ADVENT: History
The China Accords
"The last barrier has collapsed. The final remnants of Human resistance to unification have fallen. It will not be long until the world is under ADVENT."
- Elizabeth Falka
Press conference transcript preceding the official signing of the China Accords
[Chancellor Saudia Vyandar]: "Today marks a historic day not simply in the history of ADVENT, but the world itself. The nation of China has been home to unspeakable horrors these past months and endured much at the hands of the Ethereal Collective. But they did not waver, even when their heart was struck. Now that the Collective has been pushed out, and the Ethereal responsible is dead, they are owed our efforts to ensure they not only survive, but thrive in what the world has become."
"Much of the previous administration of China was unable to be saved or recovered, and while we could provide some resemblance of the leadership of the Communist Party to lead the country in the interim, this was rejected for several reasons, largely pertaining to the lack of qualified survivors of the Communist Party and to make sufficient changes to the borders of the country and right past wrongs which were unfortunately perpetuated by the nation of China."
"It is time for the Chinese region to enter a new era of peace, stability, and respect for those who live within and around the nation itself. I am pleased to announce the reunification of the former state of Taiwan with mainland China. The Taiwanese government will be assuming majority control over administrative functions of the nation of China until elections are held. Acting President Yao?"
[Acting President Hanying Yao]: "Thank you, Chancellor. This is indeed a momentous day when two nations are reunited into one. While the circumstances of the reunification were not ideal, this is an important step to providing stability, hope, and freedom to the region. I would like to assure the citizens of China that we do not intend to stay in control longer than necessary. This has and always will be China, and we do not seek to supplement your nation and culture with that of Taiwan. Rather, we instead hope that we will be able to share and learn from each other, on an individual level; not through the ways of propaganda which has existed between our two nations for so long. It is time we move past this divide."
"To this end we are working with members of the previous Communist Party, Chinese intelligence services, and military who are assisting us with rebuilding communication infrastructure, social services, and other things which Chinese citizens rely upon each day. Now that the alien threat has largely been contained, we are beginning to allow re-integrating of Chinese citizens to cleared areas of the nation. We will be sharing additional details with the media soon. Chancellor?"
[SV]: "Thank you, Acting President. In addition to the establishment of a new administration for the nation of China, there have been changes in regards what entails the region itself. An agreement has been reached between the nation of China, the former Chinese region of Tibet, and the former Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong."
"Upon the signing of this Accord, the region of Tibet will be fully ceded to the Central Tibetan Administration and returned to the people of Tibet, and the city of Hong Kong will be granted complete independence, in addition to the holding of multiple special elections in surrounding regions which will be established to determine if the regions will remain as part of the mainland or identify with the established nation of Hong Kong."
"This marks an end to unjust persecution and occupation of Tibetan land and people, as well as the suppression of their culture and religion. Tibetans who have been exiled, by force or willingly, will be welcome back in their home, together with the full rights of a member state of ADVENT, including a seat within the Congress of Nations. Speaker Tashi, if you would?"
[Speaker Rabten Tashi]: "Chancellor, on behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration, I thank you for what you have done for the people of Tibet, both those who reside inside the nation and have endured under unjust Chinese rule, and those who have lived in fear abroad not believing they would be able to return. It cannot be properly expressed what this means to us, so all that we can do to express our gratitude is promise our conditional support to ADVENT, and work together to a brighter future for all Humans on this Earth, not just Tibetans. I will now allow Chief Executive Tang to give some words of his own."
[Chief Executive Zexian Tang]: "Speaker, thank you. My thanks also extend to Chancellor Vyandar herself for providing our city a seat at the table where the direction of the country was to be decided. I suspect there will be those wondering why Hong Kong is entitled to the benefits given to a member state of ADVENT, but this is something that should be highlighted before all."
"For the first time in decades, we have been given the opportunity to, if not start over, reverse course on the wrongs perpetuated by the Communist Party of China. I welcome the efforts of Acting President Yao to change the image of the previous totalitarian nation, but the city of Hong Kong and her people are best on our own path."
"We, along with many other smaller cities and regions, have had to endure the firm hand of the Communist Party for a long time, and perhaps a fresh start free of it is what is best for all. Hong Kong will be proud to stand as a firm member nation of ADVENT, and we welcome those who have tied themselves to us in the past to join us moving forward. Chancellor?"
[SV]: "Thank you, Chief Tang. ADVENT will be assisting all member nations and establishing elections in the coming months to ensure a fresh elected wave of representatives who will work for the betterment of their citizens and Humanity at large. Due to the proximity of some nations and regions to potential Collective attack, we will continue maintaining an alert military presence in certain regions and deploying the Engineering Corps to cities which have suffered significant damage."
"This is an important step for the future of the region, and for ADVENT itself. There will be a short time for taking questions after the signing. Please refrain until that point."
Transcript ends
The subject of China's future has been one of heated and endless speculation ever since the Battle of Beijing and, prior to that, the collapse of the Communist Party during the capture of Beijing by Isomnum and his forces. That ADVENT has significant interest in the country and has since taken a very direct hand in the aftermath has only added to the speculation.
While ADVENT has not released hard numbers, it is known that at least eighty percent of the Communist Party is either compromised, missing, or dead, and the only remnants are lower level administrators. Additionally, while no percentages or numbers have been released by ADVENT, it is suspected that China has lost a majority of their military and intelligence leadership following the fall of Beijing.
Despite it only being days since the subsequent reclamation of the city, ADVENT convened a closed-doors session of what remains of Chinese leadership, the current Acting President of Taiwan Hanying Yao, the Speaker of the Central Tibetan Administration Rabten Tashi, and the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Zexian Tang.
That ADVENT has invited the Tibetan government-in-exile was already a strong indicator that land which historically belongs to the Tibetans would be returned to them, and this suspicion was ultimately correct as the China Accords confirm that the territory is to be ceded back to the Central Tibetan Administration. In accordance with their promise, the CTA has promised that when elections are held, they will step down, and out of respect for the democratic process, no current member of the CTA would run for office.
When asked the reasoning for this abstention, Speaker Tashi had this to say: "We have not been in Tibet in many years. We heard from people who lived there, but this is not something we have seen ourselves. It would be unfair of us, who have not resided in the region ourselves for so long, to take such an important role when there are those who are better aware of the needs of the people and know what steps to properly take. We are sufficient to serve as advisors, if the candidates so wish, but now we merely wish to return to our home."
ADVENT expects that elections will be able to be established no later than two months, although they are allowing four to allow candidates to establish themselves and transition the country to a modern state.
It was also anticipated that Taiwan would seek to fully reintegrate with China, and the Accords have solidified this, although it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the mainland Chinese as well as Taiwanese who now have the opportunity to integrate into China. Despite the optimism of Acting President Yao, there are concerns by historians that integration will not necessarily proceed smoothly due to the influence of Chinese propaganda regarding Taiwan.
Of additional concern is the possibility that when elections are held, those who run may seek to return to the familiar structure of the Communist Party, and Taiwan simply does not have a population large enough to make a difference. ADVENT is not concerned with this, as Chief Diplomat Hassan said the following:
"All candidates will need to be cleared by Election Oversight. Candidates who are unstable, unsuitable, or otherwise unqualified will not be permitted to run. Only those with a clear desire to serve the people of their nation – and Humanity as a whole – will be considered. There will be no return of the Communist Party or any similarly destabilizing platforms."
Hassan's comments sparked some limited discord, as the controversial Election Oversight was once more brought up by ADVENT critics as being unfairly biased towards ADVENT candidates and a screening system – criticisms which Hassan and Chancellor Vyandar have never once denied. Although controversy continues to be muted comparatively, this debate is likely to spark once more when elections begin and the candidates declare themselves.
The most surprising developments of the Accords came from Hong Kong, who had been announced to be participating in the discussions. There was speculation that Hong Kong was looking for a leadership role in China itself, or additional benefits from ADVENT to gain their support. As it turns out, Hong Kong wanted complete independence.
More than that, ADVENT has announced special elections for regions surrounding Hong Kong regarding their future. The regions will be given an option of remaining in China, or joining Hong Kong in establishing an independent state. At this point in time it is impossible to fully say what could develop, although Hong Kong has extremely strong economic ties to all of the regions, and it is not out of the question that the regions will see themselves as having more of a voice if they join Hong Kong instead of remaining in China.
Chief Executive Tang has stated that a complete governmental and representative structure will be unveiled in the coming weeks, and ADVENT has agreed to host several open forums and debates between representatives of Hong Kong and China for citizens of the regions up for special election. These are expected to begin in several weeks, as ADVENT prepares infrastructure and to determine logistics of voting as there are many residents who are currently residing in other countries due to the conflict.
More updates will be provided on the future of China as the events progress. What can be said for certain is that ADVENT has gained three new and influential members – all of whom consider themselves indebted to ADVENT – and will likely be extremely supportive of the current administration.
Article – Chinese Accords Signed – What happens next?
Director Falka,
In light of the recent developments in the Chinese region and the signing of the China Accords, an update on the situation is pertinent, especially as we have received confirmation from Election Oversight that infrastructure is being developed to facilitate upcoming elections in the immediate future.
This will focus less on the new nation of Tibet, but on the development of Hong Kong receiving independence and the subsequent requests for additional territory. Specifically, the possible ramification and likelihood of outcomes in this situation. Ultimately, nothing will change the fact that all three nations will be members of ADVENT, and all will be loyal, but nonetheless there are outcomes which can be considered more or less beneficial.
CHINESE REGIONS UP FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS: There are four regions which Hong Kong requested be ceded to them, which was further mitigated to allowing special elections – Hainan, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guanxi. Of those regions, there are three major cities (Hong Kong excluded) – specifically Xiamen, Guangzhou, and Nanning. There are a number of other smaller cities and rural areas in addition to these, but most are currently not worth investigating further.
Notably, all of these regions are along the coast of China and the most vulnerable to Collective invasions in the future. This could very well provide China something of a buffer if a majority secede to Hong Kong, which could very well be something both nations will take into account in terms of attracting voters to their sides.
Of the regions, Hong Kong resided in the Guangdong region and the city of Guangzhou is extremely close to Hong Kong itself, and has exceptionally strong economic ties to each other and the proximity is something that should not be overlooked. It is surprising that ADVENT elected to not cede the region immediately, but Election Oversight or the Oversight Division was likely responsible for overruling the suggestion out of fairness for citizens residing in the region.
LIKELIHOOD OF SECESSION TO HONG KONG: Our best estimates put the likelihood of complete secession of the regions up for special elections as 'contextual'. There will be some who successfully secede to Hong Kong – in particular Guanxi and Guangdong are almost certainly going to vote that way due to how tied they are economically to Hong Kong as well as culturally influenced. Regions where Hong Kong still has an economic presence such as Fujian and Hainan, but not significantly more are uncertain.
A few aspects to keep in mind are the fact that the Chinese government has largely collapsed, and Chinese citizens may not be willing to trust a Taiwanese-run government (despite what the Acting President says) and see Hong Kong as more 'normal' despite technically being independent. Chinese propaganda could actually work in favor of Hong Kong, ironically enough, though this is uncertain, especially since some members of the Communist Party are working with the interim government.
The other aspects include the fact that there have been a significant number of casualties throughout the region, which will severely impact voting numbers across the board. It is currently not known how extensively this will affect outcomes, but it does indicate that citizens will be more inclined to vote for the ones who offer the most stability, prosperity, and hope after what they have endured. Again, China collapsed, and Hong Kong has remained intact from an organizational standpoint. That will be something people take into account.
Finally, there is the reality that no matter what happens, regions that do join Hong Kong will have more influence and weight than they would if they remain with China. This is an undeniable fact, and something that will be very appealing to certain citizens and officials. Ignoring the economic aspects which Hong Kong will exert, luring regions over with the reality of more power will be a powerful incentive, and not something China can especially mitigate unless they promise special treatment – which is something the Oversight Division will crack down on quite heavily if they go about doing it the wrong way.
The regions that would secede are obviously stronger closer to Hong Kong, and the likelihood diminishes the further away they are from the city. The chances of Fujian or Hainan seceding but not Guanxi or Guangdong are extremely low. It is likely that residents and officials of each region will be carefully paying attention to polling and predictive modeling of outcomes before giving endorsements one way or another.
At this stage, anything concrete cannot be confirmed. An outcome will be clearer when election processes begin and both nations present their cases and the reactions can be judged.
ELECTION PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION: Election Oversight has provided us with a tentative outline of how the special elections will proceed:
- Informing all known residents of the regions up for special elections of the situation: No more than three weeks
- Scheduling first round open forums for representatives of Hong Kong and China: Two weeks (Representatives will be sent to all major cities and concentrations of residents who are residing outside the country. All representatives are expected to have complete knowledge of their proposals and answer questions proposed respectfully and clearly. Questions will be pre-screened by Election Oversight, but not turned over to Representatives)
- Debate between Representatives of Hong Kong and China: Three weeks
- Scheduling second round of open forums for representatives of Hong Kong and China: Four weeks
- Miscellaneous events: At the discretion of campaigns in the lead up to the election
- Elections: Seven-eight weeks
CURRENT MEDIA REACTION: There has been significant media speculation in the aftermath of the China Accords. Notably, a large number of media outlets appear surprised Hong Kong has made such a strong push for complete independence and expansion. Support for special elections appears mixed with criticism of Hong Kong getting special treatment for dubious reasons, as well as support for Hong Kong actually being granted independence.
Of course, there are a number of conspiracy theories that state that ADVENT is using Hong Kong as a puppet state to further break up the Chinese nation even more than it already is and that Tang is an ADVENT plant. This obviously ignores that fact that we have nothing to really gain from this, as all three are members of ADVENT, and in truth Hong Kong provides us with far more work than it would have otherwise.
Interestingly, this has mitigated the news that Tibet was recognized as a full member state, likely because that development was expected, while the developments with Hong Kong were not, and the outcome is more uncertain. The media is currently bringing on a number of experts and citizens to discuss potential ramifications and outcomes. ADVENT personnel have been advised not to speak to any unauthorized media personnel regarding the special elections.
CURRENT CITIZENRY REACTION: Unreliable at this stage. The majority of citizens are not even aware of the developments beyond the fact that the conflict has been contained in China and are celebrating or mourning. It will take a couple weeks for the citizenry to be informed, assuming Election Oversight can meet their deadlines.
Those who have heard about it have reacted differently, depending on where they live. Hong Kong citizens are clearly in favor of expansion and those living in regions where special elections are taking place are more mixed, though leaning in favor. A trend we have noted is that those living in cities are more receptive to the idea of Hong Kong than those in smaller cities or rural areas. This is something to watch for as the process continues.
This report will be updated upon news of further major developments.
- Senior Analyst (Chinese Region) Qusa Liong
Battlemaster,
We have continued to monitor the situation following Isomnum's failed Chinese offensive, and there have been a number of developments which present several unique opportunities going forward in the region. The official signing of the Chinese Accords has placed the entirety of the region under ADVENT with three separate countries officially being established within ADVENT's Congress of Nations.
Currently the borders are not firmly established for the nations of China and now Hong Kong, as the latter nation has convinced ADVENT to hold special elections to allow the regions to choose which nation they want to be a part of. As such, these regions will remain in flux for at least several months while this is debated by both nations.
MILITARY PRESENCE: ADVENT is still maintaining a large military presence throughout the country, and this is going to continue likely until China falls to the Collective, or the war itself ends. This has the benefit of ensuring that a significant portion of ADVENT forces are occupied in such a large region and prevent them from being moved to active combat zones for fear of leaving the nation undefended.
The country itself has sustained significant industrial, civilian, and military damage which will require significant investment from ADVENT to complete. They will be occupied by this region for some time, and it is in our interests that they remain invested even if at the moment there is no further action planned against this region.
While we could launch another invasion of the region, it is likely too risky with how many resources ADVENT is willing to throw at the country for our own assault to be worth the cost, especially if T'Leth and Aegis continue to be involved. Rather, effort should instead be focused on ensuring that ADVENT maintains this level of military readiness throughout the war.
It could prove to be a significant drain on them and a number of military operations within the country, movement and deployments within Japan, and leaked intelligence documents detailing potential attacks against the Chinese region will all contribute to ADVENT maintaining a significant number of soldiers in China. They have too much invested in the country to ignore the risks.
It is past time we exploited this habit.
RAMIFICATIONS OF DEVELOPMENTS: Political instability within the Chinese region. Tibet is irrelevant and it was expected that ADVENT would recognize them as a member state. For all intents and purposes Tibet contributes very little to ADVENT outside of a public relations victory, and poses little threat to us outside of some geographical advantages – all of which can be subverted with aerial deployments.
The aggressive actions taken by Hong Kong to not only secure their independence, but also expand their own territory have left a large portion of the border in flux politically. ADVENT is maintaining steady military garrisons, but who the regions belong to is currently undecided. There is debate over the actions and if Hong Kong is overreaching or not – and what ADVENT gains or loses from the outcome.
Ultimately, what will be determined is how large Hong Kong will be. This ultimately changes very little, as both nations are part of ADVENT, but culturally and politically it could mean significant changes and foster resentment and rivalry between both. This could ultimately work to our benefit.
VULNERABILITIES: Due to the fact that a number of residents in these regions are not residing in their home and are classified as refugees, this means that the population of these regions is open to exploitation through infiltration or otherwise manipulation of the general population. Penetrating weaker security links in the regions is also a noted possibility, due to ADVENT checkpoints requiring ID cards and very little other proof. Correct names and faces will be enough to fool ADVENT security.
There is the potential to also influence the debate through the Internet, as there are two notable sides to this. Causing division or discord is an ideal goal for this event, and while it will not have a permanent impact, it will tie up ADVENT Intelligence to combat it and potentially foster poor relations between Hong Kong and Chinese citizens, as well as roping the rest of the Internet into choosing a side.
SUGGESTED ACTIONS: There are a number of potential goals here that we should attempt to exploit.
The first is that this gives us a means of infiltrating the population of China and Hong Kong through Zararch Agents and REPLICA units. Should a significant enough number be located, replaced, or manipulated, it will allow us the potential to control a small nation in ADVENT, and give us more insight into how it operates internally. This would require a significant amount of REPLICA units and agents, and due to this, action towards ADVENT Election Oversight is also advisable.
It is imperative that ADVENT does not know that we are attempting to tamper with their elections, and as such we should stay away from leadership or backing certain people or factions. Merely replacing citizens or using Sectoids and upcoming SAS Psions to psionically affect the population will serve us well. Right now, ADVENT is focused on preventing another attack – not for us to subvert their democracy.
If we wanted to assume a more direct role over Hong Kong, we should elect to utilize Nemo to replace one of the current members of Hong Kong leadership, and potentially begin the creation of more of its models. This is feasible, though would deprive Nemo of a more active role against other ADVENT officials. Consider this proposal an option.
Should we gain a notable amount of influence over Hong Kong, it will make any future operations against the Chinese region easier due to Hong Kong controlling a majority of the coast. To ensure this we must ensure that all regions up for elections secede to Hong Kong. With your approval, operations to make this happen will begin.
- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary