Republic of Heiwan

黑湾共和国

Hēiwān Gònghéguó

Glory to Heiwan (English)

("Raise Heiwan's Rouge Flag")

19% Cantonese

12% Hakka

7% Hui

and others

20% Christianity

16% Taoism

9% Islam

1% Others

### Government

Unitary dominant-party parliamentary constitutional republic- President: Lam Tin Yin

- Prime Minister: Ng An Seng

### Establishment

First Heiwan Settlement - 30 August 1796

Heiwan Settlements Association

- 2 February 1854

Proclamation of the Republic

- 9 June 1881

### GDP (PPP)

- Total: $937.07 billion- Per capita: $107,721

### GDP (nominal)

- Total: $619.21 billion- Per capita: $71,181

### Internet TLD

.hw

**Heiwan** (Chinese: 黑湾; pinyin: Hēiwān; lit. 'Black Bay'), officially the **Republic of Heiwan** (Chinese: 黑湾共和国; pinyin: Hēiwān Gònghéguó; **ROH**), is a sovereign island city-state located in Southeast Tivia, bordering the Heiwanese Straits to the northeast, the Heihai Sea the west, mainland Tivia to the north, and Nangia to the southeast. With a multiethnic population and recognizing the need to respect cultural identities, Heiwan has five official languages: Mandarin Chinese, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka Chinese, and Holzish. Mandarin Chinese and Holzish are the lingua franca. Multiracialism is enshrined in the constitution, and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.

Heiwan is considered to have started with the founding of the First Heiwan Settlement in 1786 as a trading post by Zhonghua merchants. This settlement gradually grew in size, while at the same time multiple other settlements were established by maritime Chinese nations on the island. These settlements merged into the Heiwan Settlements Association - a semi-independent confederation of existing settlements governed by a rudimentary democracy of merchant clans and families on the island - in 1854 out of necessity, due to the rise of the Heavenly Kingdom of Huaiyuan back in the Chinese heartland. Upon the collapse of the Heavenly Kingdom in 1867, the Association continued to exist, all Chinese nations that had permanently settled the island signing of the Yulang Resolution of 1868 - ratifying a policy of non-aggression and non-intervention in regards to the island and the Association. In 1881, the Association was reorganized into the Republic of Heiwan with the Proclamation of the Republic of Heiwan, becoming a fully independent country.

Heiwan is a unitary parliamentary republic with a unicameral parliamentary government. While elections are considered generally free, the government exercises significant control over politics and society, and the Heiwan National Front party has ruled continuously since full independence.

## Etymology

The English name of "Heiwan" is an anglicization of the Mandarin Chinese name of Hēiwāndǎo (黑湾岛), meaning 'Black Bay Island' when translated literally. The first account of the 'Hēiwāndǎo' name comes during the establishment of the **Heiwan Settlement** by Han merchants, in which the settlers named the island they settled as 'Hēiwāndǎo', for the island's inclement rainy weather. The name Heiwandao (or Heiwan Island) remains in common use in both informal and formal capacities in reference to the main island on which the Republic of Heiwan is based on, the shortened form 'Heiwan' used ordinarily in reference to the country itself.

## History WIP

### Ancient Heiwan

The earliest recorded mention of Heiwan Island was in 1417, during which the Yuan Dynasty sent a mission to obtain tribute from *Hu Ya Men* (虎牙门, *Tiger's Teeth Gate*). The people of *Huyamen* then responded in 1320 with a tribute and trade mission to China. *Hu Ya Men* is believed to be in reference to the eastern entrance of the Upper Heiwanese Strait, where "two jutting rocks that looked like "tiger's teeth" flank a strait," as recorded by a Yuan Dynasty merchant in 1328. It is further recorded that the people of *Huyamen* were "southern barbarians of tan skin", presumably in reference to Malay natives that had made Heiwan Island their home.

Historical records indicate that a trading port by the name of Nagakuta in the mid 14th century, by settlers from the (Majapahit Empire). Historical records also indicate that a protracted conflict had occurred between the Majapahit settlers, Malay natives, and (Siamese) invaders some time around the end of the 14th century - resulting in the razing of the trading port and exodus of a majority of the local population, northwards to the Malay Peninsula and southwards to northern Nangia. The island sank into obscurity for three hundred years, until the arrival of Chinese settlers in the late 18th century.

### Heiwan Settlements

#### **1796: First Heiwan Settlement**

In the late 19th century, the Flood Century was in full swing, during which maritime Chinese states fought against one another for supremacy over East Tivia and surrounding regions. Chen Huangpi - a descendant from an influential Zhonghua merchant family - would convince the then Zhonghua Emperor to fund an expedition to Southeast Tivia, to seek a new base of operations in the region for the Zhonghua.

A statue of Chen Huangpi now stands in Heiwan, near Chen's landing site in 1798.

Chen arrived in Heiwan Island on 26 December 1798 and soon recognized the island as a natural choice for the new port. It lay between the Heiwanese Straits and possessed a natural deep harbor, freshwater supplies, and timber for repairing ships. It was also located in a chokepoint of the main trade route between China and the West. Chen found a small Malay settlement near the northwestern coast of the island, with an estimated population of about 120. Further inquiries confirmed that the island was unclaimed, the last major civilization having abandoned it centuries prior. He would return to the Zhonghua with this information, and in 30 August 1796 would return with the necessary manpower and supplies to settle the island, thus forming the First Heiwan Settlement.

The entire island may have at most been home to around 3,000, including local and seafaring tribes. This number swelled to around 8,000 in the months after the establishment of the First Settlement. Large number of Chinese migrants started to enter Heiwan Island just months after it was settled, by a census in 1803, there were already more Chinese than Malays and the native population. Many early Chinese immigrants came to Heiwan to work in various plantations and tin mines, and large number of them would return to their home countries after they had earned enough money. However, an increasingly significant number chose to stay permanently, and their descendants would form the bulk of Heiwan's future population.

#### **1796-1803: Early growth of Heiwan Island**

Chen soon returned to Zhonghua to confirm his ownership of the First Settlement through a government charter, then returning months later with a small contingent of Zhonghua soldiers and a few pieces of artillery, making use of these military equipment to defend his settlement and expand into native territory. Native populations often entered conflicts with the Chinese settlers, but outnumbered and outgunned, most that survived the engagements either fled further inland or out of the island itself, a small minority opting to join the settlements as paid laborers.

Establishing a port from the small settlement was a daunting endeavor. However, Chen's administration was fairly well-funded for its size, the Zhonghua seeing the potential in the venture. Chen prohibited the settlement from collecting port duties for raising revenue, as he sought to make the First Settlement a free port. The stated motive was to increase his nascent port's competitiveness, as pre-existing Malay entrepots in the region - particularly in the peninsulas that flank the Heiwanese Straits - competed against him in providing port services to shipping.

#### **1803-1853: Arrival of rival Chinese settlers**

As Chen's settlement grew in size, Chinese states rival to the Zhonghua in the Flood Century took notice of Heiwan Island, with settlers unaffiliated with the Zhonghua landing in other regions of the island to establish their own settlements for their respective Chinese overlords. The backing of entire nations made it difficult for Chen to root out such settlements, but inland skirmishing became a regular occurrence, with armed settlers of different affiliations skirmishing against one another typically during expeditions into the island's interior, the dense forests of the interior providing both cover and plausible deniability for the offending side.

However, it became clear that constant skirmishing were putting a drain on the resources of local Chinese settlements, and that the settlers were less defending their lands and more gunning at random civilians for no real reasons except to inconvenience others. Combatting the spread of tropical diseases and attacks by dangerous wildlife also grew in priority, and seeing skirmishing as an unnecessary waste of resources that could be better put to use on other fronts, Chinese settlements on Heiwan Island came to a mutual understanding - that conflict was unhelpful for both sides involved. It was seen that infighting only served to lower Chinese competitiveness against non-Chinese trade ports in the region in the larger picture. This aversion towards conflict gradually transitioned into cooperation and trade, albeit unofficial due to the ongoing Flood Century.

## Government and Politics

Heiwan is a unicameral parliamentary republic. The Constitution of Heiwan is the supreme law of the country, establishing the structure and responsibility of government. The president is head of state and exercises executive power on the advice of his ministers. The prime minister is head of government and is appointed by the president as the person most likely to command the confidence of a majority of the National Assembly. The Cabinet is chosen by the prime minister and formally appointed by the president.

The government is separated into three branches:

* **Executive**: The president is commander-in-chief of the military, can veto laws before they become effective (subject to parliamentary override), and holds limited discretionary powers of oversight over the government. The prime minister and Cabinet are responsible for administering and enforcing laws and policies.
* **Legislative**: The unicameral National Assembly enacts national law, approves budgets, and provides a check on government policy.
* **Judiciary**: The Supreme Judiciary, whose judges are appointed by the president, is the head of the judicial branch and the final court of appeal for all Heiwanese law. The Constitutional Judiciary is a separate body, charged with constitutional review and handling cases of impeachment.

The **President** is directly elected by popular vote for a renewable six-year term. Requirements for this position are extremely stringent, such that no more than several thousand people qualify for candidacy. To be qualified, a candidate needs to be a person at least 35 years of age who is no longer a member of a political party, to have held office for at least 3 years in a number of specific public service roles, to also have 3 years experience as chief executive of a private sector company with rules limiting which roles and companies qualify, and more. The Constitution requires that presidential elections be "reserved" for a racial community if no one from that ethnic group has been elected to the presidency in the five most recent terms. Only members of that community may qualify as candidates in a reserved presidential election. This combination of stringent requirements and a reserved election that required the candidate to be of the 19% Cantonese ethnic group led to a single person being qualified for the office; Lam Tin Yin won in an uncontested election.

**Members of the Assembly** or **Assembly Members** (AM) are chosen to serve for a term lasting up to five years. The current Assembly has 100 members; 88 were directly elected from the 29 constituencies, nine are nonpartisan nominated members appointed by the president, and three are non-constituency members from opposition parties who were not elected in the last general election but appointed to the legislature to increase opposition party representation. In group representation constituencies (GRCs), political parties assemble teams of candidates (rather than nominate individuals) to contest elections. At least one assemblyman in a GRC must be of an ethnic minority background. All elections are held using first-past-the-post voting.

The **Heiwanese National Front** (HNF) - headed by members of the Ng Family, with a lineage traced back to Zhonghua merchants in the First Heiwan Settlement - occupies a dominant position in Heiwanese politics, having won large majorities in the Assembly in every election since full independence was gained in 1881. Even its candidates who lose elections are often turned to by constituency residents for assistance. The most effective opposition party is the People's Solidarity Party.

The judicial system is based on a framework of Chinese national, colonial, and trade law - primarily sourced from Han, Hokkien, and Cantonese sources: continuing the legal tradition established before independence. Criminal law is based on the aforementioned framework as well, and remains the basis of the criminal code in the country with a few exceptions, amendments, and repeals since it came into force. Both corporal and capital punishment continue to be administered as penalties for severe offences.

### Foreign Relations

Heiwan's stated foreign policy priority is maintaining security in Southeast & East Tivia, North Nangia, as well as surrounding territories. An underlying principle is the upholding of political and economic stability in its surrounding region. Heiwan maintains diplomatic relations with most countries, relations with countries in close distance considered the most important.

Heiwan's leaders are realists - perceiving a Hobbesian world where might makes right. The resultant siege mentality is due to Heiwan's geographical weaknesses, ethnic discord within and without its borders, and the disharmonious nature of Chinese history past the Yuan Dynasty's collapse. The conventional understanding of Heiwan's foreign policy can be summarized in three main propositions: first, it is dictated by the imperatives of being a small state; second, its primary purpose is to ensure Heiwan's survival, given its small size; and third, this logic of survival dictates a realpolitik approach to foreign policy.

Heiwan's first foreign minister was Fung Siau Kang, and the country's foreign policy is still centered around his then-policies. Fung framed Heiwan's foreign policy, taking into account events of conflict in the late 19th century and 20th century during his office. Fung saw Heiwan's challenge post-independence as ensuring its sustained survival, peace, and prosperity in a region suffering from mutual jealousies, internal violence, economic disintegration and great power conflicts. Fung believed that the maintenance of a balance of power was essential to the continued survival, peace, and prosperity of Heiwan. Rather than becoming the de-facto vassal of a great power, Heiwan's foreign policy under Fung sought to balance the interests of great powers - with the additional benefit of deterring interference by regional powers in Heiwan. It was envisioned that such measures would provide Heiwan the freedom to pursue an independent foreign policy without interference by foreign powers.

To this end, Heiwan's foreign policy is aimed at fostering friendly relations with all countries, ensuring that its actions do not exacerbate its neighbors' insecurities - in a sense maintaining neutrality in regards to international rivalries, taking into account Heiwan's objectives of balancing the interests of great powers that are oftentimes the subjects of such rivalries. Due to this long-standing neutrality, Heiwan has served as the mediator of international conflicts in the Tivian-Pacific region and even beyond - a unique position only possible for few countries with influence on the global stage.

Integration into the world economy is viewed as vital due to the overall lack of natural resources in the country, and the country's foreign policy reflects this view well.

### Military

The Heiwanese military - the Heiwanese Defense Forces (HDF) - consists of the army, navy, and the air force. It is seen as the guarantor of Heiwanese independence, such a measure necessary due to the geographic restrictions of the country. The military is entwined into Heiwanese culture, and the country can be said to have a strong military tradition, as "every citizen is involved in the country's defense". The HDF reserves the right to enlist any citizen, and conscription exists for all able-bodied Heiwanese citizens over the age of 18 that are Chinese, regardless of gender. During peacetime conscription, exceptions are made for those with a criminal record. The period of military service is 24 months.

After Heiwan's independence in 1881, the military was primarily composed of mercenaries and untrained militias. Considered too weak for their expected purpose and too risky for their flimsy allegiances, the development of a proper military force became a priority. As a result of geographic and demographic limitations, special attention was and is still paid to the development of military technology - viewed as "force multipliers" crucial in overcoming the aforementioned limitations.

Deterrence and diplomacy has always been the fundamental tenets of Heiwanese defense policy. Heiwan's geographic limitations mean that the HDF must plan to fully repulse an attack, as they cannot fall back and re-group elsewhere - lacking hinterlands for a "defense in depth" strategy. The small size of the population has also affected the way the HDF has been designed, with a small active force but a large number of reserves. Heiwan's founders have used analogies that the HDF must serve to defend Heiwan like the poison of a pufferfish and later, the spines on a porcupine - in that the HDF must serve as an effective deterrent against conflict or be capable of securing a swift and decisive victory over belligerents, if all other measures for peace fail.

The main principles for the Heiwanese defense policy are as follows:

* Heiwan cannot afford to lose a single war
* Defensive on the strategic level without territorial ambitions
* Desire to avoid war by political means and a credible deterrent posture
* Preventing escalation
* Determine the outcome of war quickly and decisively
* Combating terrorism and piracy
* Very low casualty ratio

Through the years, the HDF has developed close ties with foreign armed forces, in-line with the Heiwanese foreign policy of neutrality. Because of the scarcity of open land on the main island, military training involving live fire and amphibious operations are often carried out on smaller islands, barred from civilian access. Large-scale operations are viewed as too dangerous or impractical to be performed in the country, and thus are traditionally held on foreign soil in cooperation with foreign militaries.

### Human Rights

Historically, the Heiwanese government has restricted freedom of speech and freedom of the press, too placing limits on some civil and political rights. While sections of the Constitution nominally guarantees the freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly without arms, and association - other sections of the Constitution and actual implementation of the law limits the enjoyment of such rights. Heiwan is generally categorized as a "flawed democracy", the dominance of a singular party - the Heiwanese National Front (HNF) - typically used as evidence of dynastic politics. Officially, the Heiwanese government disputes such claims, emphasizing the transparency and fair nature of its democratic process. The HNF itself cites its role in the upholding of social order and prosperity in the country as reasons for its continued popularity throughout Heiwanese history.

Heiwan's judicial system is considered one of the most reliable in Tivia, though is considered strict and even draconian by international standards. International observers commonly point out Heiwan's continued administering of corporal and capital punishment as flaws in the system. However, the Heiwanese government and common public opinion insist that such measures are necessary in enforcing social order, citing them as reasons for the continued peace and prosperity of Heiwan.

The Heiwanese Constitution does not include a right to privacy, while policies of data protection passed by the government does not protect citizens from government-sanctioned surveillance. The government does not require prior judicial authorization to conduct surveillance, and documents that restrict what an official can do with personal data are classified. Law enforcement and government agencies - primarily the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Ministry of State Security (MSS), Heiwan's internal and external intelligence agency respectively - have extensive networks for gathering information and conducting surveillance, leading to the common perception that "all corners of Heiwan are monitored". Telephone conversations and internet activity is monitored heavily by the authorities, prosecution of individuals based on evidence gathered through such surveillance commonplace. The majority of citizens have accepted the "surveillance situation" as necessary for deterring crime, terrorism, and radicalization - this idea propagated by state media. The concept of a "social contract" between citizens and their government is commonplace, and citizens are expected to "surrender certain civil liberties and individual freedoms in exchange for fundamental guarantees: security, education, affordable housing, health care." It can be said that Heiwan is a "utopia upheld by authoritarianism".

The Heiwanese government and public promotes the prosecution of actions considered to be "outrages on decency" or "degenerate", based on the traditional Chinese view that social order and harmony can only be maintained through harsh punishments for actions detrimental to the maintenance of such order - the action in this case being "outrages on decency". This view is most apparent in the country's prosecution of drug and sex-related offences, the issuing of corporal punishment commonplace and capital punishment issued on rare occasions.

Heiwan's unique combination of a strong near-authoritarian government with an emphasis on meritocracy and good governance is regarded as a key factor behind Heiwan's political stability, economic growth, and harmonious social order. The country commonly ranks high in factors of adherence to the rule of law, order and security, absence of corruption, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice, but ranks significantly lower on factors of open government, constraints on government powers, and fundamental rights. Formal public gatherings of substantial size require police permits, and protests can only be legally held with permits in specific locations and under strict supervision: protests near government facilities are illegal.

## Geography

Heiwan is a small, heavily urbanized city-state, located between the Malay Peninsula and the (south peninsula). The Republic of Heiwan consists of 47 islands, including the main island - Heiwan Island. There are man-made connections linking Heiwan to mainland Tivia and Nangia, though all constructed connections are undersea tunnels, as the construction of bridges over the Heiwanese Straits may obstruct shipping traffic. The highest natural point in Heiwan is 231 meters (758 ft.) at Tianwang Hill, the island lacking any mountains to speak of.

Due to its limited size, Heiwan partakes in extensive land reclamation using earth excavated from its hills, the seabed, and neighboring countries. The practice of importing foreign river sand for use in land reclamation is commonplace. Some land reclamation projects involve merging smaller islands to form larger, more functional and sturdy islands. Polders may also be used during land reclamation - in which a section of the sea is closed off and pumped dry.

### Nature

Heiwan's extensive urbanization means that it has lost approximately 80% of its natural forests, which were historically tropical rainforests common in the region. Nowadays, a majority of naturally-occurring flora and fauna not considered to be urban wildlife is present in Heiwan's natural reserves. The Heiwanese government aims to conserve what is left of its natural resources, a harmonious balance between urban and natural landscapes a top priority in recent times. Vertical gardens is integrated into Heiwanese architecture to provide natural space with the least amount of land use.

Heiwan has no natural lakes, but reservoirs and water catchment areas have been constructed to collect and store fresh water for Heiwan's water supply.

### Climate

Heiwan has an equatorial climate, lacking distinctive seasons common in polar extremes. Due to this, Heiwan has uniform temperatures and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall all year round. Humidity and rainfall sees a sharp increase during local monsoon seasons, posing flood risks in affected areas.

## Economy

Heiwan has a highly-developed free market economy, one that benefits greatly from the country's strategic location between the Heiwanese Straits and its mercantile history.

The Heiwanese economy is generally regarded to be free, innovative, and most importantly business-friendly. Heiwan attracts a large amount of foreign investment as a result of its location, skilled workforce, low tax rates, advanced infrastructure and zero-tolerance against corruption. Therefore, it is one of the world's most competitive economies. Despite market freedom, the Heiwanese government has a significant stake in the economy, most apparent in the state-owned enterprises that dominate industries and services viewed as essential for the continued smooth functioning of Heiwanese society - including the telecommunications, energy, and aerospace industries.

The currency of Heiwan is the Heiwanese Dollar (H$, HWD). The country manages its monetary policy by allowing the dollar's exchange rates to rise and fall according to market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies, the rate of which the dollar is allowed to flow set within a narrow band, the exact number and its fluctuation undisclosed.

In recent years, the country has been identified as an increasingly popular tax haven for the wealthy due to the low tax rate on personal income and tax exemptions on foreign-based income and capital gains - the country's regulation and policies shaped to specifically do so. Heiwan is a major offshore financial service provider.

The government provides numerous assistance programs to the homeless and needy through the Ministry of Societal Development, so acute poverty is rare. Some of the programs include providing monthly stipends to needy households and providing free medical care at government hospitals. Other benefits include heavily subsidized healthcare, financial aid for the disabled, rebates for costs such as public transport and utility bills, and more. However, due to the meritocratic nature of Heiwanese society, abuse of welfare services is frowned upon and can result in a blacklist from all such services or even judicial punishments. As of 2021, Heiwan's ranking in the Human Development Index is one of the highest with an HDI value of 0.949.

### Employment

Heiwan has a comparatively low unemployment rate for a developed economy. The Ministry of Manpower manages the development and planning of Heiwan's workforce, with the stated objectives of "creating a globally competitive workforce in a sustainable manner". There is no minimum wage in Heiwan, though as a result of rising wages globally, the government has moved to promoting higher value-added activities in the manufacturing and services sectors. While foreign workers are considered crucial to the country's workforce, strict regulation is in place to limit the inflow of these workers.

### Industrial sectors

Heiwan is a major hub for international finance, logistics, ship repairs, and downstream oil & gas. Its primary industries include chemicals, electronics, and biomedical sciences. It can be said that the Heiwanese economy relies upon intermediary and entrepot trade, in that it imports raw goods to be refined for re-export, most apparent in the nation’s petroleum refining industry. Its strategic location and developed port services compounds its competitiveness in carrying out these commercial activities, further reinforcing its status as a major commercial hub on the Tivian continent, if not worldwide.

Light industry tends to be distributed around the island as industrial estates and located in flats, which only allow tenants which produce close to zero pollution, whereas heavy industry tends to be located around Tim On Kang and adjoined islands. Tim On Kang can be considered the petrochemical hub of Heiwan, its industrial output being refined petroleum, petrochemicals, and speciality chemicals.