Hot Spot: The Terran Province of Nanking

(The Gateway Province)

This territory’s history begins in the mid to late 22nd century with substantial human colonization during the Exodus. Excellent planetary conditions and vast deposits of mineral wealth assured that the region was completely settled by the late 23rd century, making it one of the oldest inhabited areas of space. When the Terran Alliance began to crumble this already prosperous region went into business for itself. Several small regimes like the Nanking Collective, the Liao Republic, and the Tikonov Union sprung to life. Their existence was cut short however thanks to the rise of the Great Houses. Eventually the Terran Hegemony seized the lion share of what one day would become the Nanking Province during its Second Campaign of Persuasion which began in 2320. The Capellan Confederation retains some influence here to this day because of the proximity of the Liao homeworld and Tikonov’s ultimate decision to join that nation rather than Terra. The worlds that were incorporated by Terra took a very different path from those that joined Capella. While the Liao economy stifled planetary economies for the good of the whole, the Nanking region continued to grow and expand under Terran rule to become the commercial giant it is today. Of course this has made the region a tempting target for the Confederation which still seeks to win it over. The Amaris Coup provided House Liao a chance to step up their claims and prove their goodwill. The Chancellor generously provided aid and support to these worlds both during and after the occupation. This assistance combined with the very reasonable terms of the Centuran Accords sped recovery and endeared the Capellans in the hearts of many Nanking citizens. We suspect the Confederation is playing the “long game” in order to annex the Province when the Republic has been sufficiently weakened by conflicts with its other neighbors.

The largest region for commercial traffic in the New Republic remains the Nanking Province. Officially this is how the area received its nickname as the Gateway Province. Others claim that it points indirectly to the Province’s dual business nature as a hub of criminal as well as legal enterprises. Whatever the case maybe Nanking is responsible for a large portion of the Terran economy. This historical strength has allowed Nanking to develop its industry and natural resources. Nanking’s industry is perhaps the most diverse in the Republic thanks to its consumer goods factories, which were not damaged in the Amaris Coup. Efforts to restore the Province’s military industry have created a well balanced manufacturing base for Nanking. The regions mineral wealth only adds to its economic strengths as it is currently the largest resource provider in the New Republic. While Nanking will certainly be eclipsed here soon by the Rhodesian Province it will no doubt remain a top supplier of raw materials for the Terran nation for years to come. Also benefiting from Nanking’s prosperity and high level of overall habitability is the agricultural sector. Damage done by the Usurper during his mad reign has lowered farming output for generations on some worlds making total recovery here difficult at best. Scientific consolidation by the New Republic has also done a number on Nanking’s technological base. While it remains high, it is likely that Nanking Province will see little improvement in the foreseeable future.

The gateway seems to swing both ways when it comes to the political arena on Nanking. The province’s leadership tends to back the conservative policies of the Terran national government which includes strict neutrality and isolationism. However, in practice Nanking officials have quietly forwarded liberal agendas such as closer ties to friendly Inner Sphere realms and intervention in foreign affairs. This confusing split demonstrates the regions dual nature and mercantile tendencies. To further muddle politics here certain worlds buck Provincial authority and set their own agendas making any analysis chaotic at best. However, this system (if you can call it that) seems to work fine for the people of Nanking who enjoy its subtleties. Calling this behavior “Capellan” is a great insult to citizens of this Province who consider the Liaoist philosophy inferior. This doesn’t mean that Nanking natives dislike the Confederation despite their constant complaining about past purchases or backwards economic practices. In fact, Nanking seeks an expansion of relations with the Capellans who have potential in their view. They argue that closer ties will bring great wealth to both nations and signal the downfall of the corrupt House Liao even starting the birth of a renewed Star League. In spite of this openly arrogant stance the Chancellor still agreed to turn over planets in exchange for exclusive ownership of Tikonov apparently hoping to sway public opinion. Only time will tell which side eventually triumphs in this high stakes public relations battle.

No one ethnic group composes a majority of Nanking’s citizenry. A great deal of the Province’s native populace is of Chinese descent. While they are the largest group of people represented therein, there are significant numbers of people whose ancestors were Russian, Latin American, North American, Italian, and Indian. All these ethnic groups put together make up over three quarters of Nanking’s denizens. As a result their ancestors’ languages remain spoken here even though English is the Province’s universal dialect. Unlike other Provinces of the New Republic the people of Nanking don’t hold a grudge against any of the Great Houses. At worst they view Marik as a competitor and rival, not a bitter enemy. Capellan influence while strong does not overshadow the Province’s own identity as a distinctly Terran region. Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) and Buddhism are the two largest faiths here followed by Hinduism. Actually this is the strongest presence of this traditional Indian religion outside of Terra in the New Republic.