Hsui

Hsui, officially the Hsui Republic (Xin: 徐民国), is a city state located in eastern Asania. The nation is separated from the Xinhao mainland by the Strait of Xian, which is transversed by two bridges: Jiao Bridge and Xua Bridge. The nation is a unitary parliamentary republic, with the city of Hsui itself taking up nearly 78% of the island, with the rest of the island being reserved as woodland by the government. Hsui makes up a land area of 1082 sq miles, and has a population of 7,020,012 people.

Hsui was originally an uninhabited island, save for the sparse fishing villages dotting its coast throughout Xinhao imperial history. During the collapse of the Orange Dynasty in the 1780’s, a group of Gelenian merchants, funded by Cabot Industries, bought the island from the Imperial government, then selling the territory to the Gelenian government as a middle man. The island became an “overseas protectorate” and soon proved valuable as a naval port for the Davintharian eastern fleet, as well as an important merchant hub in the region. The ethnic minority Ming population were the majority in Hsui, and soon the area was home to a mix of Ming, Yi, Tsu, Xin, Yinese, Gelenians, other Avanorans, and many other peoples by the early 1800s, developing into a thriving metropolis. The islands became a contentious issue with the Yellow Dynasty, who claimed the island was stolen territory. As tensions rose, Gelenia moved more and more troops to the territory throughout the 1830s, and the city became a haven for political dissidents from Xinhao. By 1860, the city had grown into a major port city, a link in the vital eastern trade route. The city was granted home rule in 1862, and it was just in time for the Great War, where the city was invaded by Xinhao. During the war, the Xin and Gelenians fought over the Xian Strait for control of the island, and though many buildings were damaged, the island itself remained under Gelenian rule. After the war, the city was rewarded for its sacrifices with independence in 1883, and a republican constitution was established. Refugees and skilled laborers fleeing the chaotic period in Xinhao after the Great War made their way to Hsui and many helped found the nation’s industry, financial sector, research centers, and economy. As the population expanded, the city did too - making way for parks, new districts, railways, homes, and more, and as the city expanded, property and labour became ever more expensive. Between the 1880s and 1890s the nation transitioned from a manufacturing to a service based economy, with a booming financial sector. In 1902, Prime Minister Ding Guo became the first Hsui leader to visit mainland Xinhao as relations improved, and worked for years towards the warming of relations between Xinhao and Hsui, and in 1906, Xinhao officially renounced all claim to Hsui. In 1911, the nation was the site of the Renter’s Strikes, with citizens protesting asking the government to combat rising property and rent prices in the nation, as a result public housing initiatives were introduced and rent caps considered, though prices remain stubbornly high due to lack of supply. The government began working on expanding an offshore island in diameter in order to use it for property development, called the Hu Project, but though the project was launched in 1918 it has not been completed.

Hsui is the world's smallest sovereign nation by land area, and is the only city state. Hsui is ranked as a completely free nation, and has outstanding civil, political, and economic liberties guaranteed by a democratic constitution with rigorous checks and balances. The nation is also renowned for its stable government, one of the most stable in eastern Asania with a strong parliamentary system. The nation maintains a strong economy dominated by the financial services sector, and many have criticized the island nation for its low taxes, and its secretive banking practices. Hsui also maintains a large defense industry, with the Peng Military Institute and Peng Military Base being located on Peng Island. The nation itself has never declared war, though the army has been deployed several times through Union of Nations peacekeeping efforts. The nation is a member of the Asanian Co-Prosperity Organization, the Union of Nations, and the Gelenian Association of Nations. The head of state is President Wang Shui, though the President is purely a ceremonial role, while true power lies with the Prime Minister, currently Lei Wen of the Liberal Party.

Prehistory
The earliest signs of human habitation in the area now known as Hsui date back to 12,000 BCE, though it is likely that human habitation occured in the region much earlier than that, perhaps even as far back as 30,000 years ago. These claims are based on archeological evidence found on Kwoon Island by the scholar and historian Jing Tsei, who made the discovery of stone tools dating back to the 12,000s BCE in 1902. Further archeological evidence points to humans using minimally advanced tools by the 7000s BCE, with many bronze and iron tools found in the region from the time.

It is believed that the earliest inhabitants of the region were likely Jing or Yinh ethnic people. The first human settlers were likely a coastal people, as archeological finds from the time point to extensive settlement along the island's coasts. According to archeological work done by Kai Tsei, rice cultivation arrived in Hsui in the 4000s BCE, at which point coarse pottery, as well as quartz and stone jewelry have been found.

The Qin dynasty incorporated the Hong Kong area into China for the first time in 214 BCE, after conquering the indigenous Baiyue.[53] The region was consolidated under the Nanyue kingdom (a predecessor state of Vietnam) after the Qin collapse[54] and recaptured by China after the Han conquest.[55] During the Mongol conquest of China in the 13th century, the Southern Song court was briefly located in modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before its final defeat in the 1279 Battle of Yamen.[56] By the end of the Yuan dynasty, seven large families had settled in the region and owned most of the land. Settlers from nearby provinces migrated to Kowloon throughout the Ming dynasty.[57]

The earliest European visitor was Portuguese explorer Jorge Álvares, who arrived in 1513.[58][59] Portuguese merchants established a trading post called Tamão in Hong Kong waters and began regular trade with southern China. Although the traders were expelled after military clashes in the 1520s,[60] Portuguese-Chinese trade relations were re-established by 1549. Portugal acquired a permanent lease for Macau in 1557.[61]

After the Qing conquest, maritime trade was banned under the Haijin policies. From 1661 to 1683, the population of most of the area forming present day Hong Kong was cleared under the Great Clearance, turning the region into a wasteland.[62] The Kangxi Emperor lifted the maritime trade prohibition, allowing foreigners to enter Chinese ports in 1684.[63] Qing authorities established the Canton System in 1757 to regulate trade more strictly, restricting non-Russian ships to the port of Canton.[64] Although European demand for Chinese commodities like tea, silk, and porcelain was high, Chinese interest in European manufactured goods was insignificant, so that Chinese goods could only be bought with precious metals. To reduce the trade imbalance, the British sold large amounts of Indian opium to China. Faced with a drug crisis, Qing officials pursued ever more aggressive actions to halt the opium trade.

Government & Politics
Hsui is a unitary constitutional republic governed under the Constitutional Charter of Hsui, which came into force in Summertide of 1883 upon the nation's independence. The constitution divides the national government into three branches: the executive, headed by the Chief Executive and their cabinet; the legislative, vested in the unicameral Legislative Council; and the judicial, vested in the Court of Final Appeal.

The Legislative Council is elected every three years by proportional representation of all citizens twenty years or older according to the Hsui'i constitution. Parties are mandated to receive a minimum of 3% of popular vote to gain a seat in the 101 member chamber. The Legislative Council has the powers over the purse, the right to appoint and oversee cabinet, the right to pass laws for the administration of the republic, the right to declare war, and the right to approve appointments to the court. The Chief Executive is the head of government, and is elected by the Legislative Council every three years and appointed by the President. The Chief Executive is responsible for representing the nation abroad as the nation's chief diplomat, acting as commander in chief, drafting the government's budget, appointing and dismissing cabinet, requesting the dissolution of the Legislative Council to the President, and the right to veto bills passed by the council. The President, while head of state, is ceremonial, and holds no official position other than "the general advisement of the Chief Executive", the appointing of Council's preferred Chief Executive, and the dissolution of Council at the request of the Chief Executive. The Court of Final Appeal is the final judiciary body in the nation, and holds the duty of scrutinizing the constitution and ruling on the legality of actions and decisions from the lower courts of the nation.

The incumbent Chief Executive is Lei Wen of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, who was elected to her position for the first term in 1922 upon the resignation of former Chief Executive Duan Jin. The Lei I Cabinet has since governed the country in a coalition of the SDLP and the Green Party. The government has worked on several left wing agenda items, including the legalization of gay marriage, the funding of green infrastructure, and the liberalization of voting laws across the nation to make it easier for citizens to participate in the nation's democracy. The government has attempted to lower the voting age to 18 twice in their term, but there is a small portion of the SDLP's conservative benchers which are against the measure, blocking the legislation each time.

Economy & Infrastructure
Hsui boasts a highly developed free market economy with a high standard of living, as well as high levels of foreign investment. With a yearly gross domestic product of GDP NOMINAL, and a high average income, the nation is one of the most developed economies in Asania. Hsui's economy relies heavily on financial services and international banking.

Foreign Affairs & Military
Hsui, as a parliamentary democracy, has a strong and active diplomatic policy. Hsui officially recognizes 195 of the world's nations, and as such holds official diplomatic ties with their government, though due to constraints due to the nation's size, it does not hold official embassies or consulates with every one of these nations.