| Date | 2027 |
| Event | Reunification of China under the Republic of China (ROC) |
| Outcome | The ROC government, which had remained in control of the Chinese mainland after winning the Chinese Civil War in 1949, launched a successful military campaign to reunify China under its democratic, capitalist rule. |
| Background | In this alternate timeline, the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) and the CPC ended with the KMT emerging victorious in 1949. This allowed the ROC government to remain in control of the Chinese mainland, rather than being forced to retreat to Taiwan. |
| Consequence | Over the following decades, the ROC implemented a model of state-guided capitalism and gradual democratization, transforming China into an economic powerhouse. |
The Chinese Civil War was a prolonged conflict that took place in the late 1940s between the Kuomintang (KMT) Nationalist government of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). Unlike in our timeline, where the CPC emerged victorious and established the People's Republic of China, in this alternate history the KMT forces were able to defeat their Communist rivals and maintain control over the Chinese mainland.
The roots of the Chinese Civil War dated back to the early 20th century, as the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty and led to the establishment of the ROC in 1912. However, the new republican government soon fractured into competing factions, with the KMT and CPC emerging as the two dominant forces.
After initially cooperating during the Northern Expedition to unify China in the 1920s, the KMT and CPC turned on each other, sparking the outbreak of civil war in 1927. Over the following two decades, the two sides fought an intermittent, bloody struggle for control of the country.
By the late 1940s, the tide had turned in favor of the KMT under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek. The Nationalist forces were able to leverage their superior organization, foreign aid from the United States, and popular support in urban and rural areas to gradually push back the Communists. In 1949, the CPC's last major strongholds fell, and Chiang's government remained firmly in control of the Chinese mainland.
With the Nationalist victory, the ROC government continued to claim sovereignty over the entire Chinese nation, rather than retreating to the island of Taiwan as in our timeline. Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT set about the task of rebuilding and modernizing the country, drawing on Western economic models and American assistance.
Over the following decades, the ROC evolved into a more pluralistic, democratic system - though the KMT remained the dominant political force. A degree of authoritarianism persisted, but there was greater space for opposition parties, civil society, and free markets to develop compared to the rigid Communist system in our world.
This combination of authoritarian control and market-oriented policies fueled rapid industrialization and economic growth in China. Major state-owned enterprises co-existed with a vibrant private sector, as the country transformed from an agrarian economy into an industrial and technological powerhouse. Chinese firms became globally competitive in sectors like manufacturing, finance, and information technology.
Despite the KMT's triumph, tensions remained between the ROC government in Nanjing and the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) forces that continued to control mainland China. The CPC never recognized the legitimacy of the Nationalist regime, and occasional military confrontations erupted between the two sides over the years.
The ROC, backed by the United States and other Western allies, maintained that it represented the rightful government of all of China, including the mainland territories held by the Communists. This "one China" policy was a key pillar of the ROC's foreign policy, even as the island of Taiwan developed its own distinct political and cultural identity.
Periodic negotiations were held between the two governments, but the CPC refused to relinquish its control over the mainland. This diplomatic stalemate persisted for decades, with the threat of open war between the ROC and CPC continuing to loom over the Taiwan Strait.
After decades of preparation and buildup, the ROC government in Taiwan finally launched a successful military campaign in 2027 to "liberate" the mainland territories from CPC control. The operation, codenamed "Reunification", combined precision airstrikes, amphibious assaults, and covert special forces operations.
Crucial to the ROC's victory was the growing domestic instability within mainland China, as the CPC's authoritarian rule and failing economic policies fueled widespread unrest and protests. The demoralized and disorganized Communist troops were unable to mount an effective defense, and the central government in Beijing quickly collapsed.
By April 2027, the ROC had established authority over the entirety of China, marking the formal reunification of the country under the Nationalist government. This dramatic geopolitical shift had major ramifications across Asia and the world, upending the regional balance of power and delivering a symbolic blow to communist regimes globally.
While the transition has not been without challenges, the ROC's control over mainland China is now firmly established. The country is rapidly developing into an economic and technological powerhouse, and a crucial US ally in the Asia-Pacific region. The legacy of the "Liberation of Mainland China" will undoubtedly shape global politics for generations to come.
