Update time! Here's 1967-1975:
February 1967: In Nanjing, major protests break out over the poor state of the Chinese economy. Protestors condemn the Chiang regime for withholding war reconstruction funds, and for the inefficiency and corruption with which these funds have been distributed. Many point to the way in which skyscrapers run by Chiang Wei-kuo and Ching-kuo (the former being the minister of finance) just so happen to be gracing the Nanjing skyline while the people of southeast Jiangsu are dying of cancer.
Chiang handles the situation poorly, sending armed police into the streets to crush the dissidents. Protest leader Li Guanghu successfully flees to the United States, where he is given asylum. The Nanjing protests create a large degree of tension between the US and China, proving the first major point of tension in the relationship between Washington and Nanjing. However, the underlying issues surrounding the protest are not going anywhere fast...
February 4, 1967: Georgia and Armenia sign a Treaty of Mutual Defence and Collaboration, committing one to the defence of another should it be attacked by "any foreign power". It is clear that the target in this case is Azerbaijan, which is rapidly becoming more and more isolated in the South Caucasus. This leads Azerbaijan to look elsewhere in the region for potential allies, considering both Turkey and Iran. All of this provokes concern in Washington that NATO may not be sustainable in the South Caucasus.
March 15, 1967: General Sukarno, who has ruled Indonesia since 1945, resigns as President. His replacement Suharto quickly proves dreadfully repressive. Given the amount of Chinese investment in the country, Suharto is unwilling to adopt a less pro-Nanjing set of policies. The combination of these two factors means that Humphrey soon grows to dislike his regime immensely.
March 22, 1967: In Germany and Poland, the newly formed Vertreibenbund, with Erich Krafft (1) as its president, stages demonstrations in Berlin, Poznan, and Szeczin. Their argument is that the resettlement of Germans from western Poland in 1945 constituted ethnic cleansing and should be reversed, now that these areas have been liberated. Polish president Stefan Brominski, given his own anti-Russian activities in Miastokrolka (former East Prussia), is concerned about the precedent giving a platform to these ideas might set, and as such refuses even to hear the idea. By contrast, German Chancellor Kurt Kiesinger is quite receptive to the notion, as he feels that it would be an effective means of reaffirming the power of newly reunited Germany.
May 1, 1967: The book Sunset of a People is published by a Mongolian refugee. It's the first in-depth chronicle of the sinicisation in Mongolia and Xinjiang, and is widely compared to Elie Wiesel's Night. In the United States, the reaction is one of horror, with President Humphrey having an extremely terse conversation with Chinese ambassador Zhang Gouchang. Holocaust survivors around the globe condemn Chiang's actions and call for sanctions against the KMT. However, the Chinese seat on the Security Council means that any UN motions to investigate are blocked, while neither America nor anyone in Europe wants to jeopardise relations with as important an economic power as China. As one pessimistic columnist for the Denver Post writes, "as far as I can see, the plight of the Mongolian people is an impossible one to solve short of nothing less than World War IV."
One ironic side-effect of this book is to increase awareness of and sympathy for the Uighurs amongst the leaders of the Central Asian republics of the USSR. Over the summer of 1967, numerous back-and-forth messages are waged between these capitals and the more cautious Andropov and Polyansky over whether or not these refugees should be accepted. The central government is fervently opposed to the idea, as to do so would further damage Sino-Russian relations.
August 16, 1967: Charles de Gaulle arrives in Baku to sign an arms deal with the Azeri government. Meanwhile, the Georgian and Armenian ambassadors to France receive stern talks warning them not to upset the status quo in the region. Some now begin to speculate that Azerbaijan will follow France out of NATO...
December 2, 1967: With his sinicisation work mostly completed, Chiang Ching-kuo is transferred back to Nanjing to be groomed as Chiang's potential successor.
January 2, 1968: The Bank of China, run by a political ally of Chiang's, negotiates a 2.3 billion yuan loan with the Azeri government, to be used predominantly for the military. In response, Georgia and Armenia become ever more nervous and look to both America and Britain for help.
March 14, 1968: In a televised announcement, Chiang Kai-shek announces with obvious pride that "the pacification of Xinjiang, Xizang, Menggu, and Xiboliya provinces (2) has been completed satisfactorily." Henceforth, these areas are given civilian rule. This statement is code for the completion of the ethnic cleansing programmes in these areas, which by 1970 will be 95% ethnic Han. Not until Chiang Kai-shek's death and the subsequent liberalisation in the 1980s will even fragments of the truth as to what will become known by some as the "Chiang Holocaust" be revealed.
June 8, 1968: With the danger of radiation judged to be over, the Great Reconstruction formally commences, with Beijing and Suzhou slowly being rebuilt. Neither city will be completed by the time of Chiang's death, but by 1985 both will have exceeded their pre-war population levels. In spite of Chiang's instructions for rebuilding- namely, to build as many tenements and factories as possible, and to award the contracts to pro-Chiang companies and businessmen- many architects find ways to implement both new and traditional ideas in what one architect calls "the greatest canvas imaginable in the world, upon which there are no rules and in which it is an honour to work." To the frustration of the anti-Chinese factions in American politics (chiefly within the Republican Party), much of the funding for this comes from US funds, although a disturbingly high amount is acquired by bleeding Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Siberia white.
Throughout the summer of 1968, other governments start to take their cues from the Chinese, and tentative efforts at rebuilding commence in Minsk, Kiev, Kharkov, Norwich, Ipswitch, Amsterdam, Brussels, Kassel, and Fulda. In the Soviet Union, the Andropov-Polyansky government takes considerable heat for failing to rebuild Leningrad or Smolensk.
September 12, 1968: To the surprise of few, Azerbaijan pulls out of NATO. immediately signing another pact with France. The Chinese Foreign Ministry covertly praises this development, saying that, "the people of Azerbaijan have decided to go along their own path, and we wish them success in the international community."
October 19, 1968: The German People's Party (Niemiecka Partia Ludowa, NPL) is founded in Poland, lobbying and voting for the interests of ethnic Germans in Poland. Although Brominski is displeased at this, there is little he can do short of taking authoritarian measures.
November 3, 1968: In a fierce election, President Humphrey defeats his Republican opponent Richard Nixon by a slim margin. While the GOP does not win the presidency, it does gain a significant number of seats in Congress, giving it a substantial majority. Political analysts reach a conclusion that the public was willing to forgive Humphrey's mistakes in his first term owing to his success in leading WWIII to a successful conclusion. Nonetheless, it is clear that Humphrey will have to fight hard to prevent the conservatives running Congress from dominating the show.
February 28, 1969: The populations of Norwich and Ipswitch both pass 15,000.
March 1, 1969: In a move which most observers agree is in response to Humphrey's re-election, the Eurasian Security Triangle (EAST) is inaugurated in Shanghai. Its founding members are the Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Empire of Vietnam, the Kingdom of Laos, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the French Fourth Republic), the Republic of Singapore (3), and the Azeri Republic.
April 9, 1969: Taiwan formally becomes an Open Investment Zone, and proves a useful source of revenue for the ROC over the next several years.
May 17, 1969: The Empire of Vietnam declares war on Cambodia. Both remain still nominally French protectorates, but neither is happy with the status quo in Indochina. Vietnamese troops rapidly overrun the Cambodians. However, the Chinese aid which they had been expecting does not materialise. This is because Chiang wants to cultivate strong relations with France, whose protectorate Cambodia nominally still is. China adopts a policy of neutrality in the conflict, retaining its occupation zone in northern Vietnam but not using it as a means to channel aid or volunteers to Saigon. Neither does it provide much aid to Cambodia beyond just enough to keep it alive.
Charles de Gaulle is grateful for the co-operation of China, and several positive meetings occur between Chinese and French officials during the summer of 1969. The irony of this- that France opted out of WWIII fought nominally on China's behalf- is not lost, but neither side mentions that inconvenient fact. The main reason for this sudden burst of Franco-Chinese co-operation is a mutual dislike of the United States, as well as mutual contentment with and a desire to preserve the status quo in Indochina.
June 3, 1969: In a test of the new alliance, 50,000 EAST troops (the majority of which are Chinese and French) are welcomed into Azerbaijan to "maintain peace in the region." International observers fear the potential of a war in the Middle East and South Caucasus, which could see NATO and EAST on opposing sides. Thankfully, neither Washington or Nanjing is ready to fight a major conflict so soon after WWIII.
June 22, 1969: The climactic Battle of Krong Kampong is fought between the Cambodians and Vietnamese. Both sides suffer very heavy casualties, and after a day's fighting the Vietnamese retreat. The inconclusive battle actually works in Vietnam's favour, given that their troops still occupy Phnom Penh, while conversely none of their territory lies in Cambodian hands.
Following the battle, the Treaty of Hanoi is signed, effectively dictated by the French and Chinese. While the Vietnamese recognise their unpopularity with their two benefactors, they at least hope to have a measure of superiority over Cambodia codified in the treaty. As such, the result is immensely disappointing, calling on Vietnamese troops to evacuate Cambodian territory, with French troops manning a DMZ over five hundred miles long along the Vietnamese-Cambodian border. While the Vietnamese leadership- such as Emperor Bao Dai and Vietnamese Kuomintang leader (and prime minister) Vu Hong Khanh- remain stooges of the French, leaders of underground parties begin to harbour deep resentments towards Nanjing and Paris for cheating them out of a victory.
July-September 1969: Throughout the summer of 1967, numerous Vietnamese in the Chinese occupation zone in the north of their country stage boycotts of Chinese-owned businesses, with several officials commenting that the area under Chinese occupation is still ultimately Vietnamese. Similarly, numerous French "advisors" are "requested" to leave the country. As the Vietnamese start to assume a more nationalist posture, there are questions as to whether or not violent revolution will be needed.
September 12, 1969: In order to consolidate Chinese control over its part of Vietnam, Chiang Kai-shek announces a 50,000 increase in the occupying forces in the Chinese "sphere of influence". In response, Humphrey begins to quietly talk about the possibility of supporting regime change in Vietnam. The Vietnam question will confirm to many international observers that Sino-American relations have taken a major turn for the worst, with many comparing the situation to the state of Russo-American relations in 1945.
October 1, 1969: Major riots break out all over Vietnam, protesting the corrupt, authoritarian Imperial government for being a stooge of the French and Chinese. "We seek liberation and genuine freedom for the people of our long-suffering nation," declares protest leader Qui Hiq Nong. President Humphrey covertly supports the movement and quietly prepares for the potential for regime change. The response of the Bao Dai regime is telling- they collaborate with the French to violently suppress the protests, while the Chinese are even more ruthless. It will take two weeks for a semblance of quiet to return.
February 1970: Chinese New Year celebrations turn ugly, with people turning onto the streets to protest the continued authoritarianism and corruption of the Chiang regime, which many describe as not being much better than a crime syndicate running a country. The occupation of northern Vietnam is also condemned. Chiang sacks a few officials targeted by the protesters- namely, Vice-Minister of Reconstruction Leng Wuxi- but otherwise does little, confident that nothing can touch his regime.
March 23, 1970: Long expected by many, the Vietnamese Revolution breaks out. Government, French, and Chinese troops are all attacked, with the Vietnamese calling for an end to the occupation and to the establishment of a republic. In the United States, President Humphrey gives his "full and unequivocal backing" to the "hopes and dreams of the Vietnamese people" but does not call on Nanjing or Paris to do anything specific beyond abstaining from the use of force- a plea that is soon to be forgotten.
Throughout the spring of 1970, the Vietnamese Revolution is slowly crushed, with both France and China increasing their troop commitments substantially. America, meanwhile, quietly slips money and weapons to the rebels. By the summer, the revolt has been quelled, but the EAST military presence in Vietnam remains.
April 18, 1970: A Chinese company starts work on a new parliament building in Baku. The whole project is financed with Chinese money and is meant to be a token of goodwill. Azeri president Heydar Aliev profusely thanks Chiang on television, confident that his nation will soon be a major regional player.
November 4, 1970: It's midterm night in the United States! The night proves a fairly even one, with the battle lines in Congress more or less the same as before.
January 1, 1971: Moldova formally federates with Romania, becoming one of Bucharest's provinces. The province is substantially poorer than the rest of the country and will become the recipient of considerable economic aid from both Bucharest and outside resources such as the IMF and World Bank.
March 30- April 9, 1971: At the 24th Congress of the Communist Party in Moscow, it becomes clear (although none of the delegates officially say so), that the Soviet economy is heading for collapse and that both economic reforms and improved relations with the USSR's neighbours, old and new, will be needed. Naturally, no-one is too keen on this.
May 22, 1971: In Indonesia, General Suharto's regime joins EAST. Following this, both Malaysia and Australia, feeling threatened, sign security guarantees with the United States.
Summer 1971: A series of disconnected revolts against military rule and the Bao Dai regime flare-up in Vietnam, all of which fail.
October 29, 1971: In New Zealand, the book Asian Balkans is published. Its thesis is that the current situation in East Asia, where America and China are locked in a balance-of-power cold war with their own proxies, dangerously resembles the situation in the Balkans prior to World War I. The book sells well in the West, although it is banned in China.
December 26, 1971: The Second South Caucasus War opens with a Georgian and Armenian surprise attack on Azerbaijan. Georgia and Armenia enjoy the backing of the United States and Israel, while EAST naturally looks after its own. One of the things which EAST lacks, however, is an analogue to NATO's Article V, meaning that neither France nor China (or, for that matter, any EAST country) formally declares war. Nonetheless, both deploy expeditionary forces. Much of the Middle East (except for Saudi Arabia) backs the Azeris. For the United States, putting boots on the ground only five and a half years after the end of World War III is not an option. Nonetheless, American "advisors" are dispatched to the Georgians and Armenians, and both Tiblisi and Yerevan are the recipients of liberal financial and military aid.
Throughout the winter of 1971-1972, the Azeris are forced to retreat to shorten their 450-mile front. However, the rugged terrain, combined with Chinese and French troops, means that they're able to halt the advance around the town of Jermuk. Both sides then settle down into trench warfare.
January 1, 1972: Kiev and Minsk become the capitals of Ukraine and Belarus respectively, both cities having recovered from their nuclear devastation in World War III.
January 11, 1972: Israel declares war on Azerbaijan. This sets off a chain reaction, and within a week, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq seize the opportunity to crush their enemy. (4) They all simultaneously attack, but this leads to what Israelis and their supporters call even today the "January Miracle." Within a week, the Israelis have conducted a brilliant defensive campaign, routing their enemies and defending their soil. At this point, the Americans step in and offer to broker a peace deal between Israel and its foolhardy neighbours.
January 21, 1972: A Sino-Azeri offensive captures the Georgian town of Deodoplis Tero after heavy fighting.
February 1972: Hoping that France and China will be too distracted by the Second South Caucasus War to efficiently react, yet another massive uprising occurs in Vietnam. This time, the insurgents meet with some success, capturing large swathes of territory. Indeed, the Danqan- the name the rebels give themselves- ironically enough adopt Maoist-style guerilla warfare, hiding in the most remote parts of the country. In spite of the American commitment to Georgia and Armenia, President Humphrey is able to covertly ship plenty of surplus World War III equipment to the guerillas, largely through neutral Thailand.
February 4, 1972: The Treaty of Tel Aviv is signed, transferring the Sinai Peninsula and West Bank to Israel. The peace negotiations were complicated by the fact that while Israel was willing to sign peace treaties with its hostile neighbours, it desired to continue the war with Azerbaijan, something which the surrounding states were hesitant to accept. All of a sudden, Zionism becomes a much more powerful force on the world stage and Israel's prestige skyrockets.
February 13, 1972: The town of Gardabani, only 45km from Tiblisi, falls to the Azeris. It is clear that for the second time, the Azeris have proven their dominance in the South Caucasus. Subsequently, both Georgia and Armenia sue for peace. The terms are surprisingly moderate, with the defeated parties being forced to pay reparations and limit their militaries, but with no border changes. This is due to the Azeri reluctance to annex any more hostile subjects.
Following this, Israel signs a white peace with Azerbaijan. It's grateful for its position of increased strength in the Middle East, and hopes that no hostile states will take advantage of its packing the wrong horse, so to speak, to attack it.
The defeat of Georgia and Armenia in a war which they started prompts serious debate about their position in NATO. It's clear that their hatred for Baku will continue into the indefinite future, and NATO doesn't want to become embroiled in a quagmire in the South Caucasus (owing to the Article V clause) should Azerbaijan attack.
March 5, 1972: A military coup brings General Sherki Terdobyssi to power in Tiblisi. Terdobyssi will rule at the head of a military junta until his death in 1996.
April 19, 1972: NATO votes to expel Georgia from the organisation, using the behaviour of the new military regime as an example. This is seen as a significant defeat for US policymakers, although a consensus is reached at the time that this decision, while unpleasant, was the best of bad options.
May 8, 1972: Bao Dai is assassinated by a nationalist insurgent in Saigon, who throws a bomb into a restaurant where the emperor is eating. He is replaced by his 38-year-old son Bao Long, who proves to have even less political finesse than his father. Following this, the violence in Vietnam only increases, with the French-backed regime only controlling the cities. Paris and Nanjing both announce further troop surges, and for the next few years, both will be locked in a bitter guerilla war with the Vietnamese. (5)
November 4, 1972: In the United States presidential election, Republican Richard Nixon beats Democrat Russel B. Long by a considerable margin, although not the landslide of OTL. Both are charismatic, skilled leaders, but the debate over foreign policy hands the election to Nixon. With the afterglow of victory in WWIII having faded from the Democrats, and with their lacklustre response to the Second South Caucasus War fresh in the public mind, Nixon's optimistic if vague foreign policy promises attract many.
December 1972: In the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, protests erupt amongst the ethnic Russian population against Ukrainian rule, calling for a Moldovan-style plebiscite on rejoining the USSR. The movement gets nowhere, with neither Polyansky nor Andropov taking any steps to support the protesters. The inert Soviet response is taken by many as a sign that the USSR is so consumed by its postwar internal problems that it can no longer afford to maintain an assertive foreign policy in its own backyard.
January 20, 1973: In his inaugural address, President Nixon states to the surprise of many that he will be willing to meet with Chinese leaders if certain conditions are met, such as a peaceful end to the conflict in Vietnam and the extension of security guarantees to non-EAST countries in Asia and Europe. Chiang does not reciprocate, however.
January 1973: A global economic downturn, the worst since the post-WWIII recession, commences. However, President Nixon is able to dodge most of the blame. (6) In China, the resulting unemployment spike causes further protests against the Chiang regime. The ageing dictator is, however, content to sit back and do nothing except bail out the major conglomerates which power the Chinese economy, leaving the people out to dry.
March 1, 1973: In a move which seems insignificant at the time, Deng Xiaoping is released from his prison term in Chengdu. He immediately starts to ponder how to reconstruct his career...
August 27, 1973: The Philippines join EAST
November 2, 1973: Indira Gandhi formally announces the creation of the Neutrality Bloc, designed for nations who wish to align to neither Washington or Nanjing. Many African and South American states join, along with Iran and General Terdobyssi's regime in Georgia. (7) The establishment of the Neutrality Bloc prompts a debate in Moscow as to whether or not the USSR should join. In the end, the conservative leadership opts to stay out, although it does acquire observer status.
February 12, 1974: In one of the last major acts of Chiang Kai-shek's life, the EAST Economic Confederation (EASTEC) is formed. (8) It's an economic analogue to the existing EAST military alliance, with a focus on spreading Chinese money and influence across Eurasia. All the current EAST nations join, plus Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. The move is viewed with suspicion in Washington, as it is feared that Chiang is trying to cement his domination of Central Asia.
December 1974: After nearly two years, the world economy starts to level out once more.
April 5, 1975: The news rivets the world: Chiang Kai-shek, the man who unified China, beat Hirohito and Brezhnev, and defeated the Chinese Communists, is dead. His son Chiang Ching-kuo assumes the presidency, but no-one is aware of the effects that this will have....
(1)Fictitious
(2) Respectively, these are: Xinjiang as per its OTL borders, Tibet, Mongolia, and the annexed portions of Siberia
(3) The Chinese in Singapore have successfully pressured Lee Kwan Yew into aligning his regime with Nanjing
(4) An obvious analogue to Israeli performance in the Six-Day War, which WWIII butterflied out. This in turn removes the Yom Kippur War
(5) This insurgency in Vietnam is a lot more low-level and less successful than OTL's Vietnam War, because here there's no friendly China for the insurgents to use as a source of supplies and a secure rear. Additionally, most of the rebel territory is in the south, where the Chinese have less power.
(6) This economic downturn actually happened in OTL, but the 1973 oil crisis was butterflied away since there was no Yom Kippur War.
(7) The period of communism and getting trampled on in WWIII substantially delayed India's ability to set up a Nonaligned Movement analogue
(8) An analogue to the OTL PRC's Belt Road Initiative