by “Hippie”

China in many ways has the same difficulties as Austria-Hungary in the standard game of Diplomacy. It is surrounded by enemies and a long way from the edge of the board and the security that offers. On top of this it has no naval presence what-so-ever at the start of the game despite having 3 coastal provinces.

The pressures the Chinese Emperor must feel will be pretty close to how it really was in the 1870`s. Outside influence under threat of the gun is a very real possibility. The only advantage the player has over History, is that he does not have the Empress Dowager present with the dodgy looking cup of tea should he make a mistake!!!

China`s geography in the game is such that if she goes for the easy and obvious builds in the first year. She will be pushed inland and increase the amount of border that needs to be defended. Before anything is decided, China needs to try and establish as many alliances as possible to offset the number of potential enemies looking for easy gains in the Chinese hinterland.

“As a central power China starts with borders with Britain, France, Japan and Russia – so keeping these nations against each other becomes vital to China’s survival. Forming an alliance with Holland is also a good move as both Holland and China can benefit from either France or Britain becoming “targets”.” Suzi Hollyoake

The prime negotiations must be with the Japanese and Russians. At all costs these two must not ally against China. Both have advantages if an alliance can be made.

If Japan offers a split of the Russian then this can be useful if the Japanese can be persuaded to concentrate on fleet building. Although the threat of Japanese incursions will still be very present in the Shanghai delta, with any luck, rapid Japanese expansion may have put the wind up the Dutch and French enough for them to decide to move against him.

Russian aid against Japan is also useful. It is actually more difficult for Russia to put the knife into China once Japan is suppressed and a demarcation line across the North can leave China to investigate possibilities in Indo-china while the Russian concentrates in the West. These negotiations often hinge around the political hot potato of Port Arthur. Any alliance with Russia should include some way of transferring this to Chinese power. This is often in exchange for the Korean Peninsular with Russian fleets banned from the yellow sea and areas south.

France is a key neighbour for China. While china must often concentrate on Armies in the early years to survive, Frances natural talents are in its possibilities as a naval power to rival the Dutch and Japanese. In essence this gives China and France a mutual interest in self survival with each concentrating on the one force of arms and giving mutual aid where necessary.

whatever the outcomes of diplomacy with the French, agreement must be made quickly about how to favourably use the armies around Canton and Tonking.

In the short term, Britain and China are often able to carry out superficially useful aid with Assam, Kashmir and other India-Asia disputes being agreeably reached.

“Obvious SC targets for China are Chungking, Kashgar and Assam – if you can’t get these you may as well give up and go home now! A good arrangement with Britain is for Britain to have Bengal & Kashmir, China to have Kashgar & Assam, and for Tibet to be a DMZ to complete the border. Canton and Hong Kong providing support for each other further strengthens this alliance.” Suzi Hollyoake

However, this relationship is often strained come the mid game as more and more pressure is put on Britain in the East and west. The temptation to just grab a useful supply centre by either side can be intolerable and often the collapse in the centre of either of these powers is the final nail in their own particular coffin.

The Dutch offer the most promising of allies should both China and Holland find peaceful solutions to their most immediate problems. A splitting of Indo-china can be achieved quickly and with a quick defensive cordon put across the Pacific to delay the Japanese. Once this is achieved, then a double attack can be mounted for the British to try and defend against. Britain normally concentrates on Fleets at the start of the game. Gains by China in Northern India and Kashmir often have catastrophic effects on the British Fleets in the south Indian Ocean .That then opens up the way for the Dutch forces to make inroads towards Madras.

Chinese support for Turkey is natural given it`s distance and potential usefulness in causing Russia and Britain problems. If aid cannot be given physically because of Russian alliances against Japan. Then the diplomatic crowbar should be used to help keep Turkey in the game. It can be pointed out to Russia that with Turkey pounding the Brits, China is more able to send forces eastwards that might otherwise be needed to defend Tibet and Kashgar.

Likewise the British can be helped into Assam and Upper Burma if it means leaving the Sultan southern borders free and allowing him to make the Czars life difficult on all borders.

Opening strategies

A Can – Yun
A Sik – Kag
A Sha – Nan
A Pek – Lan
A Mac hold

Assuming that China feels bold enough to trust/ignore the ever present influences of both Japan and Russia then this is an opening offers an opening that should not offend either of them too much.

Although quite neutral in essence. This opening does have certain possibilities against the British. The army in Langchow has the option of moving to Mongolia or south to Chungking. If it does move south, then the Army in Nanchung can bounce with French forces from Mandalay and thus leave Canton open to a possible build at the end of 1874. Meanwhile the army in Yunan can move on to Assam and put pressure on Bengal while the Kashgar force bounces British presence in Kashmir.

The Blue Lotus

A Man hold
A Pek – Mon
A Sha s A Mac hold
A Can – Chu
A Sik – Kag

Usually the first opening is difficult to use as no matter how well negotiations go with Japan and Russia, this only heightens the paranoia!! “The Russian says he`ll support me against the Japanese threat! why’s he being so nice??!!!……he must be about to stab me” and so on. This opening combines quite a strong defence against an early Russian strike while still allowing reasonable growth.

If the fears about Russian intentions prove correct, then the Kashgar Army can go on to bounce any potential grab for Tashkent. I this has not been targeted by the Czar yet, then a swift Chinese move into Tashkent may make the Czar`s nerve break if he has committed his Moscow army via the TSR to Irkutz or further East.

A Mac – Mon
A Sik – Ass

A Can – Chu
A Sha – Nan
A Pek – Sha

Here a firm non aggression pact with the Russian Empire leaves China free to distrust others. The moves south mean that should either the British or French have done the dirty in Canton then a supported move back can be achieved while holding onto Chungking

.Meanwhile a bounce of Manchuria by the forces in Mongolia and Shanghai should keep any opportunist move by the Japanese out if they have gained entry into the Yellow Sea.

Should the British have tried any funny business in Canton, the army in Assam is then nicely poised to gain revenge on Britain by denying a British build in Bengal.

A Sik – Kag
A Can – Yun
A Sha – Nan
A Mac – Mon
A Pek – Sha

if no particular hostilities appear apparent, then a Chinese gamble for quick growth can be attempted. Here the same principle of defensive bouncing in Manchuria is used while the forces in the south make a grab for both Assam and Chungking.

A Sik – Ass
A Can – Man
A Sha – Nan
A Pek – Mon
A Mac – Sha

Here again, things have gone well in the Diplomatic stakes in the north (even if its just for a year or two) The French are firmly in the Chinese sights and the denial of the Mandalay build can be quite catastrophic for the French.

The following year can again see any Mandalay move bounced or Canton supported should things be going badly wrong with the British. Meanwhile, the Assam Army can be moving swiftly down into Upper Burma making the capture of Mandalay more of a possibility in the future.

A Mac – PArt
A Sha – Mac
A Pek – Mon
A Can hold
A Sik – Kag

Here the Chinese go for the Russian throat from the start (if in league with the Japanese then even more effective) The Russian has been persuaded to move his Fleet to Seoul as part of the Mutual DMZing of the area around Port Arthur, and attack on Japan. Meanwhile the Chinese move in behind and then support for their lives the following year.

Meanwhile the Army in Kashgar moves onto Tashkent to frustrate Russian expansion their and Envoys are sent to the Sultan of the Ottoman empire promising most of the worlds supply of Hooker pipes if he`ll join in against the Russian.

Sam Pings Ruse

A Mac – PArt
A Sha – Nan
A Pek – Mon
A Can hold
A Sik – Kag

If accord has been reached by Russia and China over Port Arthur, then apparently aggressive moves can be used to take it and thus convince the other interested parties of your intent. This opening is actually quite a neutral opening if Port ArthuVlar has been agreed upon by the Russians and Chinese. If not, it could still be very successful with Japanese back up breaking any support the Russian might try and use to get it back again.

A Mac – Vla
A Pek – Mon
A Sha – Mac
A Can – Nan
A Sik – Kag

Again going for the Russian and gambling on the Russian wishing to keep a finger in both the east and the west. Here though, the army in Canton, relying on favourable relations with the British and French moves North to cover Shanghai from any reprisals that might come from a Russian Fleet in the Yellow Sea

A Mac Hold
A Pek – Mon
A Sha – Nan
A Sik – Kag
A Can Hold

A common approach to playing China is to sit and wait and see who has a crack at China first or alternatively appears to be coming under pressure from someone else. This defensive opening is quite strong in repelling any opportunistic openings by the French or Russians while still enabling 3 builds after the following year. The army in Kashgar allowing the choice of bouncing either the British or Russian should that become necessary.

To sum up. China is a very difficult power to play. The main questions being how to survive and trying to find at least one safe border than can be weakly defended. If however a strong early alliance can be formed and quick gains can be made in in neutral supply centres then China becomes a real super power with the Political clout the accompanies it.