China (Springtime of Nations)

Republic of China
*中華民國*
Timeline: Springtime of Nations
OTL equivalent: Majority of China, part of Mongolia
Republic of China; 中華民國Timeline: Springtime of Nations ; OTL equivalent: Majority of China, part of Mongolia
Flag	Coat of arms
	Anthem: ; 中華民國國歌; ("National Anthem of the Republic of China")https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:National_Anthem_of_the_Republic_of_China_(Taiwan).ogg Flag anthem:; 中華民國國旗歌; ("National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China") https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:National_Flag_Anthem_of_the_Republic_of_China%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E6%B0%91%E5%9C%8B%E5%9C%8B%E6%97%97%E6%AD%8C_(%E6%BC%94%E5%A5%8F%E7%89%88).oga;
	National seal:; 中華民國之璽; Seal of the Republic of China;
	Map of China, highlighted in green
Capital	Nanking
Official languages	Traditional Chinese; Uyghur alphabets; Formosan languages;
Official script	Simplified Chinese
Religion	Chinese folk religion (34.9%); Christianity (34.1%); Buddhism (19.5%); Islam (6.7%); Taoism, folk sects, and other religious organisations (4.4%);
Demonym(s)	Chinese
Government	Unitary semi-presidential republic
Legislature	Legislative Yuan
Formation
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
Gini (2011)	40.8
HDI (2021)	0.703
Currency	Chinese Yuan (¥) (INR)
Time zone	UST+6 to +9
Date formats	yyyy-mm-dd
Drives on the	right
Internet TLD	.cn
Calling code	+86

China (Chinese 中國; pinyin: Zhōngguó), officially the Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's second-most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.3 billion. China spans the equivalent of four time zones and borders twelve countries by land. With an area of nearly 6.5 million square kilometres (2,500,000 sq mi), it is the world's fifth largest country by total land area. The country consists of 22 provinces, and three autonomous regions. The national capital is Nanking, and the most populous city and largest financial center is Shanghai. It is also the world's biggest democracy.

China's history can be traced back to the Yellow River basin, where civilization began with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The Xia dynasty in the 21st century BCE and the Shang and Zhou dynasties developed a political system for hereditary monarchies. Classic literature and the Hundred Schools of Thought emerged during this period, influencing the region and beyond. The Qin dynasty ended the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, and the Han dynasty reunified the empire. The Sui and Tang dynasties reunified the empire, absorbing foreign religions and ideas, and making significant scientific advances.

The Song dynasty became urban and commercial, while the Mongol established the Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty reestablished Han Chinese control, and the Manchu-led Qing dynasty established the basis for the modern Chinese nation. Following the victory of the Taiping Rebellion, China entered a golden age. The Chinese monarchy collapsed in 1899 with the First Chinese Civil War, and many cliques and factions emerged in 1910s. Following the end of the Second World War, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the KMT fought for power, leading to the modern border. Economic decline would ravage China, but a series of reforms began in 1978, improving the economy and living standards, making China one of the fastest growing nations.

China is bounded by the East China Sea on the east and by the South China Sea on the south. It borders the Soviet Union and Manchuria to the north, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan to the southwest, Burma, Thailand, and Indochina to south. It also borders the U.K., Portugal, Germany, and France via overseas territories. It also borders Korea, Japan, and Formosa, via maritime borders. It currently has disputes in the South China Sea, with the Philipines, Indochina, Malaysia and Brunei.

China is a member of the Assembly of Nations, a founding member of CA15, and BAMFC. It is the world's second largest economy by GDP at purchasing power parity, fifth-largest by nominal GDP. China is a fast-growing major economy, a manufacturer, exporter, and importer, and a nuclear-weapon state with the second-largest standing army and fifth biggest defense budget.

History[]

Prehistory[]

China is considered one of the world's oldest civilizations, with early hominids occupying the country 2.25 million years ago. Fossilized teeth of Homo sapiens were found in Fuyan Cave in Dao County, Hunan. Chinese proto-writing existed in various locations, with some suggesting the Jiahu symbols as the earliest Chinese writing system.

Early dynastic rule[]

The Xia dynasty emerged around 2100 BCE and marked the beginning of China's political system based on hereditary monarchies. It was considered mythical by historians until early Bronze Age sites were found in Erlitou, Henan in 1959. The Shang dynasty, the earliest confirmed by contemporary records, ruled the Yellow River plain from 17th to 11th century BCE. Their oracle bone script, dating back to 1500 BCE, is the oldest form of Chinese writing and a direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters.

The Shang was conquered by the Zhou, who ruled between 11th and 5th centuries BCE. However, centralized authority was gradually eroded by feudal warlords, and some principalities emerged from the weakened Zhou, no longer obeying the king and engaging in war. By the Warring States period of the 5th-3rd centuries BCE, only seven powerful states remained.

Chineseoldmaporsomething — China (today's Canton), Mangi (inland of Chanton), and Cataio (inland of China and Chekuan, and including the capital Cambalu, Xandu, and a marble bridge) are all shown as separate regions on this 1570 map by Abraham Ortelius.

Imperial China[]

In 221 BC, Ying Zheng led the state of Qin to unify the other six states, establishing the first unified state, Qin Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty collapsed in 206 BC due to a peasant uprising, and Liu Bang, a rebel leader, became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty after defeating his rival Xiang Yu.

ChinaPot — 10,000-year-old pottery, Xianren Cave culture (18000–7000 BCE)

In the late Han Dynasty, political corruption and social unrest led Wang Mang to establish a new dynasty. Later, the leader of the rebel army, Liu Xiu, re-established the Han Dynasty, known as the Eastern Han Dynasty. Later, the Eastern Han regime was destroyed by peasant uprisings and warlords. During the warlord wars of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Bei, Sun Quan and Cao PI established three separate regimes in China, which were eventually replaced by the unified Jin Dynasty.

Expansion Map China — Map showing the expansion of Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC

However, the unification of the Jin Dynasty lasted for a short time, and as the internal strife further depleted the Jin's power, it led to foreign invasions and forced the Jin Dynasty to move into southern China, resulting in the situation of antagonism between the northern and southern regimes in China. After the collapse of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, new regimes emerged in southern China, namely Song, Qi, Liang and Chen. In northern China, the regime is constantly changing.

After this, the Sui Dynasty reunified China, and China once again moved from division to unity. With the killing of the second Sui emperor, Yang Guang, the Sui Dynasty collapsed and was replaced by the Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, China was a prosperous and open country with friendly relations with Japan, Korea and other countries. After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, China entered the Five Dynasties and Ten kingdoms period of political opposition. Later, the Song Dynasty reunified China and began a series of disputes with the rising national powers of Liao, Jin and Western Xia. During the Song Dynasty, China's economy was very developed, during which China's economic center of gravity shifted from the north to the south.

ChinaExpansionMapSoN — The Qing conquest of the Ming, expansion of the empire, and the Taiping Rebellion

Later, the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty to reunify China, and China became a unified country again. But the Yuan, a foreign ethnic group, was eventually overthrown by Zhu Yuanzhang's Ming Dynasty.

During the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He's voyages became a famous feat in world history and promoted the friendly exchanges between countries and China. However, with the social unrest in the late Ming Dynasty, peasant uprisings began to rise. In 1644, the rebels invaded Beijing and the Ming Dynasty collapsed. Then the Qing Dynasty entered China and became the new master of China.

Fall of the Qing dynasty, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom[]

After the First Opium War of 1840, China under the Qing Dynasty was very dark and the people were very poor. After Hong Xiuquan launched the Taiping Rebellion in 1851, the first revolution in China officially began. As Hong Xiuquan prevented the unrest within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in time, he launched a series of small-scale attacks against the Qing army. This led to the further expansion of the Taiping Rebellion.

HongXiuquanDrawing — Drawing of Hong Xiuquan, the King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom gradually moved north in the late 1850s and entered Beijing in 1860, announcing the end of the Qing Dynasty, and Hong Xiuquan proclaimed himself emperor in Beijing and established the rule of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over all of China. The Taiping then launched a northern expedition against the remnants of Qing power in Mongolia and the three northeastern provinces, and occupied Tibet and Xinjiang in the mid-1860s. The remnants of the Qing Dynasty retreated to Taiwan.

During this period, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom actively studied the advanced technologies, ideas and systems of the West. It took control of Korea in the mid-to-late 1860s, helped the Japanese shogunate to defeat Emperor Meiji, and defeated France and Taiwan in 1884.

Because the western progressive thought entered the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Kingdom itself retained many feudal remnants. Popular demand for a constitution growed. This led to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's preparatory constitution in 1894, but it failed in less than 100 days.

ChinaMap1900SoN — Map of China 1901, showing influence zones

In 1895, a series of uprisings broke out in the south of China, which led to the overthrow of the Kingdom, and Mongolia and the three northeastern provinces successively broke away from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. This led to the establishment of Liang Qichao's Republic of China in Nanking in 1896, and the issuance of the emperor's abdication edict by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which declared the end of the last dynasty in Chinese history. After the abdication of the Taiping emperor, he was forced to move to Taiwan, where he established a small court until it was annexed by Japan in 1899. However, the Beiyang warlords led by Yuan Shikai usurped the throne and established the so-called "Chinese Empire".

Establishment of the Republic and World War II[]

ChineDivisionsSoN — Map of China in 1920, depicting the different influence zones, and nations

Sun Yat-sen, and his followers would establish a provisional government on March 1, 1901, later establishing the Second Republic of China was established on April 23, 1902, with Sun Yat-sen as the president. Yuan Shikai, The last emperor of China, was forced to abdicate in 1901, ending 5,000 years of monarchy in China. This would lead to China being divided following the First World War. The Kuomintang, led by Chiang Kai-shek would begin revolts and rebellions across the country, since it had been divided, by Germany in the south, Russia in the far-north, and Japan in the North-east. However, political divisions made it difficult for Chiang to battle the communist-led People's Liberation Army (PLA), which had been fighting since 1917 in the First Chinese Civil War.During the first Civil War, which lasted 20 years, the CPC split into the Mao faction and the Chang Kuo-tao faction, with Wang Ming leading the Feng faction active in the northeast.

The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1946) forced an uneasy alliance between the Kuomintang and the Communists. Japanese forces committed numerous war atrocities against the civilian population, resulting in as many as 20 million Chinese civilians dying. China, along with the UK, the United States, and the Germany, were recognized as the Allied "Big Four".

After Japan's surrender in 1946, China emerged victorious but war-ravaged and financially drained. The continued distrust between the Kuomintang and the Communists led to the resumption of civil war.

Civil War and the Republic[]

In 1944, after the Chungking Negotiations with the Communist Party, Chiang Kai-shek and his son, after signing an agreement with the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Socialist Party, died in a plane crash while preparing to visit the United States.

After this, Li Tsung-jen officially took over as the new leader of the National government. However, due to the death of Dai Li in a plane crash, coupled with the forced attack of Jiang Weiguo and Chang Kuo-tao, Wang Ming and others who had already defected to the enemy, the Kuomintang right wing, went to war on June 5 of that year against the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Socialist Party, as well as the United Front organized by the Kuomintang leftists headed by Soong Ching Ling and Li Jishen.

NewChinaBorderSoN1951 — China in 1951, the new border highlighted in red

The civil war lasted a full three years and ended in the victory of the leftist United front, and the remnants of the KMT led by Sun Fo and former CPC renegades Chang Kuo-tao, Wang Ming and others were forced to flee to the northeast and establish the so-called "New Manchuria" in the southern part of the three Northeast provinces. Chang Kuo-tao and Wang Ming founded the pro-Soviet Chinese Communist Party (Feng faction) in Northeast China, in 1950.

By 1951, Kuomintang leftists had won the vote in most parts of China, but a majority of Manchuria, would establish their own state, under the CPC (Sovietism), and Chinese Socialist Party (Sovietism).

Reforms and contemporary history[]

With the Communists (Sovietism) now forced into Manchuria, the KMT began to exert its control over the rest of China, After that, China entered a new period of development as President Li Tsung-jen withdrew from political affairs and handed over his power to the leftist Kuomintang led by Soong Ching Ling. In 1950s - 1960s, The Leftist KMT's priority was now to eliminate any potential threats to its rule. Sovietism Communist sympathizers were suppressed, killed or forced to exile, Sovietism communist organizations were suppressed or disbanded. During the conflict between China and the Soviet Union, the KMT left formed a united front with some socialists, but they opposed pro-Soviet rhetoric and parties that supported the Soviet authorities.

LiZongrenofficialportreit — President of China from 1946-1949, He was the first leader of China.

In 1950, The Kuomintang, known for its pro-business stance, began to implement policies favoring the development of a capitalist economy. Foreign investment, particularly from the United States, began to be encouraged to stimulate economic growth. The KMT started to pursue a state-led industrialization strategy, focusing on key sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure development, and modernization of agriculture. In the 1960s, the Kuomintang's leadership recognized the need for political and economic reforms to modernize China. A period of gradual transitioning from an authoritarian regime to a more open and market-oriented system began, with the first presidential elections being held in 1975, as the Kuomintang implemented policies aimed at liberalizing the economy and fostering entrepreneurship.

Starting in 1981, Deng Xiaoping launched comprehensive economic reforms, similar to the actual reforms initiated by Zhao Ziyang, in Manchuria. These reforms included the opening up of China to foreign investment, the establishment of special economic zones, and the liberalization of trade and investment policies. These measures created a favorable business environment and attracted foreign capital. With the economic reforms in place, China witnessed a surge in industrialization in the 1980s. The KMT government began to prioritize sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure development, and technology. Special economic zones played a crucial role in attracting foreign companies and promoting export-oriented industries.

The rapid industrialization in the 1980s would have led to significant urbanization, as people migrated from rural areas to cities in search of employment opportunities. Urban centers experienced exponential growth, with improved infrastructure, higher living standards, and increased access to education and healthcare. Industrialization drove significant technological advancements, leading to increased productivity and innovation. China's industries became more competitive on the global stage, attracting foreign investment and fostering technological exchange. However, while industrialization would have brought economic growth, income disparities widened. The benefits of industrialization were primarily accrued to urban areas, leaving rural regions and marginalized communities at a disadvantage. The Kuomintang has yet faced the challenge of addressing these disparities and ensuring equitable development.

Politics[]

Government[]

Administrative divisions[]

The Republic of China is constitutionally a unitary state officially divided into 20 provinces, four autonomous regions, and four directly-administered municipalities—collectively referred to as "mainland China". Geographically, all 28 provincial divisions of mainland China can be grouped into six regions: North China, East China, South Central China, Southwest China, and Northwest China.

Provinces (省)

Altishahr (阿尔蒂沙尔)
Anhui (安徽省)
Canton (廣州)
Foochow (福州)
Guiyang (貴陽)
Hainan (海南省)
Hubei (湖北省)
Hunan (湖南省)
Jiangsu (江苏省)
Jiangxi (江西省)
Kokonor (青海省)
Longyou (長久以來)
Qiantang (伊恩教堂)
Shaanxi (陕西省)
Shanxi (山西省)
Sichuan (四川省)
Tsinan (济南)
Yunnan (云南省)
Zhejiang (浙江省)
Zhongzhou (Z红轴)

Autonomous regions (自治区)

Guangxi (广西壮族自治区)
Mongolia (蒙古)
Ningxia (宁夏回族自治区)
Tibet (西藏)

Municipalities (直辖市)

Nanking (南京)
Shanghai (上海市)
Tsingtao (青島啤酒)
Tientsin (天津)