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*Super specific discussion warning. I want to stay focused on the title topic, rather than a general discussion of related matters*

I’m putting the suppositions of this discussion in the spoiler, mainly as a nice little visual cue that I don’t want to debate them too much. So, if we can, lets accept that the details in the spoiler tags are a given. They’re not crucial to the discussion, actually, but I figure some will want to lnow where things stand.
- The Nationalists win the Chinese Civil War after the close of WW2, communism never gains a serious foothold in Asia.
- Korean War still happens, but without Chinese support, the NORKs get crushed, Korea is unified by the South. Vietnam is never truly divided, and the Vietnam war is averted.
- Other than the changes in Asia, the Cold War mostly goes on as historically. Ending with a whimper in the late 80s/early 90s.
- Diplomatically, China under the nationalists is about as pro-US as, say, France is. Allied and friendly, but determined to do their own thing.
- Economically and Demographically, China has a few more million people, and per capita, moderately richer. We’ll pick some arbitrary number: 1.45 billion, and $12k/capita (nominal), resulting in a total GDP of $17.4 trillion. Still second place, without taking into consideration that the US is probably richer in this scenario.
- Politically, China is still liberalizing. There are free elections, but it is a large country, and they’re not nearly as democratic as smaller liberal asian countries like Korea or Japan.

Here’s what I’d like discuss specifically: what might their nuclear program look like? Specifically their civilian program? Currently, China gets under 5% of their energy from nuclear. What sort of range might we see from a China which has better relations with the West and likely has better access to their nuclear tech? The Soviets weren’t much help to the Chinese when it came to nuclear tech, as their relations soured at the same tome China started up their own civilian and military program.
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