My long winded and not too detailed take on Manchuria in 2300/2320AD is as follows.
Government
Manchuria is a monarchy with a dictatorial and somewhat feudal government, but it is also surprisingly decentralised. The Emperor and his court makes the law and runs Manchurian foreign policy, but beyond Beijing the local governors (descended from various warlord dynasties) largely run their fiefdoms independently as long as they acknowledge the Emperors laws, pay their taxes and don’t start any trouble with domestic and foreign rivals. A Manchurian government and parliament exists in Beijing, but its function is largely to advise the Emperor and rubber stamp his policies. Government ministers are appointed by the Emperor and parliament representatives are appointed by the regional governors. However each region and large metropolitan area has its own council elected by popular vote to administer their local areas. To a large extent the councils run their local government and services in a surprisingly efficient way.
Population & Society
Manchuria’s population is very diverse. Over half of the population is Han Chinese, but there are many other Chinese minorities such as the Manchu’s and the Islamic Hui, as well Koreans, Mongols, Uyghur, and various Central Asian peoples. There is also a large Russian and Slavic population descended from Soviet military units who stayed in the area after the Twilight War and people who were absorbed into Manchuria since the 21st Century. The official language of Manchuria is Mandarin Chinese, but many other languages are spoken within certain regions and communities. Manchuria has no official religion but the Emperor and many of his subjects adhere to Taoism, while Buddhism remains popular among all ethnic groups. Islam is followed by the Hui and most Uyghurs, Kazaks and Uzbeks, while Christianity is prevalent in the Russian and Korean community and is growing in other communities.
Manchurian society is stratified and can seem caste like to outsiders. The imperial family, the governors, the ministers and the high ranking officers are firmly at the top, and it’s rare for outsiders to become part of this class. Manchuria has a relatively small professional middle-class, but has a large business and artisan class, and a huge urban working class and rural peasant population. The Manchurian military has a prestigious and prominent role in Manchuria and is considered almost a society to itself. The officer class are clannish and rarely mix outside their Banner armies. Many Banner armies are descended from foreign military units and a disproportional large number of officers come from Russian and Korean backgrounds, while Cossack, Kazak and Mongol culture is prevalent in some Banner Armies. Traditional Manchurian culture is a mixture of Chinese and that of the nationalities that inhabited northern and western China when Manchuria was formed in the 21st Century. Communist style functional clothing was common in the poverty ridden 21st century, and this style of dress combined with traditional Chinese clothing is considered traditional Manchurian apparel. Current Manchurian dress sense in little different to other parts of Asia, although traditional styles are widespread in rural and more conservative communities. The Manchurian military has its own traditions and style of dress like other countries, but it varies within Banner Armies. Banner armies of Russian and Central Asian descent have been compared with Tsarist Russia, while Manchurian officer uniforms have been compared with WW2 Japan.
Manchurian incomes are low by world standards, but living costs are also low. Public services and amenities are well funded and available to all citizens. Banks and financial institutions are tightly regulated by the government, and most corporations are controlled by government shareholders or politically appointed managers. Violent Crime is low and Manchurians are generally law abiding people. Organised crime exists but it is low key compared with other Asian countries as the government will eradicate any criminal organisation that challenges its authority. However some Banner armies are suspected of having links with the Cantonese Triads and the Russian Mafia. Political opposition to the Emperor is not tolerated and dissenters will quickly find themselves in re-education work camps in the Gobi Desert. Despite government denials, ethnic and ideological based guerrilla movements exist in Western Manchuria. Reported incidents are called terrorist attacks by the government and blamed on foreign insurgents from the CAR. The Imperial Intelligence Service keeps files on all Manchurians, and citizens need permission to leave the country, but dissenters, criminals and certain minorities are not allowed leave Manchuria. Foreign broadcasting and Netlink access is also censored, and foreigners living in Manchuria live in designated sectors and tourists are expected to be accompanied by a state appointed guide. Those who cause problems are hastily deported.
Economy
Manchuria is a heavily industrialised and urbanised nation, although beyond the major conurbations and coastal regions urbanisation gives way to large sways of rural hinterlands, and then to sparsely populated desert, forested steppes and tundra wastes. Manchuria has the largest manufacturing base of any nation on earth, although its industry is not as automated as Western and Japanese industry and it lags in technology. Although fossil based power production still predominates, Manchuria has invested in a network of fusion power stations and orbital solar power satellites to support Manchuria’s massive industrial base, and Manchuria has recently become a major exporter of electricity. Mining and agriculture remain an important industry but the country is a net importer of raw materials and food, mostly from Russia, North America, Australia and Manchuria’s interstellar colonies. Manchuria’s surface transportation is inadequate and outdated compared with other countries and private vehicle ownership is low. Major cities have underground electric metro system, and a far reaching network of freight and passenger train and road highways exist. But standards are far below the airfilm train networks and heavy roadways found in America, Europe and Japan, and dirt roads and single track rail lines are still common in rural areas. Air travel is not as common in Manchuria as in Western countries and personal air transportation is unheard of. Manchuria operates space plane and shuttle services to orbit from Beijing, Shenyang and Harbin, and a heavy lift slingshot facility is also located near the Mongolian border. These services are largely used by the Manchurian government and military. Manchuria in conjunction with other nations has heavily invested in the new orbital elevator under construction in Indonesia, and plans to focus the majority of its orbital exports and imports through the new elevator when it is built.
Military
Manchuria has the largest army in the world, although observers consider it unwieldy and antiquated. In truth the Manchurians recently fought the combined forces of France, Russia and Japan to a standstill in the First Central Asian War of the late 23rd Century, and fought an effective campaign against France and her allies in space, while Manchuria helped pioneer the development of combat walker technology. Currently the Manchurian Army has the largest fleet of combat walkers and hover tanks of any nation, although much of it would be considered obsolete in comparison to the latest Western designs. The Manchurian Army is organised into Banner armies, which are equivalent in size to combined arms corps in Western military terminology, with a multitude of attached infantry, mechanised, artillery and air support regiments. Most Banner armies are controlled by regional governors and can vary in size depending on the power and resources of the region, but most individual units are kept at a low state of readiness and are to a large extent reserve forces. A few Banner armies and individual regiments are under direct imperial control and are fully mobilised. These Banner armies include most of the modern hover tank and combat walker regiments of the Manchurian Army, as well as some selected elite infantry and specialised units, and a high proportion of elite airborne and special-forces units are of Russian ethnic origin. Imperial controlled units are strategically deployed around Manchuria and within the territory of the more powerful regional governors. Beneath the Banner army structure is the citizen militia force, which draws from all sections of Manchurian society. The Militia is equipped with obsolete weaponry and trains for only a few weeks a year, and is considered a strictly territorial defence force.
The Manchurian Air Force and Navy are relatively small but well trained and effective forces who recruit from all sections of Manchurian society. Their role is largely to support the Banner armies during hostilities and secure and patrol Manchuria’s extensive borders. The Manchurian Star Navy has numerically the largest space fleet of any country, although it lacks the power projection of its major Western counterparts. The Manchurian Star Navy also recruits from all sections of Manchurian society, but ship commanders and high ranking officers are drawn from an experienced cadre of personnel who are approved by the Emperor according to their loyalty to the regime. To be given command of Manchurian warship by the Emperor is considered a great honour within the ranks of the Manchurian military and is highly respected in Manchurian society.
