Qingcheng

Qingcheng (青城/Qīngchéng) officially the "Federal Republic of Qingcheng" (青城联邦共和国/Qīng chéng liánbāng gònghéguó), which mean in Wenhua "City of Azure", is a sovereign state in Kesh. The country is located at the south of Kodeshia and at the north of Nanling. The main coast of Qingcheng is along the Tethys Ocean. The main language of the country is the Wenhua, while there is a minority in the north speaking the Kodeshian Guoyu.

After many civil conflicts, the country is now a federal authoritarist democracy, divided into 7 states. The capital city of Qingcheng is Chenghua, which is a coastal city and also own a state. The moto of Qingcheng is "Wèile zǔguó, wèile mínzú", which mean "For the motherland, for the nation."

The country is having a good stability as the people agree most of the time with the government. There is a bit of corruption in the government, but this one is sometimes regulated by the justice when there is abuse. Political opposition is possible only for the legal politicals party, as most of the left-wing party are illegal. There is freedom of expression (until what people says could not be considered as communist propaganda). Demonstration are legal if they are approved by the governor of the concerned state. Politics are mainly controlled by right-wing party, as the only allowed socialist party is more of a left-centrist party than a real left-wing party.

History
Qingcheng was by the past, part of the Kodeshian empire. The country succeeds, sometimes to break free during short times, before being integrated again.

The apparition of the "Qingcheng" title
It's during the Zu dynasty (256 BCE - 420 CE) that was found in writing the first uses of the name "Qingcheng" as it mean "city of azures". The term was used for the cities of the actual Qingcheng shore. This name appeared because of the warmer climate there, but also because of the blue color used my merchants on the coast. The title Qingcheng was then used by the merchants as a way to designate the area.

The Six Kingdoms (CE 712 - 786)
During the period of Six Kingdoms, an equivalent of the actual state of Qingcheng was free under the dynasty Yan (燕). But was then integrated in the powerful Xie dynasty and remained in the Kodeshian empire until his independence war.

Independence from Kodeshia (CE 1528 - 1531)
The state of Qingcheng was part of the Kodeshian empire at his north, as there was local Qingchenese nobles in the Kodeshian court. During the Zhou dynasty (CE 1237 - 1531), the nobles of the south coast, with merchants and some independentist groups, sicks of the Kodeshian supremacy, staged an uprising and succeed to counter the imperial army in the actual state of Zhonghe (中和), and then succeed to push towards the north. While the independentist army was going further in the north, more local noble rallied the army with their troops, growing more and more stronger. A last battle happened on the river Minjiang (岷江), both sides suffered many losses, but the battle ended as a Qingchenese victory. The main imperial army was beaten a second time, and so the Kodeshian emperor agreed to set free the Qingchenese kingdom, but refused to give all the claimed territories. This defeat made the Zhou dynasty weaker against his opponents inside Kodeshia.

When the Liang Dynasty came against the Zhou dynasty, Qingchenese nobles supported the Liang dynasty as they saw this as an opportunity to make peacful bond with Kodeshia. The new Emperor Liang succeeds to take the throne of Kodeshia, and because of his help, agreed to give Qingcheng total independence with all their claimed territories.

The throne of Qingcheng was given to the most powerful noble and general of the Qingchenese army during the independence war, Xu Haiyan. The Xu (徐) dynasty then reigned over Qingcheng. But in exchange of being choosed for the throne, Xu Haiyan add to accept to give autonomy to local nobles who helped him during the war. The monarchy was back then far from being absolute, as the king mainly ruled over the land he directly owned which were Chenghua and some towns around.

Through the time, some nobles succeeds to reinforce their power, and made deals with the differents kings, which resulted of 6 main powerful nobles working in common with the king

The Qingchenese revolution (CE 1853 - 1857)
Through the time, the Xu dynasty became less and less appreciated by the population, as they put heavy taxes and regulations of the market. But they were also trying of reinforcing the main government, by increasing their absolutism and centralising the power on the capital. They succeed during one century (XVII century) to centralise more the power on Chenghua (成华). But the trouble started when the king tryed to remove the rights for the marchant cities to elect their own leaders, and instead, give those cities to local nobles from the leading dynasty. Many cities started to try opposing the Xu dynasty, by declaring cecession from the main government. Wuwei, Dazhou and Bazhong, with the smallest around cities, started to form a front opposing the main government. They called their group the 'Republicain people of Qingcheng', and made an army. The army of those cities was weaker than the royal army, but many royal generals defected into the republicain ranks with their loyal troops, as many of them had economical interest into those cities. Which mean that the cities fastly became stronger than the Xu dynasty, with more talented army leaders. The republican army reached Huaihua, and on the way for Wenzhou, they encountered the royal army near the Yangjia (杨家) river.

The battle was difficult for the republican army, as the cities militia was easily defeated, and the new troops from the royal army were traped near the river. They succeed to hold a long time while suffering many losses. But, on 10 July 1856, the city of Wenzhou decided to join the republican front, and send his army into the battle. Their action was essential as they attacked the royal army from behind and inflicted them many losses. The battle became a victory for the republican army, and an total defeat for the royal army which lost his biggest and best army.

The Republican army then walked with ease on Chenghua, with cities joigning their side on the way. The king was defeated, sent to justice and condamned to jail for 20 years, as he was accused of "trying to remove his people rights, and sent his army crushed his fellow citizens". A constitution was made, based on a federal republic system, but the centralisation ideas were kept as the country needed to be stabilised. On 10 March 1857, the First republic of Qingcheng was proclaimed.

The First Civil War (CE 1912-1914)
During the first republic, there was only 2 main political parties, the monarchist and the democrats. As almost all form of authoritarsm were united behind monarchism, and all form of democratism were united behind the democrat party. But instability started to grow when in 1910, the Communist party did seccession from the democrat party. Communism started to grow, and during the 1912 elections, the monarchist and the democrats united in order to stop a communist candidate. Anger started to grow and tension rised up.

The September 8 1912, 3 democrats were assasinated in front of the parliament by a group of armed communist. This pushed the government to make the communist party illegal, and send major communist member to jail. On September 21 1912, an armed group rised up in the north of the state of Zhonghe (中和). They stayed hide in the mountains during 3 months and started to grow by recruiting farmers. It's in december 1912 that the communist get out of the mountains and pushed into the democrats lines. The assault was a success at first, as the democrat underestimated the communist uprising. Thank's to this victory, the communists succeeds to secure all the west side of the Minjiang (岷江) river. The two sides stayed on a stalemate during 2 months.

The monarchist saw this as an opportunity to betray the republic, as on February 8 1913, a monarchist army started to rally in the state of Zhimin (致民), and crushed the locals garrison.

So, as the republic was in a crisis, the parliament decided that a strong power was needed in emergency, as the democracy in Qingcheng was in danger. The marshall of the Qingchenese army, Zhou Jianhong was called to the presidency, and was given full power after negociations.

And so, in March 1913, he succeed to coordonate an efficient total mobilization of the population, fired some incompetent or suspected deloyal generals and sent his army against the monarchist one. On April 20 1913, the monarchist army was defeated by the army of president Zhou. The communist army saw this as an opportunity to begin a large scale assault, which succeeded until July 1913. This weakened their armies, and the army of Zhou coming back from the monarchist territories succeed to push them back. On November 1913, the communist army entrenched themselves in the north, and in January 1914, Zhou managed to deal with the last communist pockets. In January 16 1914, Zhou Jianhong declared that the civil war was over.

As the result of this civil war, the second republic was proclaimed, as people were thinking that the first one was not adapted anymore. The communist and royalist party were declared illegal, and considered as a threat for the republic. Zhou Jianhong, by his success during the civil war, convinced the people that a democratic strong leader was the solution, and created the actual authoritarian republic, Zhou being the first tutor of the nation, leading the country allmost his entirelife, as he leaved the government before his death, judging by himself that he was too old.

The Qingchenese intervention in the Great Kesh War (1950-1959)
When the great Kesh war started, Qingcheng did not intervened in it, as the government saw no interest in taking position in this war, and the popular opinion being against any intervention. But opinion started to change after the beginning of the Guurdalai invasion of Kodeshia, as many pictures of Kodeshi civilians fleeing the war were spread in the Qingchenese media. People started to ask an intervention of the government in favor of Kodeshia, and state leaders made many speeches at the national assembly, saying that helping Kodeshi people was helping cultural brother.

But not only the popular opinion and the state leaders convinced the government to help Kodeshia, but also the economical interest and trade were important with this neighbour. The loose of Kodeshia could mean the end of those exchanges. The president at that time knew that trading with a Typerin allied state would be hard if Kodeshia totally lost the war. But a total intervention was refused, as the country was not ready to be under heavy bombing.

In february 1950, ecomomical aid was sent to the Kodeshi government. People could buy war bonds in order to help the production of weapons there. Food was sent to civilian area in needing. And a red cross volunteer group was made and sent to Kodeshia with the goal of helping wounded civilian and Kodeshi wounded soldier, but were forbidden to take part of the war, as Qingcheng wanted to stay military neutral. At the end of the war, there was approximatively 20 000 people who volunteered in this red cross group.

The Qingchenese economic boom post Kesh war (1959-1970)
Qingcheng used his position of neutral country to make deals with Kodeshia and his allies, which result and getting a lot of money from the Kesh War. Civilian industry growed as Kodeshians civilians were buying mostly Qingchenese products in result of their country being damaged from the bombardments. The economic prosperity of Qingcheng gave him the ability to developp tertiary jobs in Chenghua, while developping and specialising inner cities in different industries. This period is often called by the Qingchenese people "The glorious years" as most of the people saw their conditions of live increase during this period. It was the first time for Qingcheng to be a major economic country in Kesh, and the unnemploiement rate was close to 0%. But "the glorious years" were not the same everywhere, as for usual, the inner country and rural area got less improvements, or late ones.

The economic recession (1970-1990's)
With Kodeshia growing economically and becoming independant industrially, many Qingchense industries did not convert their productions or place of exportations. While Kodeshia was getting the first place for Kesh products exporter, Qingcheng lost his major place and had to face many social problems. But the death of Yang Luoyang worsened the problems, as many investors were scarred that his death, along with the social problems, would create a wave of strikes and demonstration against the government. Which resulted in a movement of capitals from Qingcheng toward Kodeshia, thus worsening again Qingcheng social problems. Liu Yongzheng, shortly after taking power, declared many demonstrations and strikes illegals. With promises and thanks to a change of leading political party, demonstration ceased, bringing back some stability in Qingcheng. Liu Yongzheng even declared as a traitor of the nation a state leader who used state his federal guard against people striking, giving evidence of him having given no orders (It was discovered many years later that those evidence were false, and that in reality, Liu Yongzheng gave the order to federal leaders to act as they think is the best for stability, even if some violence was needed).

The economic stabilisation
Thanks to many economical investment, an austerity program, the help of the KTEC, and the creation of Sanqing, the economy stabilise and some years even succeed to grow. The government heavily invested along the coast, developped the infrastructure, in the objective of increasing Qingcheng exportations. The transformation of some Qingcheng industries into sweatshop developped the foreign investment in the country. In the 1990's, the country succeed to stabilise his GDP growth.

The socials revendications (1990's - today)
For almost 30 years, the people of Qingcheng agreed to suffer from the austerity measures with the promise to improve the nation economy and thus improving their life conditions. But while only some cities were developping, and the elite becoming richer, instability came back to the country, but this time with the question of representation, and political liberty. Even if free speech is allowed in Qingcheng, communist politician are forbidden. The people in 2002 started to slowy go on strike and start demonstration in rural towns. Which then spread to cities, and came to the attention of Yang Luoyang, who use those strikes as an opportunity to get popularity from the masses, and making promises of more political freedom, and to leave some austerity measures. Those demonstrations reached a breaking point when the 29th September 2003, Liu Yongzheng ordered the federal guard of the state of Liujiang to charge civilians in Guang'an which resulted in 14 deaths. Demonstration reached the capital city, asking the actual president to leave, and for the institution of Xiong Enlai. Liu Yongzheng left power, claiming he became too old, and Xiong Enlai was elected.

The political struggle
Xiong Enlai succeed to add a new law, giving the possibility for the people to ask for a referendum if they want a president to leave, thus not having a new period of national instability when they want a leader to leave. But he also tried to allow socialist parties, but with some opposition from the parliament.

Government
The Qingcheng government working on a federal system with a strong central power. The states own a part of autonomy in executive actions, in order to manage and follow the president goals for the country. But the laws and decisions of the central government remains the most important. The main counter power of the central government is the justice, which have the order to keep an eye on the government and make sure there is no abuse of power, or anticonstitutionnal action. 100 judges of the country are randomly choosed in order to elect a council of judges. This council can vote the amendment, or begin an impeachment again the president. A parliament of 30 members is choosed by half the President, and the other half by the electoral college of governors. The parlimentary are choosed in order to keep control of the army, and so that neither the governors or the president tried to take control by the army. But the parlimentary also assist the council of judges in the votes of amendment and impeachment.

Central Government
The president is elected for life by the electoral college of governors and hold the title "Tutor of the nation" created after the civil war. He got a strong executive power and take many decisions as he want, as long as they are not against the constitution. If the president want to make a new law in or against the actual constitution, he must make a amendment which need the approbation of the judges council and the parliament. Because the president is elected for life, the only way he can cease his presidency is by leaving his post or being impeached. In order to be impeached, the parliament and the judges council need to vote with both 60% of the majority the impeachment. If the vote succeed, a referendum will begin and the people would finaly decide if the president must be destituted. The president give to the governors goals that they must reach, and must help them to reach those goals. The central government also have a strong influence on the state of the capital city, Chenghua.

Federal Government
Qingcheng government is divided into seven states. In each state is elected a governor by the people. Those 7 governors will take part to the electoral college which is electing the president. But only the president can choose the availables candidates for the governors elections. Those states have a huge economic autonomy, and can make laws for their states, but those new laws must be approved by the president. The national laws are always superior to the states laws, which mean a state can't make a law opposed to national law. The governors received objectives by the president for their states that they must try to reach, but they can also take actions for different goals, as they can justify it to the president. The borders of each states are drawn on the river and natural topography in the idea to distribute the natural ressources between states. The only particularity is the capital city of Chenghua which got his own state because the city was too rich, and so need his own management of ressources and goals. As every states leader is elected only for this role, the state of Chenghua is an exception, as the leader of this state is also the mayor of the capital city. Thus because it is considered that it is needed for the good of the capital city, that his mayor is having enough power to take bigger decisions for the city.

Political Parties
Majority of the political parties are right wing party, as since the civil war, the communists parties are illegals. But it is also very hard for a politician to endorse the role of a socialist politician. Because, even if socialism is allowed, it can be seen by peoples and others politics as a type of "light communism". So they will hardly get support from the peoples, but they will also be rejected by other politicians. The most left wing party is the centrist party, which is more of a conservatist party than a centrist party. As most of the parties are right wing party, they only differ about the question of federalism, economic laws, and interior questions. far right wing politics are present, but are not very popular as they are sometimes seen by the people as new form of monarchism or absolutism.

Even with left wing politics being banned. It is not rare to see people ask for a better representation of their ideas. The legalisation of socialist official politics has been the main subject of many strikes and demonstrations the last 30 years. The actual president, Xiong Enlai, has been creating new laws allowing socialist parties among official politics and parliament, with the only condition of pledging to give up on radicalism and revolutionnary ideals. While those laws are still in debate and being made today, this is nowadays an everyday struggle for Qingcheng politics, as the parliament and federal leaders don't want to loose power againt a popular opposition.



Geography
The country is mostly made of hills in the south, and of small mountains in the north. The country is mainly divided into 3 different climate, with a equatorial climate on the coast, a temparate oceanic climate in the middle of the country, and a arid climate in the north. Jungle forest are common in the center and the east of the country. Ricefields can be mainly found in the moutains region of the country. Biggest cities are mainly located along the rivers, while more traditional towns can be found in the north, near the jungles and the ricefields.

Demographics
With Chenghua being the capital city and the bigest city of the country, Qingcheng got a stable demography with a fertility rate of 1.7 kids per women. Immigration represent a very small part of the population as the country does not attract many migrants. There is an unequal population repartition on the country, as the density is more important on the coast than in the deep north of the country. This can be explained by the presence of mountains in the north, and the coast being richer.

Language
Wenhua is the most important language of the country, and the only official language in the main goverment. The second present language is Kodeshian Guoyu, as there is a kodeshian minority in the country. Guoyu is accepted only in the state of Zhimin (致民) in some parts of the admnistration, as the Kodeshian minority mostly live there. Farsi is only allowed in the state of Xinxing (新兴), as a minority from Hydar is present there.

The last national census done in 2019 revealed that 95.3% of the population were speaking Wenhua, while 2.8% were speaking Kodeshian Guoyu, 1% were speaking Farsi and 0.9% were speaking diversed languages.

Religion
Daoïsm is the main religion in Qingcheng, the second majority being atheism, then followed by minor religions, the biggest one being the Ordonist. The last census in 2018 revealed that 61% of the population were Daoïst, while 27% are atheist and 12% are part of minor religions. The state is officialy secular, as there is no state religion. But the majority of politicans are Daoïst. The state of Qingcheng officialy give subsides to Daoïst temples as is it part of a "Culture protection" program. The minorities are mainly in the cities, but must pay for their religious building by themselves.

Foreign Relations
The foreign relations of Qingcheng are handled by the Ministry of Foreing Affairs of Qingcheng, led by Wang Ziquan. Qingcheng is not present in worldwide organisations, and is not a major diplomatic power. But it is a fondation member of the KTEC, and is part of Sanqing. The country main ally is Kodeshia, as they are part of the same organisations, and hold strong ties.

Even if Qingcheng try to hold at least neutral relations with the vast majority of the world, the country tend to be hostile against Kodeshia ennemies of the Kesh War, as they allign their diplomacy on Kodeshia one. Qingcheng see Tiperyn and Selengeria as their both main "imperialist" rivals.

Military


The Qingchenese National Army, Qingchenese National Air Force, and the Qingchenese National Navy forces are under direct control of the president who is the Supreme commander. The Qingchenese Federal Guard is under the control of the states leaders. Each states is controling a part of this federal army, and is composed of units similar to a gendarmerie, but also of military police. The ministry of state security don't control any troops, but can if needed, ask to the president, the control of military special forces for their operations.

Qingchenese peoples are drafted for 1 year when they reach 18 years old, excepted women who serve for 8 months.

The federal guard can be compared as a well armed gendarmerie. Their role is to assure stability and security in the state they work in. Their number is limited to ensure the majority of the central army.

Economy
What Qingcheng produce can be very different from a place to an other. The main source of income is the exportation of manufactured goods and natural ressources. This focus on exporation came from the past of the country, which was a commercial trade center for the kingdom. The industry was increased thanks to the recent politics made by the president, helping people to invest in cities industries. This lead to an industry being mainly concentrated on the coast and big cities of the country, which create a huge gap of income between citizens from the hinterland and people on the coast. While the north mainly produce food, oil, rubber, textile and tropical wood, the rest of the country is producing vehicles parts, electronics, pharmaceutics, toys and chemicals. More valuable jobs in economy are mainly present in the capital city (Chenghua). Shortly after the great kesh war, Qingcheng was one of the Kesh nation which benefit the most from the war, the economic grow started to slow down during the 70's after Kodeshia finished to rebuild his nation. Still, the great Kesh war was for Qingcheng a great opportunity which boost the nation from an agrarian nation to an industrialised one. The creation of the economic group of Sanqing followed by the KTEC are also reasons of Qingcheng economic grow, giving the country the hability to trade even more with his neighbors in Kesh.

Arts
Qingcheng is famoous among the sinitic sphere for being the place were guqing were first created and used. It first appeared [???], and then proceed to spread among the whole Kodeshi empire thanks to merchants traveling with artists. Today, Qingcheng is still considered as the best place to listen to guqing music at places such as the Chenghua opera. Old folklore and traditionnal Qingchenese music often very often contain the need of guqin, and the very precise origin in disputed among cities in Qingcheng. The group of rap music, Higher Brother, is famous in Kesh, but also has some reputation outside the continent. And is considered as being the main music group in Qingcheng, being popular among all the youth. Their music is promoted by the government, as their rap music is an opportunity to share Wenhua.