ffutures | Another version of China for the Weinbaum game

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I've decided that the version of China I described, torn by rival warlords, is too much of a cliche in recent fiction. Instead I'm going to have Japanese-dominated China (which was already the status quo in the 1930s) lasting into the mid-21st century, then the Chinese taking advantage of one of Japan's wars to stage a Buddhist-led rebellion. And yes, I am thinking a theocracy led by weird Tibetan martial artists etc. etc. As of 2115 China is mostly VERY peaceful, with the exception of a few areas where there are still the last remnants of the old Japanese empire refusing to surrender.

Any thoughts?

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From:

ffutures.livejournal.com

Here's the superpower lineup I've gone with circa 2115, long after A Martian Odyssey and decades after the final fall of communism and fascism.

The twentieth century tendency to form “super-states” amalgamating the political or economic interests of several countries continued in the twenty-first. Some of the changes could have probably been predicted, others must have seemed unlikely until they happened:

The USA formed economic links to the South, with the United Americas eventually becoming a single economic community. The nations within the UA are still self-governing, to about the same extent that states were in the old USA, but all use a common currency, the dollar, which is now also the main currency used off-world, and owe allegiance to Washington. Canada stayed independent and is on reasonably good terms with the United Americas, but a closer ally of Britain. Southern Ireland joined the UA in the 2040s, as a way of staving off British influence.
Brazil responded to the rise and southward spread of the UA by forming links with other South American nations, united primarily by their distrust of the UA. In recent years the Brazilian Federation has become a little more relaxed in its dealings with the UA, and there have been joint agreements on trade which some interpret as a prelude to a final amalgamation of the Federation and UA.
Russian Communism fell; to avoid anarchy the rebels restored the Tsar as a symbol of unification. The expanded Russian Empire is now a constitutional monarchy, with the monarch having very little real power.
The smaller European colonial empires broke up, their colonies becoming independent or joining larger local alliances. Europe is now a loose association of states, the United States of Europe, but constant bickering makes this perhaps the least effective government on Earth. Essentially European nations retain most of their independence, paying lip service to the USE when it suits them to combine economic or military forces. Several European nations have their own colonies in space, such as the Dutch and French zones on Venus. Europe still has nominally Communist and Fascist governments, although a 20th century observer would think of both as mild variants on socialism.
Britain retained most of its Empire, now the Commonwealth, which still encompasses South Africa and Rhodesia, Iran, India, Burma and Hong Kong, with a scattering of other possessions such as the Falklands and Gibraltar; while independent, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand also owe their allegiance to the British Crown. Despite its small size, Britain still packs an enormous political, economic and military punch.
With the decline of the European empires most of Africa was united by a new Mahdi, and is now an Islamic caliphate. There has been a general liberalization of Islam over the last century; women are allowed to appear unveiled, although they are denied the vote. There are border tensions between the Caliphate and Commonwealth.
The Pacific Alliance originally formed to resist the Japanese Empire’s expansion into the Philippines. This led to the 2075 Pacific War, a Buddhist revolt in Tibet and China, and the surrender of Japan. The current capital is Manila.
Finally, China is now ruled by a loose alliance of Buddhist sects, but there are still large areas where the old Japanese garrisons aren’t going quietly and sporadic fighting continues. Fortunately nobody is using atomic weapons, although the Japanese may still possess them. Mostly the Chinese are waiting out the aging Japanese forces, and only resort to military action if there is no alternative. Outsiders are asked to avoid giving any aid or support to the Japanese, and there are stringent laws against supplying them with arms etc.

Needless to say there are a good few non-aligned nations, as well as nations with ties to more than one political bloc. For example, Canada has trade and defence ties with the United Americas and France as well as the Commonwealth; Australia has naval treaties with the Pacific Alliance.

From:

robertprior.livejournal.com

Outsiders are asked to avoid giving any aid or support to the Japanese, and there are stringent laws against supplying them with arms etc

Stringent laws against arms trafficking and drug smuggling didn't help the Qing. Is the world less predatory, or are the Chinese better at defending themselves?