News from China

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, October 10th, 1961
SPECIAL REPORT: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC COMMEMORATED BY SHOWCASE OF NEW ARTILLERY, TROOP CARRIERS
It was fifty years ago today that the Republic was first born. Toppling the corrupt Manchu overlords of the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese people threw off the shackles of foreign oppression, and began the long journey towards restoring China to the glory which it once possessed.

That road has not been an easy one, nor is the country's journey at and end. The challenges of the future were the key topic of Premier Du Yuming's speech this National Day, urging the people of China not only to look to the past struggles of the Warlord Era and the Japanese Invasion, but the days of hardship yet to come as the central government continues its long campaign to reunite the country under the rightful government of the Republic.

However, such warnings are accompanied with a new hope, a hope that the progress of the past years has not been lost, that the road ahead shall be much easier than the road already walked. This year, such reassurances come not just in words, but in great beasts of steel, ready to carry the Chinese nation on to its glorious destiny, and crush the bandits, warlords, and traitors which continue to stand in the way of the shining future.

At the head of this year's parade were the first production models of the Type 51-175 self-propelled guns, the heaviest in the National Revolutionary Army's inventory. Soon, these mighty weapons will replace the ageing models of towed guns currently making up the NRA's heavy artillery park. Boasting exceptional long-range capability, and the ability to reach firing positions inaccessible by any towed gun, these pieces are already entering service, with the first units to be fully equipped by the end of the year.


Following closely behind were an even more advanced prototype. The Type 52-155 self-propelled gun is a revolutionary design, a fully enclosed and armoured long-range artillery piece. Capable of keeping up with and operating alongside fast-moving armoured columns, this new medium artillery piece promises to deliver rapid, unerring fire support to our soldiers in battle as soon as they find themselves requiring it.


And those soldiers will arrive to the battlefield in style as well, thanks to the new Type 52 Armoured Personnel Carriers which also made their first appearance in today's parade. Capable of speeds of 70 km/h and able to mount a wide array of support weapons, as well as a stove which allows its passengers to brew a pot of tea even in the midst of battle, the Type 52 can carry six soldiers into battle while offering them complete protection from infantry small-arms.


The message is clear: fifty years ago, when the Republic was born, China was weak and decaying, unable of making its own rifles without foreign aid. Now, it is one of the great industrial powers of the world, one which can not only bringing wealth and prosperity to its people, but one which is also capable of manufacturing every weapon it needs for its own defence. Now, the symbols of the New China which was born fifty years ago roll down the streets of Guangzhou to the cheers of its loyal citizens, the beneficiaries of a free, safe, and well-defended society.

Long may it remain so.

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, November 10th, 1962
REPUBLIC IN PERIL, GOVERNMENT DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
Reports are coming to us today of military engagements all along the coast as the Republic appears to be under attack by multiple bandit factions, backed by the ongoing Vietnamese invasion. A spokesman from the Military Affairs Commission has admitted that the situation is "quite severe", and that much will rely on the "outcome of the next few days' combat".

Further reports to come.


At the Vanguard of Liberation. November 11th, 1962
THE WAR OF LIBERATION BEGINS! DEATH TO THE BOURGEOIS REPUBLIC!
Comrades! Rejoice! At long last, the day of reckoning as come. Our allies in the north have not forgotten us, and now they come to sweep aside the relics of old thought and landlordism in a glorious, sweeping tide. Cleverly waiting until the moment the greedy plutocrats of the Bourgeois Republic were occupied with fighting amongst themselves, the righteous defenders of the people have not hesitated to launch a great campaign to free the south at last from the clutches of those who have taken the sweat and blood of the worker and peasant for their own gain.

Soon, a new star will rise over China! No longer will we be forced to bow and scrape and humiliate ourselves before the second-order devils and the ape-savages of Africa. Soon, the corrupt regime in Guangzhou will fall in the face of the peoples' liberation!

LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC!

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, December 14th, 1962
COMMUNISTS RETREAT FROM ZHEJIANG, VICTORY IN SOUTHERN GUANGDONG
A spokesman from the Military Affairs Commission reports today that the last forces of the Zhejiang Clique have been wiped out near the Guangdong-Guangxi border. With Communist Bandit and Vietnamese troops now fully withdrawn to pre-war borders, the government has officially declared an end to hostilities.

In a statement this afternoon, Premier Du Yuming publicly thanked the Republic's allies in Seoul and Dar Es Salaam for their crucial aid in conflict on behalf of all the people of the Republic.

A victory parade is to be held in Sun Yixian Boulevard on the morning of the 22nd of December. All employers and worker-owned communes are required to allow for a single day's paid vacation in celebration, to be compensated for by state funds.


Guangzhou, December 15th, 1962
INVESTMENT TIPS: MAKING THE MOST OF BATTLEFIELD CASUALTIES
With the official announcement of the end of the hostilities, those looking to invest in arms manufacturing could not find a better time to leap in with both feet. Though this may seem somewhat counter-intuitive, the end of a sharp, bloody war like this one is in fact the best time for such investments.

While we at the Guangzhou Evening Post are, of course, saddened by the loss of life on the battlefield, we are also well aware of the massive loss of military material, of thousands of rifles, vehicles, and artillery pieces - all of which have to be replaced in the days ahead. Indeed, the Military Affairs Commission has already begun issuing orders for the replacement of combat losses and the repair of damaged equipment, as we all as industrial facilities damaged in the fighting. Those who are quick on the draw will find their dividends exploding in the coming months.

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, December 22nd, 1962
VICTORIAN, KOREAN HEADS OF STATE ATTEND VICTORY PARADE IN GUANGZHOU
Much celebration today in the capital as cheering crowds celebrated the end of hostilities between the Republic and its enemies. Battle-weary, but proud, troops of the National Revolutionary Army paraded before the assembled people to the accompaniment of brass bands, showing off the wounds which they had endured in the defence of the country.

Contingents of Victorian and Korean military personnel were given pride of place in the procession, and many who spent the past weeks watching Korean Air Force and RAPS aircraft joining our own in the skies over the capital cheered as they passed, thanking them for the integral part they played in the final victory.

Korean Prime Minister Rho spoke courteously regarding the strengthening relationship between China and Korea, now tightened even further by recent events. Queen Catharine of Victoria, dressed in a spectacular winged outfit of white and gold, gave a fiery oration praising the spirit of the Republic, and encouraging the renewed cooperation between all victims of past imperialism. Perhaps not since the stories of Da Qin two thousand years ago has a foreign ruler so utterly captivated the imagination of the Chinese people.

SUN LIREN APPOINTED MARSHAL OF THE REPUBLIC
At the end of the ceremony, the Premier went on to appoint General Sun Liren, head of the Military Affairs Commission, to the office of Marshal of the Republic, for his efforts in organising the defence of the country. Given his instrumental part in the reform and rebuilding of the National Revolutionary Army after the German Plague, it cannot be doubted that such a citation refers just as much to the years he has committed to strengthening the Republic's defences, as well as his conduct these past few months.

With this appointment, Sun Liren becomes the fourth person to be appointed to the office of Marshal, standing alongside the ranks of Sun Yixian, founder of the Republic, and Jiang Jieshi, defender of the country during the war against Japan. He joins Premier Marshal Du Yuming as the second living member of the Marshalate.


Guangzhou, December 27th, 1962
LEGISLATIVE YUAN RATIFIES TREATY WITH VICTORIA, ESTABLISHES TAIWAN SRA
News out of the Legislative Yuan this morning reports that it has ratified the draft collective security treaty with the Kingdom of Victoria, with Guomindang and Democratic Socialist representatives voting along party lines.

This treaty will not only formalise Victoria's status as an ally of the Republic, but will also establish Taiwan as a joint occupation zone, split three ways between the Republic, Victoria, and the Federation of Korea.

A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior has promised further details regarding the administrative arrangements of the so-called "Chinese Zone of Occupation" within the week.

[Cataphrak]

Shymkent, February 11th, 1963
REPUBLIC FORCES BEGIN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN KAZAKHSTAN
Today, Chinese troops begin the long process of restoring peace to the troubled nation of Kazakhstan. Working as part of a multinational UN peacekeeping force, elements of the 31st Division have initiated patrols through the country's capital city. General 1st Class Xue Yue, commander of the NRA's forces in the region, has pledged to work closely with the other members of the UN mandate, as well as the Kazakh government, stressing the importance of establishing the legitimacy of the local authorities and introducing stability to the country.

[Cataphrak]

Somewhere Near the Hunan-Hubei Border, September 30th, 1963
ROC FORCES CROSS SHANXI BORDER
Following the failure of the provisional government of the so-called Shanxi Clique to adhere to the terms of WHIP Resolution 71-412, forward units of the National Revolutionary Army have crossed the border to restore the area to the authority of the Central Government and eradicate all outbreaks of the German Plague after the Shanxi provisional government's failure to meet the terms of March's emergency ultimatum.

[Cataphrak]

Outside Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, October 6th, 1963
FIGHTING ENDS IN CENTRAL CHINA, REPORT FROM WITHIN THE QUARANTINE ZONE
Reports from all over the former territory of the so-called Shanxi Clique indicates that combat operations have ceased, with former bandit faction troops mostly surrendering peacefully to the Republic's forces. However, the soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army are not going home just yet. One enemy is defeated, but the greater foe still remains.

All efforts are now being directed towards containing and eradicating the known outbreaks of the German Plague, and finding any potential new emergences which may have escaped the notice of the Shanxi Clique regime. Here in Xi'an, three concentric military cordons have been erected less than four days after the city radioed its surrender to General Zheng Dongguo of the 8th Tank Army. Inside the innermost cordon is the whole of the city's infected zone. Medical personnel and aid workers go in to establish treatment centres, public hygiene clinics, and promulgate reliable information on spread and symptoms. Nobody is allowed to go out. Supplies are dropped by air, and the men manning each cordon has orders to shoot not only any civilian attempting to breach the quarantine, but also any soldier from outposts further within the quarantine zone as well. No chances are being taken.

Things are little different outside the cordons than inside. Patrols sweep the roads and the fields in search of any escapees. Checkpoints prevent free passage outside of a single prefecture, and both provincial and regional borders are sealed by measures no less stringent than those implemented in the quarantine zone.

It is a hard thing to do, to put nearly seventy-five million people into what is effectively a military prison, but few question its necessity. The last outbreak of the German Plague died hard in these lands, and evidently, it did not die entirely.

It will be up to the forces of the Republic to put it down for good.

[Cataphrak]

Shymkent, December 19th, 1963
UN PEACEKEEPERS WITHDRAW FROM KAZAKHSTAN
The last elements of the 31st, 51s and 88th Divisions withdraw from Kazakhstan today, following the conclusion of general elections in the war-torn region. Despite political violence which remains endemic within the Central Asian country, UN observers have reportedly declared the mission a "qualified success".

The Republic's forces in the region were primarily dedicated to keeping order in and around the capital city of Shymkent in collaboration with other elements of the multinational UN mission. Republic troops were also engaged in a wide-ranging disarmament campaign to recover and destroy caches of heavy weapons being used by anti-government militias.


Hong Kong, December 23rd, 1963
BRITAIN UNDER SIEGE!
This morning, soldiers of the so-called Free Provinces of Ireland launched an unprovoked surprise attack upon the United Kingdom of Great Britain. In concert with a campaign of massed aerial terror-bombing by the "Kingdom of Victoria", this stroke of barbarous aggression has reportedly caught British forces by surprise, and the United Kingdom is now at this very moment fighting for its life.

That Britain, the wellspring of freedom and enlightenment, whose ideals of liberty and free commerce might still be felt throughout the world, might be so shockingly and barbarously attacked by foreign powers is terrible enough. That these aggressors should be former children of the Empire, the recipients of all the fruits of Britannia's kindnesses and largesse is something else entirely, a sign of the debased and treacherous times in which we now live.

We, the Editorial Board of the Times-Colonist, call unreservedly upon the government in Guangzhou to intervene immediately in Britain's defence. We know they have the power, and the will. Now is the time for any country which considers itself part of the civilised world to strike back against the dark tide of savagery. Posterity will judge harshly those who do not.


Hong Kong, December 24th, 1963
GAS EXPLOSION ROCKS NEWSPAPER OFFICE
Consternation in Hong Kong today as the city's afternoon bustle was shattered by the sound of a large explosion, directly underneath the printing facilities and editorial offices of the Hong Kong Times-Colonist, an english language right-wing newspaper mostly catering to Hong Kong's expatriate population. Despite suspicions of a terrorist attack, the Hong Kong Police have confirmed the cause to have been a faulty gas furnace, which exploded due to years of neglect thanks to the newspaper's controversial policy of only allowing their building to be serviced by maintenance workers of European descent.

Despite the destruction caused by the blast, the building itself was empty for Christmas Eve holiday, and only minor casualties have been reported.

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, January 14th, 1964
GUOMINDANG LOSES MAJORITY, IN COALITION TALKS WITH OPPOSITION PARTIES
With almost 98% of polling stations reporting in, The Republic Daily is confident in reporting that Premier Du Yuming will retain the premiership, despite surges in Democratic Socialist support in Jiangxi and Zhejiang. Following its disastrous near-collapse in the 1961 election, the CDSP has recovered much of its former support base under new leadership, and seems well-prepared to offer a challenge to a newly-diminished Guomindang government which has often been criticised by leftist sources as "betraying" its founding principles.

Reports that the Premier is currently engaged in coalition talks with both the CDL and the CDSP have been confirmed by members of the Premier's staff, but it remains to be seen who - if any - party will serve as junior partner to the current government.

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, March 3rd, 1964
SPECIAL FORCES COMMANDER RETIRES AFTER 65 YEAR CAREER
A long expected message from the Military Affairs Commission, as Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, long-time head of Special Operations Command, has announced his retirement, citing ill-health. Having first begun a career as a soldier in the British Army of the late 1890s, General Carton de Wiart went on to serve as a combat officer in South Africa, Somalia, France, Poland, Lithuania, Norway, Yugoslavia and Italy, before finally coming to China as part of a British diplomatic mission. Following the end of the German Plague, he joined the National Revolutionary Army, and was heavily involved in the wars and military interventions of the past decade. Few can boast of a career as storied and as lengthy, and now that his "Happy Odyssey" comes to an end, his grateful adopted homeland now honours him with a double-promotion to General, 1st Class, and all the honours he is due.

General Carton de Wiart's position is to be taken up by his long-time protege, the famed ex-partisan Zhang Ying, recently promoted to Major General.