沒有國民黨就沒有中國, Without the Kuomintang there would be no China, A Republic of China Story

I wonder if China will just make a state Christian church, kinda like the Anglican church or whatnot, to be able to stuff alot of Chinese influence
No, he's satisfied with keeping church and state officially separate. If he were to do something like that, it would have been earlier on.
 
Religion has played a powerful role in shaping the history of every country; China is no exception. China’s long history has been influenced both by native religions (Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Daoism) and religions brought to the Chinese people by foreigners (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam). These religions would be in favor with the government at some times and out of favor at other times. In the 20th century, religious freedom was guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of China. That didn’t mean that religious groups were completely free from discrimination or government harassment, however. But, compared to much of the rest of the world, China was a beacon of religious liberty. Thousands of people fled to China in order to practice their faith during the latter half of the 20th century.

Belief in traditional Chinese religion was declining in the 20th century. Some were abandoning religion altogether, while others were converting to other religions (mostly Christianity). There were many organizations created to promote Confucianism. The Chinese Confucian Society Society was founded in 1956 and was the largest organization to promote Confucianism. The organization’s most notable work was training professors and other educators in Confucian ideals. Chen Lifu would be a member until his death, which was somewhat ironic considering his rivalry with Confucius’ descendants. Confucianism is a very different religion than Western religions, and is often called a philosophy instead of a religion. Many Chinese practiced Confucianism alongside other religions. Confucian ideals heavily influenced Chinese people of all faiths.

Buddhism was, and still is, the largest religion in China according to most estimates. Buddhism is prevalent throughout most of China, and each Chinese province is home to many Buddhist temples. These temples became a big draw for tourists as foreigners began to visit China in large numbers in the 1970s. This led to increased interest in Buddhism and Eastern religion in general in Europe and North America. The Chinese government saw Buddhism as a useful tool in the fight against Communism. The Buddhist Anti-Communist League was founded in 1965 after a Legislative Yuan initiative masterminded by Chen Lifu to organize religious opposition to Communism. The organization was originally led by Shi Jian, a member of the Legislative Yuan from Liaoning. The Buddhis Anti-Communist League would later be taken over by Chen Li-an, the son of former Premier Chen Cheng.

View attachment 767652
(Chinese Buddha statue)

Buddhism was the religion of the overwhelming majority of the population in Tibet. The Dalai Lama was an important spiritual figure for Tibetan Buddhists. At first, the Dalai Lama was upset about the Chinese invasion and annexation. He was even in contact with the May 5 coup plotters. However, by 1970, he had come to peace with the fact that independence was impossible, and figured out that cooperation with Nanking was in his best interests. In 1953, a group of dissident monks found a six-year-old boy who they proclaimed to be the true Dalai Lama in Golmud, Qinghai. These monks acted as his handlers until the boy reached adulthood. His true origins are shrouded in mystery, though it is believed that he was the illegitimate child of a Tibetan Buddhist mother and a Hui Muslim father in 1947. He would be known by the name Chun Kaiming, a name that would be made famous in China and abroad.

China’s Muslim population was concentrated in the west, though Chinese Muslims are found all around the country. The Hui were around 1% of China’s population, but they served, and continue to serve, in the Chinese armed forces at much higher rates than the general population. The Hui Muslims had great relations with the Chinese government. Relations with the Uyghurs were not as good, but there were plenty of Uighur leaders in the KMT. The overwhelming majority of Chinese Muslims were Sunni. During the 20th century very few people converted to Islam in China, and very few Chinese Muslims converted to other religions. Chen Lifu was eager to organize Muslim opposition to Communism. He put general Ma Bufang in charge of this effort, and he secured the help of Saudi Arabia in this endeavor. The Saudis in turn funded the construction of mosques and trained clerics in China.

While Muslims had a disproportionate influence in the military, Christians had a disproportionate influence in politics. Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek were both Christians, as were many other Chinese politicians (including politicians who opposed Chiang and/or the KMT). Like with Buddhists and Muslims, the KMT used Christianity to further its anti-Communist goals. Christianity was growing, especially Protestant Christianity. While Catholics were traditionally the majority of Christians in China, by the 1970s Catholics and Protestants were about even in numbers. A small Orthodox Christian community existed, mostly from Soviet defectors and other Chinese of Russian descent. Christians also fled North Korea into China to freedom, as the border there was easier to cross than with the South. The growth of Christianity was partly from missionaries, but the Christian faith was increasingly being spread to Chinese people by other Chinese people. Christians were a minority of the Han population, but the majority of the Lisu people in Yunnan and the Taiwanese Aboriginals. The most famous Chinese Christian preacher of that era was Watchman Nee who died in 1972.

View attachment 767653
(Watchman Nee)

Other smaller religions were practiced. There were tend of thousands of Jews in China, though many of them were foreigners working in the country. There was once a large Jewish population (largely consisting of refugees) in the Northeast, particularly Harbin, but most of them moved to Israel in the 1940s. Morris “Two-gun” Cohen, a Jewish general in the Chinese Army, was given a state funeral when he died in 1970. The mid-20th century saw the LDS Church began to proselytize in earnest. When Mormon missionaries entered Ma-controlled territory, they were encouraged to proselytize only to non-Muslims there. Jehovah’s Witnesses came as well. While Mormons were usually tolerated, the government was hostile to Jehovah’s Witnesses, in a large part due to their pacifism. Proposals to outlaw the religion were not enacted, though missionaries were often deported.

View attachment 767654
(Morris "Two-gun" Cohen)
iOTL, first LDS temple in Asia is 1980 in Tokyo, In 1984, they opened Taipei. iTTL, I'd expect the first temple on the Mainland no later than 1995.

Note, the LDS have actually announced a Shanghai temple will be built, the reaction of the PRC government has basically been, "*you never asked us*"
 
Um, is China Majority Athiest in ttl?
Buddhism is the largest religion but it doesn't mean that the majority of the country is buddhist.
 
Religion has played a powerful role in shaping the history of every country; China is no exception. China’s long history has been influenced both by native religions (Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Daoism) and religions brought to the Chinese people by foreigners (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam). These religions would be in favor with the government at some times and out of favor at other times. In the 20th century, religious freedom was guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of China. That didn’t mean that religious groups were completely free from discrimination or government harassment, however. But, compared to much of the rest of the world, China was a beacon of religious liberty. Thousands of people fled to China in order to practice their faith during the latter half of the 20th century.

Belief in traditional Chinese religion was declining in the 20th century. Some were abandoning religion altogether, while others were converting to other religions (mostly Christianity). There were many organizations created to promote Confucianism. The Chinese Confucian Society Society was founded in 1956 and was the largest organization to promote Confucianism. The organization’s most notable work was training professors and other educators in Confucian ideals. Chen Lifu would be a member until his death, which was somewhat ironic considering his rivalry with Confucius’ descendants. Confucianism is a very different religion than Western religions, and is often called a philosophy instead of a religion. Many Chinese practiced Confucianism alongside other religions. Confucian ideals heavily influenced Chinese people of all faiths.
Not to mention the government. The Sacrificial Official to Confucius has cabinet-level status. At this time the Sacrificial Official to Confucius is his 77th generation descent, Kung Te-cheng. This is the longest-traced ancestry in the world.
 
No, he's satisfied with keeping church and state officially separate. If he were to do something like that, it would have been earlier on.
All right, that’s fair. I do expect Chinese Christians to be quite influenced by the folklore and be distinct, kinda like the Japanese Christians
 
Um, is China Majority Athiest in ttl?
Buddhism is the largest religion but it doesn't mean that the majority of the country is buddhist.
There is no religious majority, and atheists are less than half of the population. A lot of people who aren't religious nevertheless believe in gods.
So in this TL, would June 4 1989 REALLY nothing happened? Or you will also make this date something special?
I won't give anything away, but this TL will go for at least another 20 years, so it will cover 1989.
 
Um, is China Majority Athiest in ttl?
Buddhism is the largest religion but it doesn't mean that the majority of the country is buddhist.
There is no religious majority, and atheists are less than half of the population. A lot of people who aren't religious nevertheless believe in gods.
Pretty much like IRL Japan - from what I've heard, people who aren't actively religious the way Western folks would be would still believe in the kami.
 
六十五, The USSR, 1965-1975
With the execution of Lavrentiy Beria in 1965, Georgy Malenkov had few opponents left in the Soviet government. Those in high places who didn’t like Malenkov were smart enough to not let anyone know. Unless something went horribly wrong, Malenkov could become president for life if that was his desire. Malenkov, just like Stalin before him, presided over the expansion of Soviet power and influence abroad. His foreign policy won much of the Middle East to the Soviet side. His leadership also saw the expansion of the Soviet economy. The 1960s and 1970s are referred to by many historians as the golden age of the Soviet Union. It’s the general consensus of historians that Malenkov was at least partly responsible for the USSR’s good fortunes during this period.

1660907057881.jpeg

(Moscow, 1970s)

The United States had many advantages over the Soviet Union, such as a stronger economy and naval supremacy. The USSR had some advantages of its own. It had a larger army, for instance. But one important advantage that is often forgotten that the Soviets had is that the Americans were more overextended than they were. In the 60s and 70s, the US, UK, and China all had to fight against Communist or other leftist insurgencies far away from home. This had a cost in both money and lives. The 1960s saw no major anti-Communist rebellions within Communist countries outside of East Turkestan. Soviet leadership was optimistic that the third world would embrace Marxism or other anti-Western ideologies and the Soviets would win the Cold War.

The lack of serious resistance to Communism in the Soviet Union can be attributed to heavy-handed approach to dissent. But it must be noted that the Soviet economy was good during these years. This can be attributed to economic reforms enacted by Malenkov. Factories were producing more consumer goods. For the average citizen, life was getting better. And that gave people a reason to have faith in their government, and their leader. A cult of personality for Georgy Malenkov was developed, though it was much more muted than anything from the Stalin era. Of course, there were also those who were not satisfied with Malenkov or with Communism. While the gulags were no more, dissidents faced imprisonment or sometimes death for speaking out against the regime.

The Soviet Union under Malenkov maintained friendly relations with many non-Communist countries such as India, Indonesia, and Egypt. Some Soviet allies, like Iraq under the leadership of Abd al-Karim Qasim began to move towards more Communistic policies. There were also new Communist regimes established during his time in office, such as South Yemen and Somalia. Soviet support for Somalia led to Kenya aligning even more with China. In 1975, Communists took power in Afghanistan, resulting in the country becoming a Soviet ally. While Malenkov was highly interested in the Middle East and Africa, he was less interested in Latin America. Communism would need to triumph in the Eastern hemisphere before it could triumph in the West.
 
In 1975, Communists took power in Afghanistan, resulting in the country becoming a Soviet ally.
The question is if it will stay that way for longer period of time. The result of it may be the same as in OTL, so the Soviets could be forced to intervene in support of the Afgan government. On the other hand, I wouldn't exclude even a possibility of a Chinese invasion of Afganistan, should a civil war between communist government and anti-communist forces in Afghanistan happen.
 
Hmm, Soviets seem to be doing pretty well under Malenkov right now. Interesting how they're not bothering with Latin America; should be interesting to see how the region develops without Soviet-backed Communist influence.
 
六十六, Zhongzheng
As soon as Chiang Kai-shek announced that his fifth term would be his last, the political maneuvering began. There were many people in China eagerly looking forward to 1978. People were soon testing the waters for potential presidential campaigns. Politicians tried to get on the good sides of Chiang Ching-kuo and Chen Lifu (Chiang Kai-shek’s two most likely successors) in order to secure their appointment to higher office in the future. As time went on, Chiang Kai-shek increasingly allowed his son and Chen Lifu to control political appointments. Chiang Kai-shek also agreed to military promotions suggested by his son. Wang Sheng would be placed in charge of most of Northeastern China, including all Chinese forces on the North Korean border. Chen Lifu would also get some of his favored generals promoted in Xinjiang, a province where he had many allies.

1660973030714.jpeg

(Wang Sheng)

Chen Lifu had many other allies. He had an ally in Ku Cheng-kang, Secretary-General of the National Assembly. The National Assembly was in charge of electing the President and Vice President of the Republic of China. Chen communicated with Ku about the possibility of a presidential bid in 1978. Ku estimated that there might be between 1,000 to 1,200 votes for Chen in the National Assembly, well short of a majority of 1,523. Opposition to a Chen Lifu presidency was strongest among the delegations from Northeastern China, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Taiwan. When asked what the estimated votes for Chiang Ching-kuo were, Ku estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 votes. Chen had two options; try to garner more support within the Kuomintang, or concede that Chiang Ching-kuo would be the party’s candidate in 1978.

1660973060743.jpeg

(Ku Cheng-kang)

In April 1975, Chiang Kai-shek suffered a heart attack. Though he survived, there was no more hiding that he was in very poor health. In May he gave a brief interview for the Central Daily, talking about his hopes for China after he leaves office. Central Daily, being the premier pro-KMT newspaper in the country, did not make any mention of Chiang’s failing health of course. The reporter listened to Chiang talk about looking forward to retirement and going back home to Xikou, but the reporter was unconvinced that Chiang would live long enough to do that. Chiang stay away from public appearances for the next few months. Occasional rumors spread that he had died and the government was hiding it.

In 1974, with the fall of Portugal’s right-wing government, there were renewed talks about Macau. Portugal had already agreed that Macau would be handed back to China, but no date had been set in stone. The majority of Macanese were in favor of joining China, but others (Portuguese citizens, the gambling industry, organized crime, opponents of Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT) were opposed. In December, Secretary of Foreign Affairs James Shen went to Macau to discuss Macau’s future integration into China with political and business leaders. Chiang assured them, as his father’s most likely successor, that Macau would be given a degree of autonomy. In 1975, he travelled to Portugal to get the Portuguese government to agree. It was agreed that Macau would be handed over to China in 1980.

Chiang Kai-shek made his first public appearance in months on October 10, 1975 at the Double Ten military parade. This put to rest any rumors that he had died. Chiang had his 88th birthday to look forward to at the end of the month. He took a vacation and went down to his hometown of Xikou two weeks later, joined by his wife Soong Mei-ling. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren would join him in his birthday celebration on October 31. Chiang decided to stay in Xikou for a little while longer before returning to Nanking. Shortly before noon on November 6, Soong Mei-ling went to check on her husband, who hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. He was unresponsive. Mei-ling, fearing the worst, quickly called for the family physician. When he arrived, Chiang Kai-shek was pronounced dead.

Chiang-in-uniform.jpeg

Chiang Kai-shek
(October 31, 1887-November 6, 1975)​
 
As soon as Chiang Kai-shek announced that his fifth term would be his last, the political maneuvering began. There were many people in China eagerly looking forward to 1978. People were soon testing the waters for potential presidential campaigns. Politicians tried to get on the good sides of Chiang Ching-kuo and Chen Lifu (Chiang Kai-shek’s two most likely successors) in order to secure their appointment to higher office in the future. As time went on, Chiang Kai-shek increasingly allowed his son and Chen Lifu to control political appointments. Chiang Kai-shek also agreed to military promotions suggested by his son. Wang Sheng would be placed in charge of most of Northeastern China, including all Chinese forces on the North Korean border. Chen Lifu would also get some of his favored generals promoted in Xinjiang, a province where he had many allies.

View attachment 768051
(Wang Sheng)

Chen Lifu had many other allies. He had an ally in Ku Cheng-kang, Secretary-General of the National Assembly. The National Assembly was in charge of electing the President and Vice President of the Republic of China. Chen communicated with Ku about the possibility of a presidential bid in 1978. Ku estimated that there might be between 1,000 to 1,200 votes for Chen in the National Assembly, well short of a majority of 1,523. Opposition to a Chen Lifu presidency was strongest among the delegations from Northeastern China, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Taiwan. When asked what the estimated votes for Chiang Ching-kuo were, Ku estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 votes. Chen had two options; try to garner more support within the Kuomintang, or concede that Chiang Ching-kuo would be the party’s candidate in 1978.

View attachment 768052
(Ku Cheng-kang)

In April 1975, Chiang Kai-shek suffered a heart attack. Though he survived, there was no more hiding that he was in very poor health. In May he gave a brief interview for the Central Daily, talking about his hopes for China after he leaves office. Central Daily, being the premier pro-KMT newspaper in the country, did not make any mention of Chiang’s failing health of course. The reporter listened to Chiang talk about looking forward to retirement and going back home to Xikou, but the reporter was unconvinced that Chiang would live long enough to do that. Chiang stay away from public appearances for the next few months. Occasional rumors spread that he had died and the government was hiding it.

In 1974, with the fall of Portugal’s right-wing government, there were renewed talks about Macau. Portugal had already agreed that Macau would be handed back to China, but no date had been set in stone. The majority of Macanese were in favor of joining China, but others (Portuguese citizens, the gambling industry, organized crime, opponents of Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT) were opposed. In December, Secretary of Foreign Affairs James Shen went to Macau to discuss Macau’s future integration into China with political and business leaders. Chiang assured them, as his father’s most likely successor, that Macau would be given a degree of autonomy. In 1975, he travelled to Portugal to get the Portuguese government to agree. It was agreed that Macau would be handed over to China in 1980.

Chiang Kai-shek made his first public appearance in months on October 10, 1975 at the Double Ten military parade. This put to rest any rumors that he had died. Chiang had his 88th birthday to look forward to at the end of the month. He took a vacation and went down to his hometown of Xikou two weeks later, joined by his wife Soong Mei-ling. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren would join him in his birthday celebration on October 31. Chiang decided to stay in Xikou for a little while longer before returning to Nanking. Shortly before noon on November 6, Soong Mei-ling went to check on her husband, who hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. He was unresponsive. Mei-ling, fearing the worst, quickly called for the family physician. When he arrived, Chiang Kai-shek was pronounced dead.

Chiang-in-uniform.jpeg

Chiang Kai-shek
(October 31, 1887-November 6, 1975)​
Rest In Peace
 
Some Soviet allies, like Iraq under the leadership of Abd al-Karim Qasim began to move towards more Communistic policies.
It would be interesting seeing how things for the Ba'athist and Nasserist Parties in Iraq play out, given how these groups while rivals, both cooperated in overthrowing Qasim's government in the Ramadan Revolution.
I am interested in seeing Ba'athists and Nasserists cooperating with the ROC and the Kuomintang. Plus I could see closer cooperation between the Ba'athists and Nasserists, unlike in our TL, where they are bitter rivals despite their similar ideologies.
Plus it would be interesting seeing Nasser's Egypt aligning with China along with a potentially Ba'athist Iraq and Syria also aligning with the Chinese.
 
It would be interesting seeing how things for the Ba'athist and Nasserist Parties in Iraq play out, given how these groups while rivals, both cooperated in overthrowing Qasim's government in the Ramadan Revolution.
I am interested in seeing Ba'athists and Nasserists cooperating with the ROC and the Kuomintang. Plus I could see closer cooperation between the Ba'athists and Nasserists, unlike in our TL, where they are bitter rivals despite their similar ideologies.
Plus it would be interesting seeing Nasser's Egypt aligning with China along with a potentially Ba'athist Iraq and Syria also aligning with the Chinese.
Iraq will be an important country in this TL in just a few years.
 
Welcome to part 2 of Without the Kuomintang there would be no China.

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Two people in this picture, not including the pictures with multiple people in them (which includes Jackie Chan), are still alive, do you know who they are?
 
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