News from China

[Cataphrak]

Kwangchow, March 7th, 1958
SOCIALISTS, DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE MAINTAIN HOLD, DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THE KUOMINTANG
Reports from the Control Yuan now confirm that the Democratic Socialist Party has maintained its plurality in the Legislative Yuan, with the China Democratic League remaining a close second. Despite recent optimism following their electoral win in the Kiangsi Provincial Assembly, the Kuomintang have only been able to achieve marginal gains. Sources within the party cite confusion in the upper ranks due to the continued absence of party leader Chiang Kai-shek, and his senior circle of advisors, who have not been seen since the outbreak of the German Flu and the end of the war against Japan...


The Vanguard of the Eternal Struggle, March 7th, 1958
LEGISLATIVE YUAN REMAINS DOMINATED BY RIGHTISTS, SOCIAL FASCISTS
If there is any proof of the illegitimacy of the Bourgeois Republic's claim to popular rule, one must only look at the recent election results to the so-called Legislative Yuan. Despite their manifest failures, the splittist "Democratic Socialists" and the capitalist running dogs of the China Democratic League remain firmly in power, or rather, we should say, firmly in the grip of the militarists and landlords who really run the Republic from the shadows. Can any clear-eyed observer truly believe that this is the work of a fair and democratic process? Comrades! Do not allow yourself to be fooled! This is nothing more than a shadow-puppet show by the verminous creatures who truly hold power. "Democratic Socialist", "Democratic League", "Kuomintang", these are nothing more than different masks for the same monster. Comrades! True democracy will only come with the establishment of the worker's state and the overthrow of the old ways...


Kwangchow, March 7th, 1958
MARKETS IN UPROAR AFTER ELECTION RESULTS
News of the today's election results have caused no small amount of panic in the markets today, as the report that the Democratic Socialist Party has retained the largest share of votes in the Legislative Yuan has stoked anxieties regarding its reputation for its anti-business stance during the previous government. As this election marks the first time that Kwangtung Province will be under the auspices of the Republic's elected government, it is uncertain at this time if the province's traditional economic freedoms will be maintained, especially as we forge our first overseas trade links since the coming of the German Flu...

[Cataphrak]

Pai Yuen Airport, Kwangchow, March 19th, 1958
CHINESE MILITARY MISSION DEPARTS FOR WAR-TORN ROMANIA
An understated ceremony awaited the members of China's fact-finding mission to Romania as they departed on from Kwangchow by air on their way to Bucharest, the capital of Free Romania. At the command of the Military Affairs Committee, the military mission will assess the situation in the war-torn country, and submit their recommendations to the Legislative Yuan upon their return later in the year.

Leading the twelve-person mission is Major Tsang Ying, the famed partisan leader who spent many years fighting the Japanese invaders in central China. While her experience and expertise make her well-suited for the requirements and circumstances of this mission, some fear that her combative and aggressive nature may serve to draw the Republic deeper into the Romanian civil war than might entirely be desired...


Kwangchow, March 20th, 1958
LEGISLATIVE YUAN EYES NEW ROMANISATION SYSTEM, OPENING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
A motion to develop a new system of translating Mandarin to the latin alphabet is gaining traction in the Legislative Yuan. Citing the fact that the currently-used Wade-Giles system was one imposed on our language by European corporatists, and the fact that this has led to a system which sacrifices tonal accuracy for the convenience of English and French speakers, elements within the CDL are proposing a commission to develop a newer, more accurate system. Such such a measure come to fruition, it will almost certainly lead to a renewed demand for translations, as domestic Western expatriates and overseas customers look for new, more authentic transliterations of our language...

[Cataphrak]

Dane Island, April 5th, 1958
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MEET WITH SAVAGE AFRICAN TRIBE
Uproar today as news has reached us that General Sun Li-Jen, head of the Republic's Military Affairs Commission, has begun talks with an emissary of the so-called "Kingdom of Victoria", currently in illegal occupation of British Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. Despite its name, Victoria is a wholly African despotism, entirely devoid of any trace of Christian civilisation or refinement. Its self-proclaimed Queen, Catharine al Victoria, having seized power from the rightful colonial authorities four years ago, has since committed herself to the utter destruction of the improvements which have, over the past century, elevated the African continent from its formerly benighted and unenlightened status. She has since proved a creature of the most severe brutality, capable of dealing with her enemies only through the language of fire and sword.

It is clear to us that if the current government of the Republic is willing to deal so brazenly with the manifest enemies of civilisation, then it is not fit to rule over China or its multitudes of people. If it cannot tell the difference between enlightened governance and tribal barbarism, then it is, in truth, no more capable than the brutal, wretched clade of heathens and bandits which preceded it. Furthermore...

[Cataphrak]

Kwangchow, April 12th, 1958
LEGISLATIVE YUAN APPROVES NEW DEFENCE TREATY WITH FEDERATION OF KOREA
After a hotly contested debate, the Legislative Yuan has narrowly voted to ratify the new Bilateral East Asian Security Treaty (BEAST) with the Federation of Korea. "The peace of East Asia must be maintained through the cooperation of its greatest powers," declared Foreign Affairs Minister Hsieh P'eng in a statement to our office immediately following the vote. "We should make efforts to build ties with our fellow liberal democracies to make sure that our children will not suffer through the war and bloodshed we did."

The agreement has been met with strong protest, especially from Kuomintang deputies and veterans groups. Many are still strongly opposed to fostering friendly relations with Korea, due to the heavy use of Korean conscripts and forced-labour units by the Japanese during the occupation. Many still consider Korea to be too closely associated to the brutality of the Japanese Devils for comfort, an attitude which may change once China and Korea begin to collaborate more closely on military and economic policy...


The Vanguard of the Eternal Struggle, April 12th, 1958
BOURGEOIS REPUBLIC SELLS OUT CHINA TO SECOND-ORDER DEVILS
Comrades! Now we have before us proof that the capitalist running dogs of the Bourgeois Republic are not just class-traitors, but race-traitors as well! The Rightists and Social Fascists of the so-called "Legislative Yuan" have decreed this morning that China is to enter into an alliance with the militarist-imperialist Korean regime! That these men and women who call themselves representatives of the people could even consider such abject submission towards the bloodthirsty government of the Second-Order Devils who once acted as the mindless attack-dogs of the Japanese Invaders only shows how even the slightest accommodation towards capitalism and old thinking will lead even supposed socialists to betray the country they claim to rule...

[Cataphrak]

Kwangchow, April 14th, 1958
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE OFFERS NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHILANTHROPY
Late last night, the Executive Council announced a new programme to help bring aid to the less-developed parts of the Republic through a private-public partnership scheme. This new organisation is to serve as a support network for existing private charities like the Chinese Red Cross and Red Swastika Society, as well as an general oversight organisation. Officially named The Benevolent Order of the White Sun, its intent is to harness the forces of private capital to bring public services like road access, electricity and running water to isolated towns and villages traditionally lacking such amenities. Linking such regions to the Republic's wider economy will not only open up new markets and resources, but also render the Republic's economy more competitive in an increasingly interconnected world...


Ch'ien-tu, April 18th, 1958
ARMY MACHINE GUN TRIALS BEGIN
A momentous day dawns at Ch'ien-tu's Military Small Arms Factory No. 19, as newly-appointed Chief of Civil Defence Gen. Tu Yu-ming arrives to oversee army trials to choose a new medium machine gun for regular service. Several designs are to be tested for the honour of replacing the venerable Browning and Vickers guns currently in service, including one from Small Arms Factory No. 4 in Kunming. However, it is the workers of Small Arms Factory No. 19 who bears the biggest risk, having pooled their resources to produce an entirely new design which represents a revolutionary break from established principles. Time will tell if this new concept will prove successful...

[Cataphrak]

Kwangchow, July 27th, 1958
CHIEF OF AIR FORCE DIES IN HOSPITAL
The Military Affairs Commission has announced that Claire L. Chennault, Chief of the Air Force, has died of lung cancer following several months of treatment at Central Military Hospital, Kwangchow. Formerly an officer in the now-defunct United States Army Air Corps, Chennault was a pioneer of fighter tactics in the 1920s and 30s. Volunteering of his own free will to help defend China from the Japanese Devils before the United States entered the war, he proved himself a loyal friend and ally to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek for many years, before becoming the head of the Provisional Military Government's air forces following the outbreak of the German Plague.

"When he first came here, we doubted his sincerity, as we doubted the sincerity of any foreigner," said General Hsueh Yueh, Chennault's long-time friend. "Within a year, he proved the doubters wrong. Within ten years, he proved to be the firmest of allies."

A memorial fly-by will take place at noon over downtown Kwangchow tomorrow. By order of the Head of the Military Affairs Commission, Chennault has been posthumously double-promoted to the rank of General, 2nd Class. He is to be succeeded as Chief of the Air Force by his deputy, Major General Chin Shui-tin.

[Cataphrak]

Kwangchow, August 4th, 1958
GERMAN PLAGUE IN CH'ONGCHOW, KWANGSI PROVINCE UNDER QUARANTINE
Reports from the public health officials in the city of Ch'ongchow report the appearance of symptoms believed to be those of the German Plague. First appearing as a weapon of the German fascists a decade ago, this disease went on to kill an estimated one fifth to one third of the world's population, and usher the collapse of many of the Great Powers of the West.

In an emergency session today, the Legislative Yuan has voted to enact a "double-quarantine", with a military cordon sealing off the infected city, and a second cordon preventing free movement of goods or people in or out of Kwangsi Province. "This outbreak is the first test of our newly re-established institutions," said Premier Long Yun in a radio address earlier today. "Any warlord may have an army and declare himself a rightful ruler at gunpoint, but it is how in dealing with threats like disease and famine which truly show if a government is worthy of its people." The Premier then went on to declare a "Tripartite Programme" to combat the outbreak, consisting of the establishment of treatment, disinfection, and public education campaigns inside the infected zone and Kwangsi Province as a whole, to minimise the effects of the disease, prevent it from spreading further, and informing the public of its symptoms and vectors of infection.


Nanning, August 4th, 1958
RE-EMERGENCE OF GERMAN PLAGUE, QUARANTINE OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDICAL INDUSTRY
News of the renewed German Plague outbreak in Kwangsi hit the Exchange hard today, especially for those heavily invested in the re-industrialisation of Kwangsi Province. With the entire area now under military lockdown, there will be little chance of growing further economic opportunities in the area for the time being.

However, it is not all bad news for those investors quick on their feet. With the Central Government's response already in full swing, the re-emergence of the Plague may mean great opportunity for those willing to supply the massive amounts of materiel needed to fuel the government's announced tripartite "Treatment, Disinfection, and Information" campaigns within the infected area. "The Air Force will be parachuting hundreds of tonnes of supplies into the infected area every day," says Economist Dr. Yueh Lingyueh of the University of Hong Kong. "Someone will need to supply them. That someone may stand to make a great deal of money."

[Cataphrak]

Kwangchow, October 10th, 1958
SPECIAL REPORT: NATIONAL DAY PARADE SHOWS OFF NEW ANTI-AIR WEAPONS, UNIFORMS, TANKS
Pageantries aplenty in the capital today, as the National Revolutionary Army parades some of its most elite units, brightest minds, and newest equipment to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the Republic, the first such celebration held since the Japanese invasion. Following the ceremonial raising of the flag and the singing of the national anthem before the assembled Legislative Yuan, Head of the Military Affairs Commission General Sun Li-jen officially opened the procession by formally requesting and receiving permission to begin the parade from Premier Long Yun, demonstrating the military's subordination to the elected government.

The parade began with a celebration of the Republic's endurance and fortitude in the face of foreign imperialist and domestic rebellion. Veterans of the Republic's many wars of liberation and self-preservation held the place of honour, from troops who had taken part in the anti-bandit campaign in Kwangsi earlier this year, to men who had fought in the rebellion against the Qing almost fifty years ago. Hundreds of thousands lined the street to cheer as these Heroes of the Republic marched past, and they cheered just as loudly for the next contingent: officer cadets from the Central Military Academy, upon whose skills and intellect the security of the Republic will rely for many years to come.

Yet it is not just new soldiers who will uphold the security of the Republic, but new equipment as well. This parade marks the first appearance of the Type 48 Service and Field Uniforms. The service uniform brings to mind the heroism of the most desperate days of the war against the Japanese Fascists. Its colour, cut, and silhouette evoke memories of the uniforms which soldiers of the Republic wore into battle against the Imperialist invader. The field uniform is a much more forward-thinking set of garments, drawing on American, British, and German influences to create an ensemble which may be both the most comfortable, and the most combat-effective uniform in the world, with its integral load-bearing webbing and disruptive camouflage pattern.


Heavier weaponry came next, answers to the increased threat of the modern jet aircraft fielded by many of the Republic's potential enemies: the Type 48 heavy surface-to-air missile, capable of chasing down the fastest jet fighters in service, and the highest-flying jet bombers too. Equipped with a still-classified guidance system, tests have shown that it is effective against targets twelve miles above the earth's surface. The General Staff is confident that when such weapons enter service next year, they will make China impervious to hostile bombers. Never again will any foreign power recreate the scenes of destruction which the Japanese visited upon Chungking and Shanghai.


There are new answers to threats on the ground too. Four specimens of the new Type 47 Light Tank were next to roll by. Less of a revolution than an evolution, the Type 47 boasts a union of proven technologies and and advanced systems, giving the armies of the Republic a speedy, well-armoured, and rugged reconnaissance vehicle capable of handling the roughest terrain. Armed with a potent 76mm high velocity gun, the Type 47's designers believe that it will be more than able to fulfil the roles currently taken up by the army's ageing inventory of scout and cruiser tanks when it enters service next year.


Bringing up the tail end of the parade were two prototypes of an even more impressive vehicle: the Type 48 Main Battle Tank. Designed with the input of the Republic's most experienced armoured units, and incorporating some of the newest trends in armoured warfare, the Type 48 MBT boasts an innovative armour layout which allows for superior protection, as well as full resistance to chemical weaponry, an advanced suspension system, and many other innovations. "Its 105mm gun can penetrate the armour of any tank in service. Its powerful engine, light weight, and compact size make it not only perfectly suited for our country's rough terrain, but also gives it the highest power-to-weight ratio of any tank in the world," boasted General Tu Yu-ming, Chief of Civil Defence, and former commander of one of the Republic's few wartime tank units in an exclusive interview. "When the Japanese invaded, we could match them in every aspect of ground warfare except armour. When the Type 48 enters service, I have complete confidence that ensure that such a thing will not happen again for at least fifteen years."

It is true that not all share the General's optimism, but any who see the array of new weaponry on display must surely know that thanks to the great strides the nation has achieved under the Republic, China's years of being the defenceless sick man of Asia are long over.

[Cataphrak]

Chengdu, January 4th, 1959
ELECTORAL UPSET LEADS TO CDL-GMD COALITION IN SICHUAN
An unexpected outcome to the provincial elections here in Chengdu, as local leaders of the China Democratic League have formed a ruling coalition with the Guomindang, forsaking their former previous agreement with the Democratic Socialists. CDL leaders have yet to make an official statement regarding their reasoning for the sudden shift rightwards, but analysts speculate that the CDL's sudden gains this election have allowed them to former a government with a weaker coalition partner than the still-formidable CDSP, which still controls 12 out of Sichuan's 32 seats.

An official spokeswoman form the CDSP party headquarters has accepted the new coalition, and vows to hold it accountable as the Democratic Socialists take their place in opposition for the first time since the institution of free elections.

OUTBREAK IN GUANGXI OVER, QUARANTINE LIFTED
The entire country breathes a sigh of relief today, as government sources officially declare the end to the outbreak of German Plague in Guangxi. Military and medical authorities have confirmed that no further cases remain within the infected area. The Executive Yuan has ordered the raising of the "outer" quarantine sealing off the province of Guangxi from the rest of the country. The inner cordon will be similarly removed following a further eight weeks of decontamination procedures.

Official sources place the death toll at somewhere between 45 000 to 60 000, though some estimates range as high as 85 000.


Hong Kong, January 7th, 1959
NEW ROMANISATION SYSTEM TRAVESTY AND DISGRACE
Once again, the government of the Republic seems intent on overturning the work of good, honest academics and experts in the name of "progress" and "national identity". The newly announced scheme of translating Chinese into the Latin Alphabet, the so-called Guoyu Pinyin system, is a slap in the face not only to the efforts of Sir Thomas Wade and Herbert Giles - the originators of the formerly-used Wade-Giles system - but also common sense itself! For all that it may tout itself as a system of superior accuracy more capable of representing tones and inflection, it is in truth, a complete quagmire of impossible-to-pronounce syllables and nonsensical heathen iconography. Are we to seriously believe that sounds which quite obviously come out as "si" and "ch" are now to be represented by "x" and "q"? The very thought is ridiculous, even without taking into account the Frenchified system of accents and intonation marks which marr this disgraceful and ramshackle disaster of a scheme even further.

It is clear now that the Chinese themselves, whilst quite ingenious in certain mechanical aspects, are far too parochial and narrow-minded to encompass the needs of those who speak languages other than their own. We at the Hong Kong Times-Colonist hereby refuse to submit to this inferior system of romanisation, and furthermore put forth that further attempts to render the Chinese tongue into a more civilised mode ought to be orchestrated, overseen, and performed by Englishmen, as God intended!

[Cataphrak]

Guangzhou, January 19th, 1959
WHAT DO THE NEW TARIFF BARRIERS IN THE SRA MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Word of new trade barriers in the Socialist Republics hit the trading floor at noon today, causing a frenzy of speculation. While strictly in violation of last year's PRICE agreement, many are wondering if there's anything that can really be done. More importantly, they're wondering what this actually means for our markets at home.

The answer, which may come as a surprise, is "very little", if anything at all. With the vast markets of the interior open within the Republic's borders, foreign trade makes up a miniscule proportion of the Republic's economy, and even then, the lions' share of it remains with Victoria and the Federation of Korea. Given the massive distances involved, very little commercial activity actually takes place between the SRA and the Republic, and almost all of it that does takes place through transshipment in Korean ports.

As for the political ramifications, those are a different story. The Republic's ambassador to the SRA is expected to lodge an official protest within the day.


On the Road to Revolution, January 24th, 1959
AMERICAN WORKING CLASS BRETHREN VICTIMS OF BOURGEOIS GANGSTERISM!
Once again, the Bourgeois Republic shows that it is a menace to the working classes! Only in this case, it is not the labourers and peasants of China who are threatened by the forces of capital, but the innocent proletariat of a nation halfway across the world, showing that there is no distance which the tendrils of capitalist greed cannot reach.

Last week, the worker-led regime of the SRA passed laws to protect the livelihood of its working classes. We applaud this action! Only through clear and strong measures may a worker's state protect itself from the economic terrorism of the so-called "free market" and the malicious hoarders and profiteers who use it to impoverish the people. Yet not a week later, we have uncovered incontrovertible proof that the shipping companies of Guangzhou are planning to use the so-called Triads within American ports to smuggle goods into the country! Thus, we find proof once again that the forces of capital - gangsters in all but name - are more than happy to deal with those who wear their criminality openly!

Only a worker-led state can challenge this evil alliance between the thieves who steal with banks and contracts and the thieves who steal with knives and guns! We stand in solidarity with our American comrades, and await the day when we may join them among the free peoples of the world...