Fujian (Fuchien) Republic

Fujian was mostly spared from the Japanese onslaught during the second world, and in comparison to central China, mostly spared from the great flood. The government was a near continuation of the pre-war since it never left. For a long while, things seemed destined to continue as pre-flood in Fujian, minus much of the population because of the floods. The prewar governor moved to Longyan and Nationalist rule carried onward. But as the rest of China broke down, something began to change. People, including those at the top, stopped seeing themselves as Chinese and rather as of the Fujian province. Then, as Beijing sank and the central government seemed so far away, those people saw themselves as being solely of the Fujian province. And eventually, sentiment became action. And eventually, the provincial government, autocratic and warlord-esque, democratized. And then there was the Fujian Republic. Proud, independent, and committed to its ideals and prosperity, it is determined to remain and engage in peace with its neighbors if possible, and defend itself with force if needed.

The Republic is a multicultural representative democracy. Although multiparty, the Fujian People's Party has been dominant since formal independence in 1965, leading to the mostly consistent policy of external realpolitik. This means working with and against neighbors to protect Fujian. Democracy is nice abroad, but it's ultimately optional on the practical side of things. How this path will change, if it all, remains to be seen in the turbulent year of 1995.

## History

1945: Liu Jianxu restores KMT control over the Fujian region. He, the de jure governor of the province, resumes de facto leadership.

1946: As flooding begins to be an issue, Liu cements his control over the province and begins the process of creating an informal Fujian clique, centered around him and with other officers from the province.

1948: As neighboring provinces begin to collapse due to flooding, Liu Jianxu garners influence and his, more stable, clique, creates reliant provinces in neighboring Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

1955: Neighboring provinces formally assumed into the administration of Fujian due to emergency circumstances. Clique becomes an informal regional power.

1957: Refugees from the south and other coastal areas continue to flow into the more stable clique. Fujian identity has become more pronounced than Chinese as Beijing is gone.

1959: Liu begins purging officials loyal to the main seat of KMT power, favoring more local and autonomous-minded officials.

1963: Liu calls for greater autonomy and power for the Fujian government.

1964: The Republic of Fujian is declared to be created and fully independent of China, incorporating the provinces it had assumed into it, creating current borders. The capital is Longyan.

1965: Fujian and Yunaan, two recently independent states, have announced that they are entering a defensive alliance to ward off foreign aggression.

1966: Popular calls for reform and more democratic openness manifest in reforms and petitions. Corporations, in the meantime, continue to exert their influence over the nation’s economy and some of its politics.

1970: Limited democracy reforms undertaken as corporate interests grow.

1972: Liu guides the creation of a new constitution, establishing a legislative branch with a PM, an executive with a president elected by the people, and a judiciary, along with an examination branch. (I’ll detail it more later)

1974: Liu steps down as elections are held.

1990: Hu Jintao elected as PM, representing Longyan. He has led the country to continue industrialization, secure its borders, and maintain its independence. Yuan Zhou is elected as President. Hailing from Sanming, they have talked of colonizing Taiwan to spread democracy, secure the straits, and help the country industrialize. With Jintao announcing his retirement in 1998, many predict that Yuan may try to take the position.