Self-Reliance Economic Reform

## Overview

The Self-Reliance Economic Reform was a bill drafted by lawmaker Pu Yuehpi and introduced and backed by current acting President of Ch'ingshan, Chu Yangtsao. The bill promised to make Ch'ingshan's economy self reliant, and in this succeeded, but it also had the intended, yet not mentioned effect of creating monopolies in Ch'ingshan by stripping international corporations of all their holdings, businesses, and properties in Ch'ingshan and redistributing them to homegrown corporations, which had an profound affect on the global economy.

## Before the Reform

Shortly before the reform, the global economy had only just started recovering from the catastrophe of the Great War. The nations of the world had only just began rebuilding their infrastructure, and reindustrialization was still far off for a majority of the world's independent countries. Ch'ingshan was different, as they quickly recovered their population, and thus, workforce, allowing them rebuild infrastructure and reindustrialize in a short ammount of time. Many of the international industrial companies that had dominated the world pre-war were now unable to produce, and thus, jumped on the opportunity Ch'ingshan provided. Pooling their money, they bought up Ch'ingshan's factories, heavily invested, and established business holdings in Ch'ingshan. Ch'ingshan's lawmakers, and President Chu Yangtsao was acutely aware of the worldwide situation, and the local situation, and predicted that Ch'ingshan was poised to rule the global economy, since no other nation could produce goods at the same rate as, or in simpler terms, compete with Ch'ingshan. The only thing holding back Ch'ingshan from this supposed destiny was interference by these international companies, and so, the Self-Reliance Economic Reform was drafted, introduced, supported, and passed.

## Effects on the Global Economy

The Self-Reliance Economic Reform not only propped up homegrown corporations like Chang Manufacturing and Laochen Construction Company, but completely bankrupted international corporations everywhere, and had the profound affect of hindering efforts to rebuild infrastructure and reindustrialize everywhere. Elrik was the only nation not effected by the Self-Reliance Economic Reform, as they had benefitted greatly from the Great War, and maintained industry and infrastructure. Shortly after the Self-Reliance Economic Reform, the international companies either went defunct or were bought out and absorbed by Ch'ingshan corporations like Treasure Junk Shipping. Apart from Elrik, Ch'ingshan is now the main producer of the world, producing everything and anything under the sun. Manufacturing, ship-building, shipping, and construction are industries seeing the most growth in Ch'ingshan. One of the biggest results of the reform is that Ch'ingshan businesses, companies, and corporations now dominate the global economy, their only competition being from Elrik.

## Local Effects

Due to the reform, Ch'ingshan's local economy is ruled by monopolies, and these corporations now have great influence over and play an important role in government, an unintended effect of the reform. Union-busting has increased, and workers rights are increasingly being repealed and stifled upon in Ch'ingshan. The wealth gap between the poor and middle class, and rich class has become an increasingly contentious issue in Ch'ingshan, as workers are paid increasingly little, especially factory workers. The Self-Reliance Economic Reform is heavily criticized in Ch'ingshan for these effects, though a majority of lawmakers show no interest in reforming or repealling the bill.