Revision as of 18:46, 17 May 2006

The Federal Republic of Xiang Gang （香港联邦共和国）is a state in the Meritocracy. Although ancient, with a population of over 6 billion, it was insular for much of its existence. After a 30-year-long economic boom, the developed economy is now cooling. Government expenditure has increased greatly over the past 5 years as the government turns to the improvement of the quality of life of its citizens instead of improvement of the conditions for big business.

The Federal Republic is a member of the Meritocratic Accords Senate. It is a fouding member of the Meritocratic Community. Its representative is Praetor of the Meritocracy.

Xiang Gang

Flag and Seal of the Federal Republic
Flag of Xiang Gang
Motto: HUMANITY （仁）
not available
Region	The Meritocracy
Capital	Yongjing
Official Language(s)	Chinese
Leader	Dr Wu Tong, Federal Premier
Population	over 6 billion
Currency	Denarius
NS Sunset XML

Politics

Xiang Gang is a free, democratic republic with the rule of law, before which all citizens are equal. It exhibits the characteristics of a federation in some areas of policy and a unitary state in others.

Federal President

The federal president （联邦总统）exercises the office of head of state and discharges its functions in consort with the State Council. He dissolves Parliament and is the country's ceremonial head. He is appointed to serve one six-year term by the Federal Council.

Federal Premier

Office of the Federal Premier

The highest officer of state is that of the federal premier（联邦总理）. He or she, upon election by the Federal House, has the primary obligation to defend the constitution and protect the Union. He is head of governmentas well as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, in times of war.

State Council

The State Council's Offices

The highest functions of the state are carried out by the State Council （国务院）, whose 9 members are chosen by the president and approved en-masse by Parliament. The state council accepts and sends letters of credence, controls the military, may appoint a general in times of war, appoints the members of the Federal Court and summons and dissolves the legislature. It has the following members:-

Premier;

First Secretary of State;

Director of the Central Department for External Affairs;

Director of the Central Department of Finances;

Director of the Central Department for Defence;

Director of the Federal Department for Internal Governance;

Director of the Federal Department of the Economy;

Director of the Federal Department for National Infrastructure, the Environment and Communications;

Director of the Federal Department for Justice and Security;

Director of the Federal Department for Health and Welfare.

The State Council meets

The members of the State Council are also members of the General Federal Commission （联邦总委员会）, which is a larger council upon which the chairmen of federal committees also serve. Federal committees coordinate areas of federal cooperation but under cantonal jurisdiction. The most prominent amongst these are the chairmen of the Federal committee for Culture, the Federal committee for Energy, the Federal committee for the Environment and the Federal committee for Education. Each department has several ministers with varying competencies serving in it.

Parliament

The Parliament Building

Parliament （议会）is the supreme organ of state power. Its 1150 members are elected by the additional member system, and are lead by the president（主席）, whom they elect. He serves as President of the Federal House, choosing the President of the Federal Council. The parliament sits in plenary session twice a year to review the legislation passed in the session beforehand, announce the legislation tabled for the session ahead and look at calls for an amendment to the constitution. The Premier gives a full report to the lower house of parliament, the Federal House, every week and to the upper house, the Federal Council, every month. He gives an annual address to the two houses assembled. The President gives an address to both houses assembled every six months.

Federal House

The Chamber of the Federal House

The Federal House (联邦院）has 950 members elected from open municipal party lists, with the number of seats allocated based on population. It is the more powerful chamber and is elected every 5 years.

Federal Council

The Chamber of the Federal Council

The Federal Council (联邦会）consists of 200 members; 100 are elected from national party lists based on the party votes in the Federal House elections; 100 are appointed as experts by the State Council, the Federal House, the Federal Institute of Science, the Federal Institute of Medicine and Federal Institute for the Arts. The members sit for 10 years, with half of the elected members being replaced every 5. It is a house of review, which can only delay and suggest amendments to the legislation proposed by the Federal House, which may, by a vote of 60%, overrule it after it has refused to pass legislation. Experts are often called to speak before the Federal Council: it is known to make slower, more considered judgements than the House.

Judiciary

Xiang Gang has a free, independent judiciary. The highest court of the land is the Federal Court. Subordinate to it are the High Courts (at cantonal level) and the Courts (at district level).

Federal Court

Federal Court Building

The supreme court of appeal is the the Federal Court（联邦法院）, which has several chambers and meets with 9 justices in each trial. The Independent Appointments Committee chooses the justices.

Jury System

In solemn trials in the courts of the communities and, when used as a court of first instance, the high courts use juries as the finders of fact. A jury of 15 adults is assized from the populace of the area and called upon, by majority, to find the guilt or otherwise of a defendent beyond reasonable doubt. The presiding judge guides them and sentences based on their verdict.

Xiang Gang Health Service

With around three times the number of employees of the Federal Defence Forces, the Xiang Gang Health Service is the country's largest employer and the national health service. Funded from taxation and (with a few exceptions) free at the point of use, it dominates the health sector to such a degree that there are very few private hospitals; most of them are dependent on the health service itself.

Primary care is provided by General Practitioners of Medicine in local surgeries. These are the first port of call for all but emergency patients. Almost all secondary care takes place in large hospitals, which are of good quality. Health spending is the government's largest single expenditure and a sizeable tax is levied on the public to maintain this, with little dissent.

All hospitals, clinics and general practices in the country are independent charities funded and run by the government. Each municipality has a Hospitals Board, which controls funding of the hospitals and ensures access to healthcare for all members of the community.

Security

Army

The Federal Republic of Xiang Gang maintains an all-volunteer army, the Federal Defence Forces（联邦军方）, which, although small in proportion to its population, is well-trained. It is set up only for defence of the country and is structured as follows:-

• Command and Logistics Network
• Land Defence Network
• Air Defence Network
• Strategic Air Branch
• Military Police Branch
• Maritime Defence Network
• Amphibious Defence Network
• River and Lake Defence Network
• Special Foreign Branch

Soldier of Federal Defence Forces

Medical Corps

The Xiang Gang Medical Corps is an unarmed and independent arm of the defence forces, which is concerned with administering emergency medical care abroad and in the country, in certain circumstances.

Federal Border Force

The Federal Border Force is a small paramilitary organisation which takes control of the country's borders and the highways near them, all of which have collapsible concrete roofs to slow an invasion. It also has an elite anti-terror group, the Federal Border Group 7. FBG units can be sent abroad to take part in peacekeeping operations.

An autonomous division of the Federal Border Force is the Ports Security Authority, which maintains security at airports and seaports.

Xiang Gang is almost landlocked, with only a small inlet separating to the ocean and a large lake forming its natural western limit. The high mountains of Xiang Gang's interior are populated with military defence posts and large bunkers full of equipment primed for use. Its beaches are protected by military posts, as are its cities. Xiang Gang, however, manages to spend a similar amount on defence to similar-sized countries, as it has no offensive capability.

National Police Force

The National Police Force (国家察务处) is the civilian police force of the country. The force has a small central bureaucracy with most policing in the hands of the local canton.

General Intelligence Service

The General Intelligence Service (总情报署) is the unified intelligence service for the state. It is a civilian organisation and is mostly involved in domestic security. It focuses on domestic non-military threats, particularly from terrorism. Its operatives, based on the Monitoring Institute's intelligence, combat foreign espionage in the country. It also monitors certain groups deemed to be dangerous, protects foreign and government officials in the country and performs background checks on those to be employed in positions of high authority in the government.

Its Monitoring Institute (监控所) is involved in foreign operations and international signals intelligence. It liases with foreign intelligence services.

The Provost Marshal for the Intelligence Service ensures that the service does not break the law.

Administrative Divisions

Xiang Gang is divided into 320 municipalities (市) and 180 circuits (道). These are equal in stature, although a municipality is urbanised and a circuit is not.

Each municipality has its own charter. They control policing in their area, control education in the area, control healthcare in the area within the scope of central government policy and control utilities and basic public services.

Each municipality has an independent Hospitals Board, Schools Board and Transportation Authority to ensure proper public access to the autonomous hospitals and schools and to the privately-run but publicly-licenced transport services, respectively.

Nuclear energy, some healthcare policy, university education policy, military policy, and foreign affairs are the exclusive domain of the Central Government. Municipalities receive most of the income tax proceeds of their citizens, as well as a grant if necessary, whilst all other tax is taken by the Republic.

The cities of Yongjing, Linhe, Hancheng, Baojin, Shancheng and Zhongping are the Republic's largest.

Government structure

Yongjing

Yongjing is the capital city of Xiang Gang; 22% of its population lives in the vast metropolitan area. The city has, however, few tall skyscrapers outside of the Central Finanical District and Dayi City: most buildings are under 20 storeys. Driving in the city is difficult but public transport is good.

Media

Xiang Gang has a varied and dynamic media sector. Most newspapers and television stations are national and based in Yongjing, particularly its Dayi City.

There is full editorial freedom in all sectors except digital terrestrial television, which must remain politically neutral.

Xiang Gang Television (XDT) is the publically-funded television network; it broadcasts three terrestrial channels: XDT-News, XDT-Inform and XDT-Entertainment.

Citizenship

Citizenship of the Federal Republic is obtained upon residence in the country for 8 years and the exhibition of a high degree of integration. For nationals of the Meritocratic Community states, this is lowered to 3 years. Dual citizenship is permitted.