The Issue of China

[Flamelord]

Gentlemen of all civilized nations, we face a crisis that has sprung upon us without warning, and which threatens all of our interests in its sheer scope.That issue, I am sure you do not need to be told, is China.

China, once a nation with a long history, has begun to descend into anarchy and chaos. The Qing have been torn apart by he Boxer Rebellion, whose intentions are firmly aligned against all of us. Two Republics have formed under opposing individuals, and violence between them seems likely. Generals and commanders have defected from Imperial armies to become warlord in their own rights, bandits and rogue troops roam the countryside, atrocities occur almost daily, and troops deployed to assist the legitimate government have met with violence and bloodshed.

Gentlemen, something must be done.

France knows this better than most, and feels the suffering that has been inflicted. Our very own citizens, our people, have been killed by these radical fundamentalists that seek to drive the light of civilization from China. The people of France cry for blood, to avenge the fallen and to ensure that a stable government is restored in China, for the good of all foreign powers who have citizens in China, and for he Chinese people themselves who crave the resumption of peaceful law and order.

As a result, France hereby states that they will be undertaking a larger deployment of forces into the Legations proper, rather than simply Southern China, in order to ensure the safety of our civilians as well as the Legations themselves, and to bring those responsible for the actions taken against us to proper justice for the people of our nations. We urge those nations with interests threatened in China to contribute, in order to make our efforts that much more successful and coordinated.

We hope you will make the right decision for the safety of our citizens, and for the good of the Chinese people themselves.

Emile Loubet
President of the Third French Republic

[Serenissima]

The British Empire pledges its full support to the French military effort to protect foreign and Christian interests in the Legations and the Treaty Ports. These terrible events cannot be allowed to continue, nor the uncivilised murder of foreigner and Chinese alike on the basis of their deeply held Christian faith by these Boxer death cults. The Royal Navy and British Army will be involved in this proposed Expedition to Peking to relieve the Legations, as well as to protect the Treaty Ports. Hopefully, with the threat of this sinister cult eliminated and all our citizens rescued from their barbaric clutches, China may, once again, become stable, prosperous, and open to the trade of the world.

[Cthulhuvong]

The Heavenly Sovereign, Meiji-taitei, wishes for me to let your gaijin rulers know that while we do not normally approve of you entering our sphere, we believe at this time it is necessary. While the Qing have lost control, the Heavenly Kingdom is crazy, the Boxers are a danger to all, as are their supporters in the Shikai clique, the Heavenly Sovereign does not believe that other groups should just be cast in with that lot. The groups along the west and north should not be considered as part of these reactionary elements to start, and the Yet-Sen clique to the south also seems to be much less afraid of outsiders.

As such, we will join in this effort.

[Tardis218]

The Austro-Hungarian empire agrees completely with the three nations above. We must put an end to the Boxer Rebellion and we do competently support French and any other nation's efforts to repel the rebellion.

[Serenissima]

(British newspaper editorials make snide, dismissive comments on some parties the negotiations, mostly that China has been in the British Empire's sphere since before the Japanese opened their ports and began to modernise earlier this century.)

[Tellos]

The United States of American in in agreement, the situation calls for action and will support Europe's efforts as it affects our own people and our own situation as well. These things cannot be allowed to continue not for our people or the people of China none of whom deserve these atrocities.

[scorpion]

Like other European powers involved in China, Germany will be committing a larger force to protect foreign trade interests and Christians from the barbaric death cults ravaging the Chinese country side. Germany also believes it is the duty of Western civilizations to aid in returning the country to a stable peace, whichever form it may take, so that the Chinese people can flourish and strive towards a brighter future with out fear slaughter and bloodshed, as they enter the modern era.

[Coin]

The Russian Empire has already been involved in stabilising the situation in Manchuria against any Boxer attacks, in line with our treaties with the Qing dynasty - specifically the Li-Lobanov Treaty - and despite the misinformation spread by some in the vicinity, and the breaking of aforementioned treaties by rogue Qing soldiers and mercenaries. We shall therefore be glad to provide assistance in the relief of the legations, and to assist our French allies in seeking justice for her citizens.

[Master of Oblivion]

The Qing dynastry must warn the European powers about engaging in aggressive imperialism. While China is suffering from the greatest of treachery, we will be vigilant against those trying to seize our territory. European expansionism sowed the seeds of discontent among our population and European Gold has driven Yuan Shikai to engage in his drive for power. If you help the Qing in restoring order to our kingdom, you have our gratitude and forgiveness for past transgressions. If you continue to plunder China, we warn the consequences will be great.

[Tellos]

We would implore China to Reconsider it's stance, this is not plunder it is trying to keep your government alive.

[Master of Oblivion]

If what the Americans say is true, we then ask for all European powers to propose a timeline for when they will withdraw their troops from our territory. Doing so will show that they are being honest in their dealings with us.

[Aegis]

We would implore China to Reconsider it's stance, this is not plunder it is trying to keep your government alive.

The Republic of China implores the European delegates not to side with the reckless Qing Monarchy. They have vocally supported the Boxers and are against sorting the issue out, they have probably gone as far as to financially and militarily assist the Boxers in attacking the new Republic and the Europeans within it. We commend the French attempts to remove boxer units from the South without attempting to annex land.

Only by supporting us can we rid China of the Boxer menace and safeguard Western interests in the future. They will not be guaranteed safety under Qing rule and I'm sure anti-western sentiment will continue to rear its head as long as it is provoked to do so.

The Republic of China will be holding free and fair elections this year ((turn)) to dispel the rumours that we are just another despotic regime. Please do not let China fall to anarchy, the voice of the people of China will rise up against the Qing rule.

[Gesar]

Lin Sen, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Provisional Government of the Republic of China

Dear sirs,

Allow me to be the first to request that sense be allowed to reassert itself, even if such an attribute is in short enough supply that it may only last this moment of clarification.

The legitimate government of the Republic of China looks on with sorrow at the events transpiring in China. The loss of Christian lives is felt as keenly by our government as the loss of any other, as many practicing Christians among our government -including President Sun- can attest. Equally, the chaos caused by the Tatar occupiers and Beiyang clique was an unnecessary, if understandable, reaction, particularly given the lack of true negotiation that could have prevented this crisis. These are facts readily understood by anybody with a grasp of the situation before and after the current state of affairs.

What is less apparent, however, are the reasoning behind the actions taken on behest of this alliance of Great Powers. The French invasion of Yunnan -rightfully a province of China- may have been uncontested, but that does not grant it legitimacy: neither the Self-Strengthening Movement nor any organization taking hostile actions against the French is present in the area, and apart from its current governance at the hands of a warlord and renegade, the situation is known to be stable and non-threatening. French presence in the region, therefore, is as unnecessary as it is inexplicable, until such a time as the government in Paris -supposedly on an armed humanitarian mission- deigns to inform the inhabitants of a nation of the reasons behind their occupation.

Secondly, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China has a similar request to the Austrian delegation, if one more worrying. Having been in negotiations with the self-styled Great Ming Heavenly Kingdom -a former reformist movement, not a hostile army akin to the Boxers- since the declaration of a true Republic of China, we must admit that the idea of an Austrian army being intercepted on the way to Shanghai is a worrying one. This is particularly frightening to our government when we consider the fact that a 1,500 kilometer march was apparently planned from the outer edges of Guangdong to Shanghai, without the consultation of any authority in the area.

Unless, of course, the Austrian military was planning on arriving by sea, as would have been suggested by any government familiar with the area or a geography textbook. One supposes such a rational measure would have precluded an attack by the Tongmenghui or former Ming forces, however, lacking in seapower as we are.

That said, whatever the matter, we must humbly request that the Austrians withdraw from their current base. The Republic of China has taken no hostile action against your government save for the defense of our nation from an apparent invasion, and requests compensation for the lives lost due to an unnecessary geographical error.

Finally, I am reminded of the old adage: "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." Having been educated by British standards, Dr. Sun is familiar with the studies of a European citizen, and professes repeatedly his respect for the profession and its historical curriculum. He is thus rather surprised at the mistakes currently being made in Shanghai, now an "International City", or to the understanding of this government and the citizens of China, an international legation encompassing one of the largest cities in our nation. Worryingly, this has been proclaimed without consent of its inhabitants, the government of Republic of China, and even the Beiyang warlords and remnants of the Tatar dynasty, thus defining it as an annexation and not a negotiated concession, such as have been made in the past.

What has prompted such an aggressive action against the Chinese people, illegal by international law? The alliance of involved nations have restored your legations and removed the Self-Strengthening Movement as a threat. The people of China and our government wish only for peace brought about by sovereignty and the friendship of the world, sovereignty through pride in our nation and union of our peoples. But capitulations and kowtowing prevent the former and chaos prevents the latter: and as has been seen numerous times, only chaos will come to China when ourpeople are deprived of a voice.

Thank you for your time, gentlemen.

[Flamelord]

The French government, of course, understands the concern that the Provisional Government of the Republic of China has for its citizens, and we would not be so contemptible as to leave you waiting upon an answer that you would not receive. Naturally, we intend no harm to the people of China.

As for the reasons that our deployment were undertake, it was a mission in two parts. The first was to provide humanitarian aid to the Chinese citizens suffering under the turmoil and societal discontent that led to the current state of civil war within China. It was deemed that troops would be necessary, given the presence of significant anti-Western sentiment, to ensure the safety of those involved in this initiative. And thus far, I would say that our efforts have gone well.

The other reason for this was an effort to maintain law and order, and to ensure that chaos did not spread from China proper across the border to Indochina. This has turned out to be....somewhat problematic, as the situation on the ground spurred our local commanders to a more intensive and expansive deployment than initially intended by Paris. We are currently working to address what occurred with those particular commanders internally. Our main concern at this time is that if we were to pull out now, it would invite a void of chaos and lawlessness that cannot be filled by any Chinese regime at present due to the state of civil war and infighting within China.

We will not claim to represent the other powers present in China at the moment, and you will have to speak with them as to their motivations. As it stands, we are more than willing to negotiate to ensure a smooth transition of authority, and to ensure that blood was not spilt pointlessly.