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

And also of course this whole area is really OT for this TL; it can't be entirely ignored, but one can't expect universal coverage in rigorous detail - no human being has the time for that.
Pretty much. It does feel a little weird having to gloss over events in America, considering that my other two TLs, especially Man of the Hour, are so heavily focused on the United States.
What about Germany?,Does it reunify in 1990?
Wait and see.
 
八十九, Entertainment
China was a changing country. It was growing both in its economy and population (though growth in the latter was slowing down). It was becoming more connected to the rest of the world. Entertainment in China was changing as well. By the 1980s most Chinese had a TV in their home. Thus, television became a huge part of life in China. Film had been present in the country since the closing years of the Qing Dynasty, and film played a huge role in the history of the Republic of China. When talking about Chinese cinema, television, or music, works from Hong Kong are often included, even though Hong Kong would not be returned to China until 1997. Chinese entertainment would experience a boom in the late 20th century and would even come to be known outside of China as well.

The Chinese government had its hand in radio, television, cinema, and music. As the century went on, that hand loosened its grip, but it was still present. The government paid directors to make patriotic films. Historical epics were common, with the Second World War and the Chinese Civil War being the most popular wars. This genre peaked in the mid-1960s. By the 1970s, audiences were growing tired of watching the same type of movie year after year. But Chinese filmmakers had an idea from Hong Kong to get audiences back in theaters to watch propaganda. In 1974, Bruce Lee would fight (and kill) Communists in The Shaanxi Dragon, his only role in a mainland film. It was wildly popular, breaking box office records in China. The film was a hit in South Korea, the Philippines, and it was even played in some theaters in the West. Attempts to cash in the popularity of The Shaanxi Dragon mostly failed, as the film’s popularity was tied to Bruce Lee.

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(Bruce Lee)

Censorship in China kept the Hong Kong film industry going strong. Kung Fu movies would be Hong Kong’s most famous product of that era, but the martial arts genre of film was by no means the only Hong Kong media popular abroad. Hong Kong movies of all sorts would regularly outperform mainland films in the mainland itself. There was little censorship in Hong Kong and popular mainland actors and actresses could easily go to the city as there were no restrictions on travel. They would often film a movie in Cantonese for Hong Kong and Guangdong and produce the Mandarin dub for Northern China at the same time. Hong Kong TV shows, often in the Wuxia genre, were popular in the mainland as well.

Chinese music would evolve during this time. The popularity of the Quarrymen resulted in a more western influenced Chinese music. The 60s and 70s saw an explosion of cover bands of American and British bands, with the Quarrymen being the most covered. Some of these went on to make their own music in Mandarin or Cantonese. Rock and Roll came to China and would remain popular for decades. The most famous rock star from China during the Chiang Era was Tsui Chien, a man from Beiping who became famous in the 1980s. Tsui was active in the pro-democracy circles, and rock music became associated with the pro-democracy movement. Other famous Chinese singers of the 70s and 80s included Teng Li-chun and Chang Yen-ching.

Television was an increasingly important part of life in China. Once again, it was heavily regulated by the government. Historical dramas with patriotic themes were common. Stories from Chinese mythology proved to be more popular. From 1974 to 1979, The China Broadcasting Corporation ran an adaptation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which proved to be a massive success. Journey to The West would be adapted for television in a series that ran from 1976-1978. An animated series called The Monkey King was on air during the late 80s and early 90s. Kung Fu series, usually from Hong Kong, were shown on TV as well. Chinese people also tuned in to their Minkuo televisions to watch the news, soap operas, documentaries, and more.

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(Chinese celebrities of the 70s and 80s)

The 1980s brought a new form of entertainment to China: video games. The first video games in China were arcade games imported from Japan in the late 1970s. In the middle of the decade, Minkuo electronics got involved in making games. In 1986, the first video game produced in China: Jade Mountain Treasure. The player explores and fights their way through sixty levels in order to find the treasure at the top of Jade Mountain. Their next few releases would be third person shooter games which followed a protagonist, usually a Chinese soldier and sometimes a pilot, who fought hordes of Communist drones. While these games sold many copies in China, they were never translated into other languages and never were released outside the Japanese world.
 
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As for the celebrities in the picture I posted, one of them should be someone you recognize. A few of them some of you might recognize. For two men in this picture, I expect that very few of my readers will recognize them. These people are a bit different than OTL, and all of these actors and singer were born in the 50s or 60s, well after the PoD.

There are 3 mainland Chinese celebrities, one Hong Kong celebrity, and three Taiwanese celebrities (although at least two of them had parents who fled from the mainland in 1949, I'm not sure about the other one).
 
Pretty much. It does feel a little weird having to gloss over events in America, considering that my other two TLs, especially Man of the Hour, are so heavily focused on the United States.

Wait and see.
Sometimes it’s fun to avoid your comfort zone; two of my TLs are super US focused, but L’Aigle Triomphant has checked in on it all of once
 
九十, The Foreign Policy of Chiang Ching-kuo
As President of China, Chiang Ching-kuo would generally pursue a pragmatic foreign policy. He was averse to confrontation with the USSR, a country which he thought coexistence with was possible. This put him in contrast with his predecessor, Chen Lifu, who viewed the destruction of the USSR as his priority in foreign policy. For the time being, the Soviet Union was still stronger. It wasn’t that much stronger, however, especially compared to before Chiang Ching-kuo was president. China had been slowly increasing its power. In 1985, a report by Soviet intelligence claimed that the Soviet Union had ten years left before China overtook it militarily. If any war broke out between the two, it would be highly costly for both sides.

In 1986, China suspended all aid to Afghan rebels as part of an agreement between five nations. The Soviet Union withdrew all its military forces by the end of the year. Some anti-Communist hardliners criticized the decision. They believed that China should not only continue to aid the Afghan rebels, but China should also aid the Iranian rebels. Many Chinese Muslims, who were highly influential in KMT politics, had enthusiastically backed any effort to undermine Communism in the Islamic world, even if it meant supporting Shi’ites. Chiang himself didn’t care for the rebels in Iran, and his preferred outcome for the country was the restoration of the Shah. He also worried that Islamists movements might spread into Western China, particularly Xinjiang.

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(Afghan rebels)

Chiang Ching-kuo was on good terms with all the US presidents who were in office the same time as him. Even though the KMT preferred Republicans, he got along fine with Kennedy. China and the United States had a common enemy in the Soviet Union. In the late 70s and 80s, both countries were concerned about the rise of Soviet power. Though the USSR wasn’t as threatening in 1986 as it was in 1978, it was still a force to be reconned with. Chiang Ching-kuo, even if not to the same extent as Chen Lifu, was an anti-Communist. Though not eager to provoke the Soviet Union, in 1986 he doubled the troop numbers in Xinjiang. Some saw this as a buildup to an invasion of East Turkestan.

With China’s rapidly expanding economy, the country could afford to give more in aid. Economic aid was given to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Even some Eastern European countries like Romania received aid from China. Military aid was given as well, mostly to countries on the front lines with the Communist world. These countries included Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Kenya. Wealthy Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates purchased Chinese equipment. The United States took the responsibility of fighting Communists in Latin America and aiding anti-Communists in that part of the world. Foreign aid was not entirely popular back home. Hundreds of millions of Chinese were poor, and many of them wanted the money to be spent in China.

The increased openness in China allowed for more criticism of official foreign policy. Foreign aid wasn’t the only controversial aspect of Chiang’s foreign policy. There were two countries that China supported that some of its citizens were uneasy about supporting. These two countries were Communist Romania and Apartheid South Africa. In 1986, Romania brutally cracked down on protests, killing hundreds. There were calls in China for Chiang Ching-kuo to stop working with Nicolae Ceausescu. Apartheid in South Africa was an issue that rallied people around the world. Countries were placing sanctions on South Africa. China also issued condemnations against Apartheid, but trade with South Africa massively increased during the 1980s as other countries stopped trade. This proved to alienate some of China’s allies in Africa.

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(Sign from Apartheid South Africa)
 
Great chapter. But why would Nationalist China continue to support Apartheid South Africa given how badly they treat all non-whites in general, furthermore wouldn't a more powerful and in control nationalist China not worry too much about needing every ally out there and thus could avoid allying or being friendly with South Africa?
 
Great chapter. But why would Nationalist China continue to support Apartheid South Africa given how badly they treat all non-whites in general, furthermore wouldn't a more powerful and in control nationalist China not worry too much about needing every ally out there and thus could avoid allying or being friendly with South Africa?
Well, they publicly oppose apartheid, they just continue to trade with South Africa anyway.
 
Great chapter. But why would Nationalist China continue to support Apartheid South Africa given how badly they treat all non-whites in general, furthermore wouldn't a more powerful and in control nationalist China not worry too much about needing every ally out there and thus could avoid allying or being friendly with South Africa?
Well, they publicly oppose apartheid, they just continue to trade with South Africa anyway.
Realpolitik in a nutshell - working with people you don't like in order to profit.
What OP and President Eternal said. Heck, IIRC America continued to trade with South Africa at this time.

Also, apartheid likely wouldn't affect Chinese visiting the country - IIRC, Japanese businessmen were considered 'honorary whites' because South Africa was courting development assistance...
 
1985, a report by Soviet intelligence claimed that the Soviet Union had ten years left before China overtook it militarily. If any war broke out between the two, it would be highly costly for both sides.
don't worry darlings China will never attack you in order to conquer Siberia, give it 10 years and they will simply buy it from you :)
Apartheid in South Africa was an issue that rallied people around the world. Countries were placing sanctions on South Africa. China also issued condemnations against Apartheid, but trade with South Africa massively increased during the 1980s as other countries stopped trade. This proved to alienate some of China’s allies in Africa.
It is good to have moral principles but it is much better to have many natural resources at 50 % discount
 
Even then, the Civic Nationalism of the Kuomintang would go against the White Nationalist Ideology of the Afrikaaner Nasionale Party.

The KMT's Civic Nationalist Ideology wants to unify all Chinese people of all races and cultures, at least what Sun wanted. The Afrikaaner Nationalist Ideology, on the other, practiced by the Apartheid Regime, is centered around White Afrikaaners. Although, by the 1980s, before the end of Apartheid, the Nasionale Party did undergo a period of liberalization under PW Botha, relaxing the racist policy against coloreds/mixed-race South Africans and slowly improving rights for the Black majority. At the same time, said liberalization by PW Botha led to a split within the NP with Hard-Right Factions leaving the NP and forming the extreme Conservative Party who wanted to go back to the 60s (When Apartheid was at its peak).

That said, I feel like there should be opposition within the KMT regarding ties to the Apartheid Regime. Plus, I imagine factions within the KMT openly opposing what South Africa stands for. There would be factions sympathetic or supportive of the Pan-Africanist Movement (With Pan-Africanism having similar ideological cues as the Kuomintang but applied to Africa), and I would imagine elements in the KMT supporting the ANC.
 
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And on that note, considering Maoism was quite big in Africa IOTL, we could have anti-communist African nationalists here declare their allegiance to Tridemism here.
 
Even then, the Civic Nationalism of the Kuomintang would go against the White Nationalist Ideology of the Afrikaaner Nasionale Party.

The KMT's Civic Nationalist Ideology wants to unify all Chinese people of all races and cultures, at least what Sun wanted. The Afrikaaner Nationalist Ideology, on the other, practiced by the Apartheid Regime, is centered around White Afrikaaners. Although, by the 1980s, before the end of Apartheid, the Nasionale Party did undergo a period of liberalization under PW Botha, relaxing the racist policy against coloreds/mixed-race South Africans and slowly improving rights for the Black majority. At the same time, said liberalization by PW Botha led to a split within the NP with Hard-Right Factions leaving the NP and forming the extreme Conservative Party who wanted to go back to the 60s (When Apartheid was at its peak).

That said, I feel like there should be opposition within the KMT regarding ties to the Apartheid Regime. Plus, I imagine factions within the KMT openly opposing what South Africa stands for. There would be factions sympathetic or supportive of the Pan-Africanist Movement (With Pan-Africanism having similar ideological cues as the Kuomintang but applied to Africa), and I would imagine elements in the KMT supporting the ANC.
There certainly are factions within the KMT that oppose South Africa.
And on that note, considering Maoism was quite big in Africa IOTL, we could have anti-communist African nationalists here declare their allegiance to Tridemism here.
Yes, Jomo Kenyatta was inspired by China TTL.
 
九十一, March 13, 1987
Lenin, Stalin, and Malenkov all expanded Communism, Ligachev's rule has seen Communism retreat.

-Vladimir Kryuchkov

The 1980s saw a change in Soviet fortunes. At the beginning of the decade, Soviet leadership was optimistic about their prospects for winning the Cold War. However, by the middle of the decade, that optimism had faded, and by 1987 it was disappearing. Afghanistan was abandoned. Hungary and Czechoslovakia had essentially switched from being Soviet allies to becoming neutral countries like Switzerland or Austria. China was rapidly catching up with the Soviet Union. A significant faction within the Communist Party was convinced that Yegor Ligachev was to blame. People were even beginning to wonder if removing Shelepin was a mistake. In January 1987, an attempt was made within the party to remove Ligachev from power. The Politburo narrowly sided with Ligachev, and several hardliners were placed under arrest. Among these was Alexander Shelepin.

Communist hardliners were not going to give up, however. Though the legal means of removing Ligachev had been exhausted, illegal means had not. Gennady Yanayev spoke in favor of a coup with the other anti-Ligachov Communists. He was not alone. On March 13, 1987, hardliners in the military launched a coup. Yegor Ligachov was put under arrest, and Shelepin was released. The KGB was fully on board with the coup. While some of the coup plotters supported a return of Alexander Shelepin to power, the majority rallied around KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov. On the 14th, he assumed leadership of the Soviet Union. He gave a speech in Moscow where he blamed the previous leadership for the reversal in Soviet fortunes. He promised to bring back the Soviet Union of Stalin and Malenkov.

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(Vladimir Kryuchkov)

Not everyone was to stand by and do nothing as the legitimate government of the Soviet Union was overthrown in a coup. Some citizens in Moscow took to the streets, but they were massacred by the pro-coup soldiers. Anti-coup forces regrouped elsewhere. Leningrad and Kiev were two major cities which were under the control of coup opponents. They were disorganized at first. Alexander Yakovlev led the anti-coup forces from his base of power in Leningrad. Novgorod and Tallinn were soon taken over by anti-coup forces. Over the next week the Latvia and Lithuania SSRs would see heavy fighting between supporters and opponents of the coup, and the coup supporters would eventually prevail. Soviet forces in Vladivostock rose up against the Kryuchkov government.

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(Alexander Yakovlev)

Czechoslovakia condemned the coup, as did Hungary. East Germany, Poland, Albania, Bulgaria, and North Korea backed the coup. Poland would even send soldiers to fight pro-Yakovlev forces. China would support the anti-coup forces, but would not put any boots on the ground in Soviet territory. In less than 48 hours after the coup began, China began its invasion of East Turkestan. Kryuchkov could do nothing about it, as he couldn’t afford to fight both China and his internal enemies. The coup inspired hardliners in Hungary to overthrow the government there and replace it with a Stalinist one. This coup led to an uprising against the new government. 1987 would also see riots in East Germany and Poland.

The month of April began with the city of Lvov falling to anti-coup forces. Attempts to push into Eastern Ukraine were unsuccessful, however. An anti-coup uprising in Southern Russia was crushed. When pro-Kryuchkov forces would capture a city, they would execute supposed Yakovlev supporters. Anti-coup forces would kill supposed coup supporters as well, though these were the acts of individuals and not official policy. Yakovlev had control of the Northwestern USSR, from Tallinn to Novgorod, to Archangelsk, to Murmansk, and everything in between. Other disconnected areas of the Soviet Union backed him as well. The overwhelming majority of the Soviet Union, in terms of both land area and population, was under the control of Kryuchkov. Meanwhile, Yegor Ligachov and dozens of other Soviet officials languished in prison.
 
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Hahaha my assumption was correct. If they actually succeed than the USSR would collapse anyway from economic hardships. I wonder if they would try to force Czechoslovakia and Hungary back into Stalinism
 
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