuan: Chang Po-ling
Chief of the General Staff: Zhou Zhi-rou​

Next Elections: October 1st, 1951

The Legislative Yuan​

Kuomintang: 682
Chinese Youth Party: 59
Chinese Democratic Socialist Party: 18​

National Assembly
​

Kuomintang: 2,442 Seats
Chinese Youth Party: 160
Chinese Democratic Socialist Party: 89​

​

 

[Korona]

Characters
​

Aisin Gioro Puyi - Rolman99

Saifuddin Azizi - XVG

Yan Xishang - Olligarchy

Soong Ching-ling - Sealy

Ma Bufang - Dadarian

Tan Jung-yon - Firehound15

Liu Zhang - Cloud Strife

Zhang Jungmai - Luftwafer

Ma Hongkui - Shynka

V.K. Wellington Koo - Arrowfiend

Fuhua Wang - Sneaky

Chow Chin-kai - Mikkel Glahder

Bao Chongxi - Aedan

Chen Kao - Oxford

Chiang Kai-shek - Cheef

Chiang Ching-kuo - Maxwell

Jiang Ruikuan - Revan/Riccardo

Lü Wenyi - Noco19

Liu Yao - etranger01

Sung Hsuan-Tao - Ab Ovo

Zhong Qiang-tao - Ferreira

 

[Korona]

Updates
​

1951
April 29, 1951 - A Party Divided

​

 

[Korona]

Sign-ups are now open. If you want to play as a historical character, send me a Private Message on the forums. I reserve the right to reject any character on grounds of implausibility or anything else that I think is stupid.

I will list approved historical characters here:

• Aisin Gioro Puyi - @Rolman99
• Saifuddin Azizi - @XVG
• Yan Xishang - @Olligarchy
• Soong Ching-ling @sealy300
• Ma Bufang - @Dadarian
• Ma Hongkui (Dadarian's bitch) @Shynka
• V.K. Wellington Koo @Arrowfiend
• Bai Chongxi @Aedan

 

[Rolman99]

"Comin' through here, plebs."
((Korona-approved, real bio coming soon))​

 

[Olligarchy]

Name: 閻錫山 (lat. Yan Xishan or Yen Hsi-shan)
Born: 8 October 1883 Wutai County, Xinzhou, Shanxi
Position: General, 'Warlord'/Governor of Shanxi
Background:
Born during the beginning of the end for the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, Yan Xishan was born to a family of wealth, if not exactly influence. His family background was that of merchants and bankers, which whilst providing wealth remained a rather looked down upon profession. Still, it afforded him some privileges, including a proper Confucian education which gave him a strong foundation and belief in the 'old ways'. Those beliefs were only reinforced when the 19th-century depression ruined his family, resulting in Yan Xishan being enrolled into a free military education sponsored by the Manchu Government in Taiyuan.

Yan Xishan's military education not only served to introduce him to many western concepts such as the hard sciences, but also whet his appetite for modernisation of the army, which culminated in him being sent to study in Japan in 1904. He graduated from Tokyo Shimbu Gakko in 1909 and returned to Shanxi soon after. Due to his family connections and sheer personal ability he was soon after put in command of New Army Division in his home province, but secretly had begun to hold Revolutionary Sympathies. His experiences in Japan had shown him just how far behind China had fallen and just how little the Manchurian dynasty seemed to care for the people of China.

His behind the scenes works culminated in the 1911 Xinhai Revolution during which he led his forces to victory against the Qing Garrisons, proclaiming Shanxi free of Qing rule in a triumphant speech held at Taiyuan.

The decades that followed saw Yan Xishan blossom into the man he could've been all along. In equal parts a brilliant general and leader of men, and a capable administrator he managed to make Shanxi; at one time the poorest province in the Empire; into a relevant part of the Warring States. At times he was at war with the other nationalists, at all times he was defending HIS vision of what China could've been: an ancient realm revitalized with new thought and technology, but the continuous thread in his decades of rule over Shanxi and eventually Premiership of China was his focus on his home province; to which he always eventually returned.

During the Sino-Japanese Wars and increasingly brutal Nationalist-Communist divide Yan Xishan managed to almost miraculously keep Shanxi from falling to either, at times working with either party to be allowed a free hand. His ability to compromise and work with differing elements of government was put to test when in President Li Zongren and Chian Kai-Shek's inability to work together almost cost the Nationalists the war, and Yan Xishan was set up as a compromise candidate acceptable to both. He and Shanxi's Taiyuan Arsenal was instrumental in delivering the much needed heavy artillery to the Nationalist Cause, and hence he was awarded with numerous commendations and amongst highest of military ranks.

 

[sealy300]

Madame Sun, ready for some fun.​

 

[XVG]

Saifuddin Azizi
Seypidin Azizi

President of the East Turkestan Republic

b. 12th of March, 1951​

Born in Tacheng, in the most northwestern corner of China and Sinkiang, to a family of Uyghur traders originating from Artux, Saifuddin Azizi attended to school in Sinkiang before moving to the Soviet Union for further studies. Joining the CPSU and studying at the Central Asia Institute of Tashkent, he would return to Sinkiang upon completion of his studies, acting at first as a Soviet spy and informant in the region still then controlled by the KMT in the wake of the first Turkestan revolt. The region was under the influence of the Soviets due to their agreements with its ruling warlord Sheng Shicai, but the erupting of the war with Nazi Germany led to the Chinese central government re-enforcing their position in the region. With Soviet Union regaining its strength after bleak years of war, it could again turn its attention to Sinkiang, using the discontent local Turkic peoples to start the Ili rebellion against the KMT, culminating in the declaration of a Soviet puppet government, the (Second) East Turkestan Republic. Saifuddin Azizi became the Minister of Education. At first negotiations were attempted between the Soviets and the KMT government, and after a Sino-Soviet Treaty in 1945 a truce was reached in the region. The USSR reduced its support and the ETR negotiated with the KMT in order to reach a peaceful solution to reincorporate the rebelling three districts into China. A shaky Xinjiang Provincial Coalition Government was established, but with the resumption of the Chinese Civil War it collapsed soon after, in 1947. After the breakdown in negotiating a settlement, the three districts went back to a de facto separate pro-Soviet area. With the death of most of the rebels’ leadership, incidentally the more hardliner Communist and heaviest opponents to any deal with the KMT, in a more than suspicious plane crash in Kazakhstan in 1949, Saifuddin Azizi assumed presidency of the small disputed zone, very much dependent on Soviet support and lack of Chinese investment in recovering the region.

 

[Dadarian]

Ma Bufang
ما بوفنگ

Governor of Qinghai Province

b. 1903
​

A former warlord and now autonomous governor, Ma Bufang is the patriarch of the Ma Clique and spokesman for the Hui. He's not a huge fan of Tibetans or nomads, was an independent general until integrated into Chiang's army in the late 1930s. A loyal member and administrator for the KMT and a devout Muslim, Ma Bufang is kinda a big deal.

​

 

[Firehound15]

Name:
Tan Jun-Yong (譚軍勇)

Born:
June 9th, 1901

Position:
Member of the Legislative Yuan (CDSP)

Background:​

Born in Tsinan, Shantung Province, Tan Jun-Yong was his family's first child, and the eldest of six. The profession of his father, Tan Jun-Shi, was that of a craftsman, and he served as a major local supporter of the Xinhai Revolution. Jun-Yong, meanwhile, while old enough to have a general grasp of the aims of the Tongmenhui, was not old enough to fully participate in the struggle against the Qing government. He was, however, old enough to witness first-hand the corruption and reactionary "ideals" of Yuan Shikai, instilling in him a rebellious spirit and inherent rejection of authoritarian rule.

Jun-Yong attended National Shantung University, and after graduation became a librarian for the university. During this time, he also began to entertain certain elements of socialist thought, particularly those same theories first promulgated by Sun Yat-Sen himself. These views would, in turn, make Tan a harsh critic of both Communist revolutionaries, who he believed to be dishonest and self-destructive; and the Japanese invaders, against whom he would be involved in active resistance.

After the conclusion of the Civil War and the triumph of the Republic of China, he became an influential member of the CDSP in Shantung, in which he is seen as an influential moderate, often articulating positions significantly to the right of his party's present leadership, which he perceives as too radical and similar to the CCP.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Fictional Character

Name: Liu Zhan
Born: 1920
Position: Fmr. Middle General with the 262nd Brigade of the 88th Division of the 5th Army and current Member of the Legislative Yuan (KMT)
Background: Born after the end of the Great War and hailing from an old, established Teochew clan, with strong ties to Dr. Sun's original Revive China Society, General Liu began the war fighting at the age of 18 in the Battle for Nanjing and ended the war fighting with his comrades in the Burmese Expedition. Retiring to the reserve list after a series of brevet promotions saw him reach the rank of Zhōngjiàng, Wei sought out the quiet of academia by studying overseas at Oxford but was interrupted when family obligations demanded his appointment to the Legislative Yuan. Zhan is not particularly ideological and bases his firm support of the KMT on a belief that China is not ready for democracy and needs a firm hand guiding her for the time being.

 

[Luftwafer]

Name: Zhang Junmai (Carsun Chang)
Born: 1887
Position: Chairman of the China Democratic Socialist Party
Background: Born in 1887 and having a traditional Confucian education and a degree as a philosopher. He then went to study Philosophy in the university of Waseda University in Japan, where he came under the influence of Liang Qichao and his theory of constitutional monarchy. Accompanying him on a tour of post-war Europe and eventually studying philosophy at the university of Berlin. Where he came under the influence of Rudolf Eucken, and travelled with him through China as his translator.

He became a professor of philosophy at the university of Beijing. Organising a National Socialist Party, then he became the leader and founder of the national democratic league, exposing new social democratic ideals, while attacking socialism and guild socialism.

After the Second world war he became leader of the Chinese Democratic socialist party.

 

[Sneakyflaps]

Name: Fuhua Wang
DoB: November 16 1916
Position: Leader of the 14k Triad
Previous positions: Officer in the KMT army
Bio: Born to a wealthy family following the collapse of the Qing Empire, Wang grew up in prosperity during the first early years under the KMT where the economy prospered. Wang’s destiny was to be different from his father’s and older brothers as he joined the military early in his life, fired up with patriotic feelings for China and the republic. He showed early promise and was sent to study in Germany along with several others including the adoptive son of Chiang, Chiang Wei-Kou, whom Wang for the first time met here and who he would later receive the Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss insignia with and later serving under him during the Austrian Anschluss. Along with the military discipline and education, the young Wang also received a new view on order and stability.

Upon Wang’s return to China he was put as a military aide to Lieutenant-General Kot Sui-wong, whom he aided in creating the 14k in 1945 to resist the communists movement in China. The 14k was made up of KMT soldiers and volunteers, fighting against the communists in a noble purpose, one that would be lost within a decade. Sui-won was able to keep control with Wang as his second in command of the loose group until 1948 when he went north under the command of Chiang to aid in the war while Wang was left behind. Wang spent the next year and a half consolidating the power through fear, blood and terror, uniting the various factions and in the process turning what was a noble idea into a bloody gang of criminals.

Wang no longer believed that democracy was the way forward, China was not ready as was clear for the large support of the communists, the country needed a strong man to lead it. Wang would never be one for politics, but he would certainly rule the underworld. It was under this mentality that Wang used the new 14k under his authority and spread it outside of Guangzhou and into the overall province of Guangdong, still looking further to increase the size of his crime empire in this new China.

Wang saw this as a noble purpose, by his own cruelty and sins, he would prevent those even worse from rising to abuse the Chinese.

Outwardly he has taken over his father’s trading and shipping business in Guangzhou, which within recent years has exploded in size and contracts, many of them naturally unexplained, making him a wealthy man. Wang has also become more known locally as he as spoken out for the well-being of the people in the city and province, advocating for a single strong man to lead them, rather than a flock of sheep.

 

[Korona]

Be Aware: I am no longer accepting applications for historical characters aside from Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo. I highly encourage any potential players to join as fictional characters, for which you don't have to apply for.

 

[Arrowfiend]

​

Name: V. K. Wellington Koo
Born: January 29, 1888 (63)
Position: Ambassador of the Republic of China to the United States
Background: Born in Shanghai, then an international concession as a result of the Opium Wars, V.K. Wellington Koo had a great amount of contact with the West from an early life. He first attended Saint John's University in Shanghai, an Anglo-Chinese university, before traveling in 1904 to the United States. There, he attended Columbia College from 1904 to 1908 and Columbia University from 1908 to 1912, earning a PhD in international law and diplomacy.

Koo then returned to China in 1912, serving as an English secretary to President Yuan Shikai; Three years later he became the primary Chinese ambassador to the United States and Cuba. In 1919, he served in the Chinese delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, where he unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate a return of Japanese Shandong to the Republic of China.

Between 1920 and 1922, he served as China's first representative in the newly formed League of Nations before becoming foreign minister of China in 1922. In 1924, he was chosen as Chief Premier of the ROC and in 1926 he was elected President. After the fall of the Beijing government in the Northern Expedition in 1928, Koo was pardoned by the KMT and allowed to return to diplomatic service.

Koo continued to serve as Chinese representative to the League of Nations, taking a harsh stance against the Japanese for their aggression in Asia. Between 1936 and 1940, he served as the Chinese Ambassador to France; after the fall of France, he became the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom. In 1945, he served as one of the founding delegates to the United Nations. Following the resumption of conflict between the PRC and ROC in 1946, Koo became the Chinese Ambassador to the United States and Cuba, a role he has held since. As a result of his efforts, the United States and the Republic of China maintained a strong alliance, which likely played an important role in the Nationalist victory.

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

Name: Chow Chin-Kai
DoB: 23rd of September, 1909
Position: Colonel in the Airforce of the Republic of China
Political Party: KMT
Bio: Chow Chin-Kai was born in Nanjing to a family of officers. While not much is known of his early life, it is known that he was always very interested in aviation and always wanted to be a pilot. In 1927 he applied for service within the airforce and he was admitted into the institution founded only 7 years prior.
When the Japanese imperialists invaded China, Chow Chin-Kai proudly took flight to defend his country against the invaders. Being a fighter pilot, he escorted bombers and intercepted Japanese planes. In 1937, he intercepted Japanese bombers, as part of the 21st squadron, following Kao Chi-hang. His true breakthrough as an ace however, came in 1938 where he in air battles at the front near Lanzhou, shot down one bomber and two fighters. Between the 20th of February and the 23rd, 1939, he shot down an estimate of three Japanese bombers. While he was in many dogfights and interceptions mission without being shot down, disaster struck in March 1939, where he was forced to bail his airplane as it cought fire. After being treated for his wounds, he was once again ready for combat in late 1939. After the Sino-Japanese war, where he had been promoted to major, he fought against the communist menace in the Civil war, scoring many victories. Especially during the defence of Beijing, where he shot down four communist bombers and 3 fighters; he recieved the Blue-Sky-White-Sun award from Chiang Kai-Shek personally. After the civil war ended, he is still in the airforce. Now as a colonel and decorated with several medals and awards.
He is married to Liu, whom he met and married during a leave in 1942. They have 2 kids.

 

[aedan777]

Name: Bai Chongxi
Born: 18 March 1893
Position: Minister of National Defense
Background: A Chinese Muslim of Persian descent, Bai Chongxi has had a remarkable life. For nearly three decades Bai has been a prominent military leader in the Kuomintang, scoring many great victories and earning much acclaim for his tactical aptitude. The 1920s had seen him make a name for himself defeating superior enemy forces in the Northern Expeditions, earning the nickname of little Zhuge Liang, after the famed strategist. Bai also achieved fame during this time for his purges conducted against communists, which he did with such ruthlessness and efficiency he was nicknamed "The Hewer of Communist Heads".

Though Bai would sometimes clash with Chiang Kai-Shek over many matters, Bai retained a powerful support base in Guangxi, and resisted all efforts at his purge or removal. During the war against Japan, Bai would lead Chinese armies with great skill, earning much respect abroad, and was widely seen as the man to lead China if Chiang was assassinated. Alone among KMT generals, Bai would refuse to obey orders from Chiang if he believed them to be wrong. Despite his background, Bai was a strong supporter of Chinese nationalism and made no power plays against the position of Chiang.

In the final struggle against the communists, Bai would take a prominent role in the organization of the army and the conducting of the campaign, ensuring the communists were denied time to recover and that the KMT's army was properly trained and supplied. His position as Minister of National Defense is threatened by the ever widening power taken by Chiang, but Bai retains substantial support in Guangxi, large parts of the army, and abroad.

 

[oxfordroyale]

Deputy Chen Kao (真高)

b. 15 January 1891 (60 years old)
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Spoiler: Positions to date

Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of China, 1933 - 1945
Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of China, 1945 - 1949
Deputy in the Legislative Yuan, 1949 - present
Member of the KMT, 1949 - present

Chen Kao was born during the late Qing dynasty into a prosperous banking and trading family in Pingyao County, Shanxi Province, and in keeping with the family tradition he has always aspired to wealth and power. His father being an exceptionally learned man, Chen was instilled with an acute appreciation of the value of education from a very young age, and his near-prodigious talents in both maths and linguistics were nurtured through highly-paid tutors. Chen attended Peiyang Western Study College in Tianjin, the first university providing four-year degree modern higher education in China, where he graduated two years early with a degree in economics. In 1911, at age twenty, Chen departed his homeland to continue his studies in the United States – mere weeks afterward the Xinhai Revolution occurred and the Qing imperial government was overthrown, though Chen did not learn of this until his arrival in San Francisco.

During the eight years that he lived in the United States, Chen studied at both Princeton and Yale University, graduating from the former in 1915 and enrolling in a master’s degree in economics from the latter. He proved to be an exceptional student despite the linguistic and cultural obstacles he faced – already reasonably proficient by the time he left, within a matter of months Chen became fluent in English and rose to near the top of his class. While he enjoyed the quality of education he was receiving, Chen was often dissatisfied with elements of American life – in letters home he would recount the racial discrimination he received from some of his peers and professors, as well as his yearning for the traditions of Chinese culture and society that were so utterly absent in the West. Despite the distance, Chen followed news concerning his home country intently, engrossing himself in the works and teachings of Sun Yat-sen in addition to his regular course material. He often complained to his friends that “China is undergoing the greatest transformation in its history, and here I am, an ocean away.”

As soon as Chen completed his education he returned to his home province in China, arriving just as his father began to succumb from a debilitating lung disease. Upon his death he left Chen with a sizable fortune, money which he would use to create valuable social, political and financial connections for himself. After several months in Shanxi rubbing shoulders with the powerful elite, Chen would meet and befriend Dr. H. H. Kung, the brother-in-law of Sun Yat-sen and a fellow Yale alumnus, beginning what would become a long and prosperous relationship. The two would frequently discuss economics together over dinner and engage in (often heated) debates on the best method for transforming China into a strong, industrialized nation. Introductions were supplied, contracts signed, and shady deals made – by the mid-1920s Chen had become one of the wealthiest men in a province long considered the center of trade and banking in China.

However, his influence did not extend far beyond the mercantile. The event that would launch Chen from a prominent businessman to a major figure came in 1933. When Kung, having previously served in a range of government positions, was made the Governor of Central Bank of the Republic, he requested that Chen be appointed as his deputy, a position that demanded both competence and loyalty. The bank had been originally proposed and in 1923 by Sun Yat-sen’s administration in Guangzhou, and following the success of the Northern Expedition it had taken over the role of central bank for China with its headquarters in Shanghai – needless to say, it was a massive step towards realizing Chen’s ambitions.

For over a decade Chen served impeccably in his position, all the while laying the foundation for even greater things to come. Upon Kung’s resignation in favor of the Premiership, Chen succeeded him as Governor of the bank and oversaw its growth to become one of China’s “Big Four” national banks alongside the Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Farmers Bank of China. He would head the institution from 1945 until 1949, resigning in order to campaign in the 1949 elections to the Legislative Yuan as a representative for Pingyao – the next phase in his planned path to power. Benefiting immensely from his financial and political connections (not to mention his sizable personal wealth), Chen would easily win a seat in the Legislative Yuan and has since become an influential member of the KMT, valued for his economic expertise and deep pockets alike. His priorities for the moment are mostly economic in nature, believing that China must go to any lengths to industrialize and gain its rightful place as a world power.