[War] China: "Daily Business"

[Chazenesq2b at aol.com]

"Daily Business"
President Xia Hong
People's Republic of China
On or about the 1st of February, 2013
========================================
 
(Executive Residence in Beijing)
 
Xia sighed, this was already a 'very' long night, and it seemed like it was 
going to end up getting much longer before she could close her eyes.  Her 
husband Wen and their son Jao were already fast asleep, which anyone of normal 
stamina would be at this hour.  Yet she was still awake.  There had been ongoing 
bickering for over a month, mostly centered around cabinet placements.  In a 
way she supposed it was a problem of her own doing... by pushing for a 
streamlined government and eventually winning it, the few department level agencies 
left were incredibly powerful and encompassed a broad range of operations.  
Still, it was, as the Americans would say, a pain in the ass.
 
Her weary, uncharacteristically blue eyes ran over the collected dossiers 
once more.  All of the candidates were well educated, on paper anyway... and many 
of them were extremely qualified.  In fact, she could easily pick three or 
four candidates for each open slot and 'still' have to turn down qualified 
people.  This one, for instance, was another 'maybe'.  
 
Tossing the manilla folder aside, she went through her choice selections once 
more.  Twenty-two different candidates for eleven positions... God damnit.
 
In every file, other then the cut and dry vital information were letters of 
recommendation, service records, family information, place of birth and current 
residence... hell she felt as if by now she knew more about each of hese 
potential candidates than their wives or husbands likely did.  Wow... how sad was 
this?  She might as well be picking a date from one of those be damned 
services.
 
In either case, as apolitical as she often tried to be, shelving partisan 
loyalties normally for what she considered to be in the honest best interests of 
the People's Republic, even she had to face political realities.  The 
hardliners were still alive, if barely so, and the idealogue liberals were always 
clamoring for greater and greater levels of Democracy.  She sometimes wondered if 
anything would satisfy the Oriental Greens known mockingly in some circles as 
'Sino-Hippies'.  
 
Focus, damnit.  She drifted back to her white tablet of paper, names of each 
of the candidates and their proposed position penned in.  
 
First up was Prime Minister.  This one was mercifully easy as the only 
'realistic' choices were the moderate Zim Lao or the leader of the 'old guard'... 
and she 'really' didn't like that man at all.  Besides, appointing a hard liner 
as Prime Minister, regardless if the position were mostly symbolic or not, 
really would freak the hell out of the rest of the world.
 
She laughed, the idea of doing it for just that reason 'had' crossed her 
mind.  Damn it was late.  Lao won by default.  Besides, thanks to her son she was 
convinced nobody with the name Lao could be evil.
 
Likewise the Ministry of Defense, so vital historically to power in the 
Chinese government was an equal no-brainer.  She wasn't about to turn it over to 
the hardliners, or the libs.  Her personal choice was Bing Zhou, a rather 
decorated former general who not only knew how to fight given his training records, 
but by testimony how to lead as well.  He was a strong voice behind the 
modernization of the Chinese military, and developing the means by which it would 
defend itself against aggressors, even with better technology.  Two picks down, 
nine more to go.
 
Ministry of State was tougher.  She could see the value of having a hard 
voice in the office, but at the same time all too well understood the subtleties 
of diplomacy as well.  It was a powerful position, China's 'face' towards the 
world.  It was also one of the most tightly controled positions, as it was 
checked not only by what the President authorized but by the Congress.  She knew 
she needed to make nice with both the libs and the hard liners, having stepped 
on both's toes recently.  This time however she went with Dewei Li, a liberal 
who supported a compassionate approach to the world.  If asked she would have 
admitted it was simply because she didn't want to shock the world.  That would 
have been bad.
 
Ministry of the Interior was a vital beuracracy, particularly with China's 
massive infrastructure improvements and environmental initiatives underway.  It 
would require somebody with authority, and somebody who took direction well.  
This one would go to the hardliners, as she knew the man she was considering 
from 'their' end of the spectrum.  He was an overall good man, responsible, 
honorable, patriotic, if stubbornly pro-communist.  They'd met at Beijing 
University, and were notorious for their ongoing debates in the lounge.  She knew she 
could trust him, even if they disagreed, to execute her orders.  So the 
position went to Hu Tang.
 
The Ministry of Commerce definitely required a moderate hand to guide it, 
particularly as China continued to expand it's economic prospects.  This was a 
choice made straight on credentials as both candidates were moderates.  In the 
end, given the similarity of both resumes, it quite literally came down to a 
coin toss.  She was too tired to endlessly debate minute differences with 
herself, and she could always change things later.  Heads... Qiang Feng.
 
The Ministry of Justice was another important decision, one she refused to 
use the gain favor with either the hardliners or the Liberals.  The former would 
be too harsh and jeopardize their advances, the latter too soft for her 
tastes, and would likely lead to spiraling crime rates.  For this she would end up 
appointing a member of the Congress, one whom she already asked and was 
assured would be more than happy to fill the role.  He had a good record, military 
service, government service, even worked as an officer in the Hong Kong police 
force for several years.  She decided to appoint moderate Ah-guo Peng.
 
The Ministry of Security and Justice was another one of those positions that 
required someone she could trust.  From her own days in the PLA she knew a 
number of intelligence officers, and even had had a brief, sugary kind of romance 
with one from the Counter-terrorism department.  She couldn't help but 
chuckle, idly recalling old days that even Wen knew nothing about.  She decided to 
appoint Marrim Cai.
 
The Ministry of Government Affairs required someone adept with running 
beuracracies... which normally meant resulting to the hardliners.  They could have 
this position... other than a patronage mill of sorts it really didn't matter, 
and they would know enough to offer spots to ideological counterparts or risk 
losing any say in the Government all together.  She would appoint Zhifu Pan.
 
The Ministry of Health required nothing more than someone scholared in the 
field of medicine and Public Health.  Party ideology really didn't matter as it 
was an agency which executed the President's policies and offered scientific 
proposals rather than political suggestions.  Xia opted to add another woman to 
her cabinet, Doctor Li Han.
 
The Ministry of Transportation was another one of the important posts with 
regards to executing her continuing programs to advance China's infrastructure.  
She decided to go with a man she had a passing familiarity with... an 
Engineer by trade from a peasant farm who'd seen first hand the system of Communism 
and what China was now... clearly preferring the later.  He had started his own 
engineering firm, one that had been deeply instrumental in the design of, and 
begining construction of the Trans-China High-speed Rail network.  She picked 
Kun Jiang.
 
The Ministry of Education was a technically savvy position, but one that also 
required a certain amount of defference as it was an instrumental part to 
Chinese progress.  She picked a University Professor, current President of the 
Beijing Technical Institute, and a life-long scholar who had until now not been 
a member of any standing in politics.  She picked Ken-shi Ren.
 
At three in the morning, she was done.  Her recommendations laid out for the 
Congress to officially pass.  On top of that she signed into law China's $660 
Billion budget, one she had seen fit to keep 'mostly' apolitical.  It was 
fairly low considering recent budgets, as most of the projects currently under 
construction had already had allocations set aside for their completion, but it 
was also far larger than the 2007 budget, passed only 5 years ago.  It 
reflected a much larger GDP, taxes raised by the continuous trade surplus which had 
finally returned, and corporate taxes.  (The Corporate Tax in China was very 
low, but there were just 'so' many corporations these days that weight of numbers 
allowed for more income.)  Only a small amount of 'this' years budget was 
actually borrowed, and even then most of the money was borrowed from Chinese 
citizens themselves.  It was necessary to continue moving forward with military 
and infrastructure modernization, and the general operation of the government.
 
"Still awake?"
 
Xia looked up, offering a sleepy smile to her husband as he wrapped his arms 
around her.  "Just finished."
 
"Really?"  Wen looked over her jotted notes.  "What about this?"  In Mandarin 
scratched out was two simple words 'Russian Response'.
 
"You're just determined to see to it that I never share your bed again, 
aren't you?"  Xia pouted, returning her attention back to work.  She managed to 
rather quickly type out a response, figuring one of the very many typists at the 
Ministry of State would correct any flaws.  As tired as she was, she knew 
diplomacy was often a word game.
 
To:  President Leonid Nemerenko, Russian Federation
From:  President Xia Hong, People's Republic of China
Subject:  Response to Russo-Sino Non-Aggression Pact
[Encrypted, Beijing-Moscow Protocal]
 
President Nemerenko,
 
    It is again a great honor to receive your correspondance.  I have 
reviewed the broad guidelines included in your last transmission, and unfortunately I 
believe as it stands I can not agree to these propositions at this time.  I 
too appreciate our recent cooperation, and look forward to seeing it as a 
continued practice between our two nations.  To that end, I have included the 
reasoning behind my judgment below.
 
    1.  Both China and Russia are respected members of the United Nations, a 
forum designed specifically to defuse problems between nations before they 
reach the point of violence.  Ergo, any permanent Non-Aggression pact signed 
between us may be seen as lack of faith in the United Nations, and would be 
redundant to the steps we've already taken.
 
    2.  The need for continuous dialogue between nations that adapt to the 
issues and times at hand is paramount.  A codified Non-Aggression Pact may not 
allow us the flexibility to meet future obligations to our respective peoples, 
or each other.
 
    3.  As far as my Government is concerned, the borders are a non-issue.  
Pursuant to previous agreements and personal discussion, both our nations have 
formally recognized the territory of the other.
 
    4.  China can not in good faith make binding agreements which may inhibit 
responses to events in the future.
 
    This being said, I remain open to ongoing negotiation and high-level 
communication between our two countries.  I deeply regret being unable to oblige 
your latest initiative.
 
Sincerely,
Xia Hong
President of the People's Republic of China
==========================================================
 
ACTIONS
1.  Appoint Ministerial Positions.
2.  Sign into law proposed $660 Billion budget.
3.  Offer a gentle no to Russo-Sino Non-Aggression Pact sighting reasons 
above.



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