Rongzhuo Summit (CLOSED, MT, ATTN Tuthina and Tinzhan)

[Xiaodong]

(OOC:

• Creation of a customs union
• Greater Monic cooperation and a more integrated Tengkong System
• Joint security exercises and intelligence sharing
• Engery needs and climate action

DAY 1:

• Leaders meet at the Lanhuatingzi (First Minister's residence)
• Leaders discuss the first two issues on the agenda
• State dinner

• Leaders discuss last two issues on the agenda
• Leaders stage press conference and joint declaration
• Leaders attend cultural festival (optional)

• Xi Yao-tong, Xiaodongese First Minister (Host)
• Ki Fong, Tinzi General Secretary
• Anteko, Tuthinian Regent

)

16 January 2017
Lanhuatingzi | Rongzhuo, Lanhuagang Prefecture
9:30 am Rongzhuo Time

---

Xi Yao-tong checked his watch sipped his tea. He felt elated after his party's election "win" the day before, and was looking forward now finally to lead a stable government once again. More importantly, Xi could also once again grace the world stage without the stigma of being a "lame duck" leader - it had been demoralising to be scorned and ignored by world leaders who saw him as simply an interim leader, and thus not worth dealing with.

9:30. The leaders should be here in the next half hour. Xi sat back in his white chair. He was sitting in one of the smaller private rooms within the Lanhuatingzi, the official residence of the First Minister and the rest of the Council of Ministers. The room was lit by traditional Monic lanterns, with a portrait of Lu Keqian hanging above the doorway. The window looked out into a small courtyard, surrounded by high walls made in a traditional Xiaodongese style. He was sitting opposite the Chairman of his party, Yuan Xiannian, a stocky man with tousled hair and a dull monotone, and beside him sat his private secretary, a young woman named Han Meimei with wire rimmed glasses and a dark business suit. Yuan spoke as Xi took another sip of his tea,

"This whole common market debacle. You realise they won't allow us, especially now?"

Xi put his cup of tea down. "There's no worries Xiannian. We'll make sure to get assurances in the summit today that any economic fallout will be cushioned. Tuthina and Tinzhan haven't let us down in 20 years." He turned to Han, "I assume Ki Fong and Anteko are attending again?".

Han nodded, with Xi sitting back. He'd met Ki when he was still foreign minister, and Anteko at the Xiangmin Summit back last Autumn. They weren't anti-Xiaodongese ideologues, meaning he could hope to strike out some deal with them.

I've arranged for security to be keep all protesters from entering near the Lanhuatingzi. The Alliance mob have sworn to protest today over the election, we don't particularly want our Tuthianian and Tinzi counterparts to be assaulted by them". Yuan said. "I've allowed the police to use full force if they come near the General Secretary and the Regent."

"Good." Xi said, as he stood up. He turned to Han. "Is my car ready? Xi said, "They should be arriving soon." Han nodded as Yuan got up as well.

"Remember this meeting is crucial. If we don't secure investment from Tuthina and Tinzhan, Xiaodong is in for difficult times." Yuan said.

"I know." Xi replied as he walked out the door. He looked through his schedule again - he would greet the leaders at the airport, then go back to the Lanhuatingzi to launch the summit. Xi hoped it would go to plan.

[Tinzhan]

Ki Fong pressed the fingertips of his hands together anxiously. This was his style of thinking, he could be seen doing it in debates, Council meetings, addresses; the public, of course, made a meme after it. Sitting upright, he stared at the papers sitting neatly before him. Ki was known to be an orderly man who liked things given to him in a straightforward fashion. A notebook sat right of the papers; it entailed neatly scribed simplifications of what his debriefings were telling him. While Ki was certainly a straightforward man, he was also a simple man.

Ki looked over to his watch, then outside the window of the airplane carrying him. Unlike the planes other world leaders flew on, the Tinzhanese Aviation Corps had provided the General Secretary with as modest plane which they could afford. The seats were small, about twice the size of an economy seat with a table for the General Secretary's laptop, papers, and anything else he could need. There were no five-star meals on this plane, Ki had some yogurt served conventionally. The GS counted on the Xiaodonese to provide good food. Plus, who cared, the plan was just about to land.

The plane also carried others. Bao Wen was the nation's Foreign Secretary. A bulkier, larger gentlemen who's father was a colonel of the old school, he sat upright with a tight posture. Bao was not as politically affluent as the rest of the Ki Administration, having first been a teacher of French and Namorese, he was enrolled by the Corps to teach would-be diplomats. Before he assumed his office of Foreign Secretary, he was a senior non-partisan advisor the National Council. Bao would act as the Secretary's little dictionary, for his personal reference.

The plane landed without a hitch. There would be a line of camera people waiting for him as customary. He would wave and climb down the steps jubilantly with Bao and his aids. He would find Xi Yao-tong, who he had met previously during his tenure as foreign minister, shake hands, do the same for Anteko, and all would go smoothly; he hoped. During taxi, Ki turns to Bao and all those sitting.

"A quick reminder," Ki says sternly, "This visit, and everything within, is probably one of the most important things this administration will accomplish, or fail at. It is vital that relations between our three nations are smooth. I need everyone to be at their best."

As soon as he finished his short speech, the plane came to a stand. Ki was first to exit onto the stairs, descending down to the press and towards the First Minister. With all the tension in his face gone, he smiled, waved, and briskly came down the steps towards the First Minister.

[Tuthina]

Unlike the General Secretary of Tinzhan and his entourage, the Regent of the Most Serene Empire opted for a less modest option for her arrival. Based upon a large amphibious aircraft commonly used in domestic flights between the numerous islands of the Home Islands, decades of experience in dealing with the lack of land space had led to, among other things, rich experience in construction of some of the largest seaplanes in Esquarium.

Capable of catering to about 30 people in business class, it was an intriguing question whether the personal ride of the Regent would carry a similar amount of retinue, or if she enjoyed an airborne compartment that was larger than the home of some people. That said, the relatively luxurious accommodation compared with that of Tinzhan might be quite justified, as while the General Secretary needed only to traverse a few hundred kilometre to reach the neighbouring Xiaodong, the distance between Xiaodong and the Regent's residence in Tuthina could easily be ten times of that, requiring a better half of day - or in this case, night – to cover.

Capable of landing on water as well as airstrip, the white, albatross-like aircraft approached the airport after its Tinzhanese counterpart cleared the runway. Landing gear emerged from the smooth underbelly of the fuselage and floats of the plane, the transport of the Grand Princess soon arrived at the designated location in the airport without any incident. The low height of the plane meant that the deploying airstair was all that was needed for its passengers to emerge in the sub-zero air of Xiaodong.

Aware of the press already waiting outside, the main guest from the Empire was naturally the first to enter the limelight. Despite most likely being well into late adulthood, Anteko's appearance did not show any sign of ageing, perhaps due to her not needing to work, as well as having free access to the best care of the Empire, if not the entire world. Unlike in the summit in Namor about half a year ago, she opted for traditional garment to reflect the fundamental difference between the two summits: this one was dedicated to, among other things, the traditional sphere of influence of the Empire.

While she was best known for her traditional crimson garment for summer, the frozen air of the venue resulted in her utilising a thick, black garment instead. Based on the same T-shaped rope characteristic of the ancient Monic people, elaborate decorations of stylised fauna and flora adorned the wool robe in the form of silvery lines. A dense, fluffy fur collar, most likely made of white wolf, loosely encircled her neck, covering both her shoulders and chest to further facilitate the warm and comfortable wool lining beneath the black dress.

Following her, a pair of young adults emerged from the compartment as well. This small entourage of one male and one female - at least in appearance - had a more utilitarian choice of clothes. While the male and female donned a soft blue and red Monic robe respectively, a thick, white coat covered all but the collar of the robe beneath. Unlike the more cosmopolitan coat design with its opening in the middle, the servants opted for a more traditional design, where the opening led from neck towards the right until reaching the point between collarbone and right shoulder, before reaching down towards hemline by hip.

The lengthened lower hem at the front appeared to resemble stylised apron of sort, reinforcing their servant status. That said, despite the modest clothing, the fact that a pair of young adults or late teenagers wearing a tight-cutting and nonetheless high-quality clothes suggested one of the various boons of working under one of the most powerful individuals of the Empire.

Once all three of them landed on Xiaodongese soil, the airstair slowly retracted back into the fuselage, quietly noting the absence of the towering male that often accompanied Anteko. Turning towards the press, the Grand Princess offered a faint smile and nod towards the camera lens before approaching the First Minister of Xiaodong and greeting him, curious whether he would opt for shaking hands or a more traditional greeting gesture.

[Xiaodong]

16 January 2017
Outside the Lu Keqian Airport| Rongzhuo, Lanhuagang Prefecture
10:00 am Rongzhuo Time

---

Xi stepped out his limousine as journalists started to crowd him prompting his thickset body guards to lever them out the way. Armed police officers lined the streets in front of black armoured vehicles and tanks that closed the entire street and airport from protesters. Xi glanced over his shoulder to peer behind the roadblocks to see throngs of people holding placards and shouting obscenities. He turned to Han Meimei who had followed him out the car.

"Tell the police to get the mob out" Xi gestured to the protesters "But don't use force. I don't want them giving this conference a bad name."

Han nodded as Xi went through to the airport - a modern chrome affair with blanked faced staff standing to attention as he passed- to the runway, where two planes sat parked besides a long red carpet. One was a modest affair with the coat of arms of Tinzhan - a white bird surrounded by a green wreath - on the tail fin. Xi would expect the Tinzhanese General Secretary to travel in something more grand - his plane looked like that of a budget airline. The Tuthinian regent on the other hand had arrived in an elaborate seaplane, much more fitting for a head of state.

Xi approached the two leaders. Ki was a tall man with wire rimmed glasses whilst Anteko was dressed in a traditional black dress - fitting, Xi thought, for a summit between Monic people's. He gave a traditional bow to Ki and Anteko respectively, before saying, "Welcome to the Auspicious Republic of Xiaodong. I hope the pair of you can a comfortable journey here." He gestured to the airport exit. "Please, follow me. Cars will be waiting to take you to the Lanhuatingzi."

He had hoped to not rush greetings, but the mounting protests outside meant Xi wanted to get to the Lanhuatingzi as quickly as possible. Hopefully the police would have cordoned off the area by now he thought as he led Ki and Anteko through the airport with journalists snapping their pictures. Xi put on a strained smile as he waved to the reporters. Stepping out into the street again, he could see the protesters behind the police convoy shouting more slogans and getting more agitated. "Damn that election" he thought as he climbed back in his limousine, seeing Anteko and Ki doing the same with their own behind him. Han was sitting in there, turning to Xi as he entered the car.

"The roads around the Lanhuatingzi have been cleared, Mr First Minister" Han said, causing a sign of relief from Xi.

"Good. We can finally have some peace from this mob." he said as he leaned back in the chair, mulling over the coming meeting. Ki was if he recalled correctly from meeting him in 2014 was a pragmatist who supported more integration amongst Monic nations - undoubtedly he could come to some agreement on that. Although he had met Anteko only half a year ago though, Xi still couldn't quite make out what her, for lack of a better word, intentions were. Quite how the Tuthinian regime had come to maintain friendly yet so overwhelmingly dominant hegemony over the region, yet had what seemed to him contradictory foreign policy stances elsewhere mystified him. Xi shrugged. Hopefully they would come to agreement over the agenda he had drafted.

"Mr Xi, we have arrived at the Lanhuatingzi"

"Excellent" Xi said, stepping out the car, before guiding his guests into the large courtyard of the Lanhuatingzi. It was made ina traditional Xiaodongese style, with high walls topped with sloping roofs, and small trees dotting the courtyard. Opposite the entrance sat a traditional Xiaodongese building painted it red and covered with golden inscriptions of suobanke characters - the chosen location of the conference, that normally served as the meeting place for the Council of Ministers.

"The most sincerest apologies" Xi said "for the rushed greetings at the airport. There has been, uh, some protests recently in Xiaodong. As such, let me once again apologise for inconveniences caused. Once again, allow me to introduce to Xiaodong." He bowed once again.

[Tinzhan]

Ki Fong jubilantly but firmly returned the greeting to the Xiaodongese First Minister and the Regent of Tuthina. He turned to the First Minister and the Regent, addressing them both,

"Mr. First Minister, Your Highness, it is my sacrosanct honor to have the pleasure of meeting you on this fine day in hopes for a better and more prosperous future."

The General Secretary obediently followed the First Minister's instructions to follow him to a row of cars. Ki sensed that the greetings were made extremely brief and felt like both of his counterparts felt the same way. The General Secretary gave a steady glance at the First Minister, who he had previously met in 2014 during his later tenure as Foreign Secretary and recognized him very well. Then, his glance moved to the Regent, who he felt was dressed beautifully in a manner that resembled the incredible fashion sense of Tuthina. The Foreign Secretary and the corps of aides stood obediently behind the General Secretary while they briskly walked to get out of the flashing cameras.

Upon his arrival in the car, both the General Secretary and Foreign Secretary sat sternly while the rest of the entourage made a more comfort-oriented decision in their manner of sitting. The Foreign Secretary frowned slightly, but the General Secretary made no notice of it. Instead, he closely examined the airport as the cars slowly came into motion. Keeping a keen eye on the road and one on the window, he got what he was searching for when the cars stepped out of the street. He could see a line of protesters who were there to protest what they perceived as a rigged election. Ki was particular in reading about the Xiaodongese election and instructed his aids and the Foreign Minister to pay attention.

Before he knew it, the cars had come to a stop. Upon opening the door, his eyes were greeted to the site of a beautiful and traditional Xiaodongese building very similar to that in Tinzhan. He gazed at the building for quite some time. The Foreign Secretary was less of an admirer, after one glance, his attention was diverted to one of the kids who carried his suitcase in a peculiarly careless manner.

Upon hearing the apologies of First Minister Xi, Ki kindly said in an almost motherly manner, "Please, I understand, there is no need to apologize."

He bowed and stood with Foreign Secretary Bao, awaiting the call to come inside.

[Tuthina]

"You have my gratitude for this cordial reception, my honourable host." The Grand Princess responded to Xi's greeting with a traditional greeting of her own. Superficially resembling a foreign curtsey, with a slight bend of her knees and bow, it was nonetheless a native gesture, as indicated by her hand gesture - right palm laying over left palm, both resting on the left side of her stomach beneath the rather thick, arguably corset-like sash common for female Tuthinan garments.

The gesture is repeated by her female retinue, while the male instead opted for one more fitting for his gender. His right palm rested on top of the left palm with the fingers pointing slightly upward, both held roughly a feet in front of his chest, before the entire upper body offered a deep bow towards the First Minister. "We look forward to be in your care."

Once addressing the host, the small entourage turned towards its Tinzhanese counterpart and offered a similar greeting. "The pleasures are all mine, honourable General Secretary. We look forward to a fruitful consensus in continuation of our cordial relations." The Regent greeted Ki, showing her mastery over the local tongue, if a bit biased towards courtly enunciation.

Perhaps quite aware of the hidden instability within the country in the wake of the election, the entourage took no time in following local guidance into limousine. While the Regent did not visibly turn her attention towards the gathering crowd outside, the two servants, each carrying a briefcase, could not help but briefly turn towards them in curiosity before disappearing behind the closing doors of the compartment. As the engine sound drowned the chanting from the outside world, both followers opened their briefcase.

One of them was filled with piles of documents, each filled to brim with information even with the notoriously dense Literary Tuthinan used. Held in place through elastic bands beneath the lid was a tablet computer, which was soon retracted by the male servant and switched on. Similar to the papers, its screen displayed even more information, albeit more graphical and interactive in nature. With aid from both source of data, the male servant leant towards the Regent as he continued the briefing that occupied the better part of the last few hours on the plane.

On her other side, though, the female servant retracted from her briefcase a bottle of wine, along with a set of fitting ware. For others who saw it, it was clearly a high-class beverage despite the seemingly transparent liquid gradually filling the glass. Once the surface reached a suitable level, the maidservant helped herself with a sip, before delivering the rest to the Regent.

Time flew past fast as Anteko took in both alcohol and information regarding the summit, as the car soon arrived at the venue, showcasing the traditional aesthetics of Lanhuatingzi. As the car slowed down, the Regent signalled her male retinue to return the document to the briefcase. With a quiet nod, he followed the order given while the Regent prepared for the arrival. Eyeing on the half-empty glass, his female counterpart soon followed suit after she disposed of the remaining drink with her mouth, procuring a satisfied smile on her face and an envious one on his.

As Anteko entered the view of Xi and Ki in the courtyard, her face appeared to carry a slight blush, although without context it was difficult to tell if it was caused by influence of alcohol, last-minute cosmetics or simply because of adjusting to the cold weather of the day. Her smooth footstep, though, suggested against any sort of alcoholic influence.

"Indeed, there are no need for such apologies. It is in my sincere belief that the honoured General Secretary of Tinzhan shares my sentiment that you have been fulfilling your duty as the esteemed host of this summit well." The Regent responded to Xi with a faint smile and nod, quickly followed by her servants. As before, the Grand Princess appeared to be quite fluent in Xiaodongese, with the only hints of her not being a native speaker being a preference of archaic and elaborate expression and phonology.

[Xiaodong]

Xi smiled. Well, once again, welcome to Rongzhuo. I assume you know the agenda for today?"

Anteko and Ki nodded.

"Good. Follow me," Xi said as he led Anteko and Ki into the conference room, in which the interior was tall and spacious. Three ornate white chairs sat opposite the door in front of a large painting of a Xiaodongese landscape with green valleys and ancient temples, painting in a traditional Xiaodongese style. Beside the centre chair sat a smaller one, reserved for Xi's own private secretary. Small, traditional tables sat beside the chairs with headsets neatly placed on them for the leaders to translate Anteko's Literary Tuthinan for the Xiaodongese speaking Ki and Xi, and vice versa. Small tea cups also sat on the tables, filled with jasmine tea. Several white chairs lined the room, to be filled by their entourage to note the details of the summit. Above the doorway hung a portrait of Lu Keqian, as standard for government buildings. The Regents and General Secretary's staff filtered into the room, taking up the chairs around

Xi beckoned for Anteko and Ki to sit down as he lowered himself on the centre chair.

"Now that we are all in attendance, let me say welcome to all those in attendance to the Auspicious Republic of Xiaodong in what shall hopefully be the first annual conference between our three great nations. For years, people have been talking about greater Monic cooperation and more integration in the Lahudic-Borean region, and I am proud to announce that this summit will developments and commitments within that realm. Our nations have close links and intertwined histories, cultures, civilisations, languages, and races, and as such it only seems natural that we aim to foster closer ties.

Increasing trade regionalisation and worldwide initiatives have seen modernisation and closer regional cooperation throughout the globe. It is in the interests of our countries to adapt to these global trends, and be the ones to lead the change in creating cross-regional cooperation not just in trade but energy, security and cultural policy, so our nations can both create sustainable globalised networks yet co-currently maintain national sovereignty.

On our agenda for the next two days, we will discuss several important issues that face our nations today. First is the creation of more integrated trading system through the loosening or complete elimination of tariffs, preferably one where our countries will possess common tariffs to other nations. We will also discuss greater cooperation and the creation of more permanent economic, cultural and political institutions within Tengkong system.

We will also discuss the possibility of joint security exercises and more effective regional responses to security concerns. We are getting reports today that the Toksanese senate has been bombed - it should serve as a warning that no nation is safe in this age, and that security should be of paramount importance. Finally, we aim to discuss a regional-centric approach to climate change and sorting out energy concerns in a way that does not impact on our economies and the productive industries that they are comprised of. Again, welcome to Rongzhuo."

Xi took a sip of his tea. "On our first issue of economic integration" Xi said, as he made himself comfortable. "Current economic forecasts look bleak the world over, and with the recent decision by the Esquarian Community to merge the former Greenwich Area into the EC common market, our three nations may be left behind as the rest of the world condenses into closer trade blocs. I propose for the sake of easing trade, increasing economic efficiency and leading to economic growth, there should be the creation of a common free trade area within our nations in the framework of a customs union,."

[Tuthina]

Since before her ascension as the Regent of the Most Serene Empire, diplomatic functions like these had been a familiar scene for Anteko. Through the years, she had learnt to ease herself into established protocols and etiquette despite the weight of an entire country - often more than one - on her shoulder. As such, when she was led to her seat along the leader of Xiaodong and Tinzhan in the conference room, she maintained her usual calm and collected posture, enough not to disturb the elaborate garment that appeared to seek competing with the traditional aesthetics of the room.

The same, however, could not be said of her two servants. Perhaps understandably given their young age, despite trying to follow the sample of the Grand Princess, they still appeared to be somewhat nervous as they took their respective seat. The male retinue took the seat for translator, suppressing the confusion in his mind given that all three leaders appeared to be quite fluent in the Xiaodongese language - sometimes, he suspected that his mistress might have better mastery over the language than the designated translator like him did.

His female counterpart, on the other hand, seated herself along the other secretaries a she put on her headsets. shaking her head once to align the brown ponytail behind her face, she soon opened up her briefcase and procured the stationary needed for her duty in this event. Unlike that used by most other clerks, though, the secretary laid on the desk a small, tidy pile of soft and smooth paper dissimilar to its more common counterpart. The reasoning behind this peculiar choice of medium soon became clear as her lithe fingers opened the cap of her pen. Instead of a metallic nib one would expect from its semblance to a high-class fountain pen, the one used by the maidservant had an ink brush in its stead. Although capable of adhering to most papers, the Empire had dedicated its fair share of resource and mind into creating a more fitting medium for this stationary.

There were barely enough time for a sip of the warming jasmine tea before Xi began his welcoming speech. Hastily putting down the cup, the young male immediately began translating the official words of the First Minister into Literary Tuthinan. Despite both belonging to the eastern branch of Monic languages, the official language of the Empire was audibly shorter and more concise, with his lips moving about half as often as Xi did. Once he had finished his words, the Regent took her turn, her words diluting into Xiaodongese phrases through the voice of the male servant.

"On behalf of His Most Serene Majesty and His Empire, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude towards our esteemed host. We will be looking forward to enjoying our stay for the duration of this important event." Once responding to the... third, perhaps, welcoming from Xi with a slight bow, Anteko moved forward to the topic of the summit. "The Most Serene Empire has always been striving for a more interconnected world, as the presiding members of the Tengkong system can attest. For more than a thousand years, the azure main has allowed ships to travel between our people, forging our mutually beneficial and prospering relations that continue to this day."

"While it has served all of us well since its foundation, it is inevitable that such an ancient institution would not necessarily fit with the ever-changing world we face today, especially given the volatile international commerce system as well as aggregation of economies into economic blocs. It is never the intention of His Most Serene Majesty to exclude any economies from prosperity of the global economy, but reinforcement of our existing economic integration through modern means is nevertheless essential for the long-term well-being of all Tengkong members, as well as the Empire itself." The translator continued to speak in Xiaodongese, seemingly struggling until Anteko slowed down her words. "As such, His Most Serene Majesty's Empire is in favour of the establishment of a free trade area and customs union between our honourable polities. However, it should be remarked that due to the unique circumstances of Xiaodong and Tinzhan participating in both the Tengkong system and the International Forum for Developing States, whose membership extend beyond the participants of this summit, it is in my belief that it would be more prudent for this customs union to remain preferable to other members of these two organisations. In particular, the Most Serene Empire would suggest implementation of mechanisms that would allow other Tengkong members for ascension into this economic organisation, allowing this topic to provide greater synergy to other topics relevant to this summit."

While both the Regent and her translator addressed the leaders, the maidservant also recorded their words. Perhaps as expected, the words were put into writing in Literary Tuthinan Syodongmun, the official script of the Empire. Although superficially similar to suobanke characters, its characters were noticeably more complex than them, resulting in a larger vocabulary that could match the concise nature of this dead language. Although it was possible to write Syodongmun with regular pen, the sheer complexity and similarity between characters necessitated the use of traditional brush nib, as demonstrated by the focused secretary. Despite her young age, the left hand resting on the back of her right wrist moved sharply but also smoothly, guiding the embellished pen to dance on the smooth paper. With each careful twist and turn, the black ink marked its journey in the form of interconnected strokes of varying width and shape, making even similar characters both aesthetically pleasing and functionally distinct from each other. Combined with the traditional layout, this minute might as well be sold to unsuspecting foreign tourists in exchange of a rather decent meal in a fine establishment.

[Tinzhan]

Ki Fong and his entourage followed the First Minister to the spacious conference room. Ki, being the leader of the delegation, walked slowly and firmly, but not stiffly. Being a former Foreign Secretary, Ki was an expert in how to handle such meetings. Looking around the room in a concise fashion, Ki slowly sat down and faced his colleagues. Ki's eyes widened as he took one last short glance at the room out of respect. Ki prepared himself for speeches by the First Minister and decided he would allow the Regent of Tuthina to go before him. '

Ki's entourage filled in after him. Foreign Secretary Wen sat to the side whilst another aid traveled towards the seat of the translator. Funny, he thought, why would there be a need for translations if everyone in the room already speaks the same language, perhaps out of courtesy for the Tuthinan Regent? Meanwhile, another aid sat to the corner after observing the Foreign Secretary do so. The Foreign Secretary looked at his watch, then up at the leaders. He slowly reached for his bag, took out a note pad, and began to jot notes. He was correct in his inference.

Ki listened to the speech of the First Minister and nodded to it in agreement. During speeches, long or short, Ki always kept a keen, some would even say sociopathic-esque, eye on the speaker. He wasn't trying to be hawkish, which many accused him of being at times, but rather he was an extremely attentive listener and preferred to give his speaker the most attention Ki thought they were deserving of. To the corner, Wen copied the First Minister's words in elegant and precise simplified letters for reference. Members of Ki's aide corps looked interested but were visibly trying to keep a tight composer. One of the aids decided to fix his hair last minute which was considerably shaggy but stopped after the Foreign Secretary game him the classic stink eye.

After Xi finished his speech, Ki waited for the Regent. Her speech, he felt, was fluid and almost artistic. He found that she spoke in a beautiful tone which implied both the ability to lead and the power of a woman. Looking at the Regent, he smiled and nodded as her speech continued. As the closing came, he prepared himself for his first lengthy speech of the day. As the Regent wrapped up, Ki made his trademark finger-touching gesture. After the Regent's speech concluded, Ki smiled and began.

"May I first say that I an honored, deeply, to be able to be in both of your acquaintances. May this meeting lift all of our nations into an era of prosperity, economic richness, cultural richness, and Monic Power. I have no doubt that the work we may accomplish today may have a lasting and profound effect on the futures of not only our nations, but the nations we partner with as a collegian whole. The Tinzhanese Government is committed to a better and more prosperous Tinzhan, and as such, we believe that it is only right that all of as prosper." Ki paused to regroup his thoughts, "As you may know, Tinzhan has not had the best history there is to have. After surviving a long period of communist rule, I am sad to say that democracy is a relatively new concept in this nation. But now, Tinzhanese Government has taken a new route and would like to take initiative in creating a better Tinzhan.

Tinzhan has had a largely successful year, and we hope for success this year and ever year. But the Tinzhanese economy is seeing signs of slow-down. While we are at a pinnacle point in economic development, many in my country fear that this onset of economic progress may be an omen instead of a good sign. In deed, Tinzhan has been losing in the markets, and while that has not been seen by the public yet, it will soon. It takes only a bad decision in a major company or a wrong step in our bank might bring brinks upon our heads. Much worse, recession has had astoundingly harsh consequences on Tinzhan. In 1978, the Tinzhanese Rich Fund collapsed under economic pressure that could have been easily avoided resulted in the death of three-tenths of my countrymen. One of those deaths is my brother, who died from malnutrition and who was not even giving a proper farewell. It is in this nation's best interest in avoiding potentially disastrous situations by allying with foreign nations to create a strong and guided economy which will make Tinzhan and the rest of us more prosperous. Thus, I agree, the creation of a customs union is an excellent idea.

Thus, I propose the creation of the Monic Customs Union. This Union will be controlled by the League of Monic Cooperation from the Monic Council and spearheaded by the Monic Customs Union and Economic Development Agency, who we will discuss in our talks over Monic cooperation. All members of the Monic Customs Union will operate under one single trade policy proposed by the Monic Council and approved by all member nations. This means that instead of operating as individual countries with different trade policies, we would all share a mutually agreed upon trade policy. In addition, all tariffs between members of the Union will be eliminated completely, allowing the free movement of goods between nations. In addition, all nations would share an agreed upon common competition policy to foster economic development but each country would be permitted to set their own competition policy if they feel that a particular good is being threatened. This proposal would also allow nations to set their own import quotas. The Monic Customs Union, through the League of Monic Cooperation, can make trade deals with foreign nations or organizations upon the unilateral agreement of all nations involved. This Union will be managed the Monic Customs Union and Economic Development Agency which will not only be responsible for the function of the Union but also economic advisory for the benefit of all of our nations.

It would be my honor to see that we can agree on these terms. I find it imperative that we as a community act together to form a more perfect economy for each and every one of us. In a time when more nations are allying together, it is finally time for our three nations to come together and solidify ourselves as an economic force to prosper and attract investment and economic opportunity from around Esquarium."

Ki finished his speech on a higher note than he thought he would. He breathed in some much needed air, but did so quietly as to not be heard. He smiled and prepared for the reactions of his colleagues.

[Tuthina]

"The Most Serene Empire shares the same sentiment for a prosperous future between our countries through greater economic integration. However, I believe it would only be proper for me to offer suggestions on behalf of His Most Serene Majesty regarding the proposal by the esteemed General Secretary of Tinzhan." The Regent followed Ki after taking a sip of her jasmine tea. The climate of Xiaodong had enabled it to provide tea of rather satisfactory quality, compared with that of Tuthina that would not encourage growth of many crops, let alone tea leaves. That, perhaps, was among the most intuitive benefits of trade for a Tuthinan like her and her servants. "While it is beyond doubt that all three of our polities pertain to our Monic heritage, the Most Serene Empire seeks to extend its wealth to all who is willing, regardless of their heritage. This principle of inclusion has always served the Empire well, as reflected by the harmony enjoyed by the most complicated ethnic composition of the world."

"As such, the Empire would much prefer that the names being utilised for the customs union to be more cosmopolitan, for a lack of better words." The translator appeared to have paused for a brief moment, contemplating if the last phrase needed translation. "I believe perhaps a more proper name would be Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium, to reflect the rich bounties that the azure main has kindly offered us. After all, it was the high capacity and speed of trading ships from past to present, that allowed our polities to be connected in the first place. It seems only logical to reflect our heritage in this organisation."

"On a lesser note, it would be most prudent should we allow 'breathing space', so to speak, in our names so that it would not be defined by its current, nascent form. Once we have understood the exact benefits that this consortium would provide to us, it is only reasonable for the organisation to expand further, both to include those who are willing to prosper with us, as well as to further our cooperation should we see fit. As such, perhaps this organisation alone will suffice, reminding us of our intentions while allowing us to further expand in the future." Anteko concluded, before returning to her seat again. By now, the papers filling all the words spoken by the three leaders had filled about twice as many papers for the secretary compared with that of the maidservant.

[Tinzhan]

Upon hearing the statements from the Regent, Ki began, "The reason for such an exclusive name was the perceived lack of interests in the Monic nations. But, I would be more than willing to accept that we expand our borders. I concur with your name change and I will edit my draft."

At this time, the Foreign Secretary took out a pen from his pocket and proceeded to make name changes as the Tuthinan Regent had requested. The Foreign Secretary sighed, he hoped for a Monic-only alliance, but his boss wanted to please everyone. If only Wen were the General Secretary. Wen snapped himself into reality and began to write.

[Xiaodong]

Xi nodded as Ki and Anteko made their speeches on the idea of a custom unions. He was interested in Ki's idea of a new Monic intergovernmental organisation - it could after all serve as a way to isolate Senria in the region, which was always useful for Xiaodong's strategic interests - but, if the Tuthinians were committed to building upon the Tengkong system, than Xiaodong had to agree somewhat. Xi was sure both Anteko and Ki knew the Xiaodongese economy was to weak to be used as a negotiating card. Xi leaned forward as his spoke.

"Whilst I support the creation of a larger customs union within the Tengkong System framework, it is of the Xiaodongese governments belief that in order to secure progress and prosperity such a customs union can provide.

Xiaodong would like to expand on the Tengkong systems existing infrastructure, but would like to see its memberstates adopt more uniform policies in the interest of stimulating economic growth. For example, states like Ultima Borealia have an extremely controlled labour market and a glut of state-owned assets that manipulate its overall competitiveness and creates distortions in regards to labour markets and competition between industry - the asset of General Secretary Ki's proposal of an entirely new body would mean integration in economic terms can be done on more economically equitable terms.

However, as previously stated Xiaodong would rather a "Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium" to require its members to adopt policies to create more uniformity to countries internal economic policies, such as the liberalisation of labour markets, privatisation of state-assets and drawback of state subsidies to encourage more competition between states rather than have states support dying industry with surplus labour which creates distorted markets. Xiaodong at the moment is committed to privatise most of our state-owned assets in the next five years, and for the interests of economic stability we'd rather such policies were adopted by other states within such a custom union. Only under such conditions should other Tengkong members enter this new custom union, otherwise we could have a distorted market."

[Tinzhan]

Ki heard the Xiaodongese First Minister and repeated his words in Ki's head slowly. Instead of discussing the issue with the Xiaodongese First Minister at present, he decided that he would approach the situation step-by-step with his own diplomatic style.

"I see your point, Mr. First Minister. Perhaps the idea of an integrated Tengkong System can be discussed when the agenda calls for it.

On the topic of a customs union, are we in agreement with the structure of this Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium, its management and the provisions for economic success. As for the structure, I would suggest that the Consortium be managed by representatives from each nation who would be chosen in a manner which their governments shall approve. Each nation would be entitled to four seats at this governing body, let's call it the Oceanic Co-prosperity Council. I also agree that without economic integration, and the establishment of norms, this organization will be inoperable. I hope we can make a good decision."

[Tuthina]

"Naturally, it is never the intention of the Most Serene Empire to force all Tengkong members to fit in the same framework, and it is certainly more preferable for member polities to seek for a more... customised system to reap benefit and riches to suit their particular circumstance. What I intend to clarify, though, is that the unified foreign trade policy of the Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium ought to take into account the overlapping membership between it and both the Tengkong system and the International Forum for Developing States. While I believe the details would be discussed by the Council, it would be prudent to ensure that its operation would not impede that of either Tengkong or OCC." The translator continued to speak for the Regent, as the secretary swapped a filled paper with an empty one before continuing to record the words of her mistress. It was clear from the beginning that neither Xiaodong nor Tinzhan was particularly interested in economic ties outside the selected members of this summit, perhaps a few more. The barely-concealed hostility between Xiaodong and Senria itself might only be kept from open armed conflict because of the looming threat of the Empire, after all. It would be political - if not literally - suicidal for the First Minister to admit Senria into OCC. "And the interconnected economic interest of member states between these organisations might, perhaps in the future, draw them closer to the Consortium that they might be interested in participating. It is in such hope that His Most Serene Majesty would prefer its framework to be more inclusive in nature, as its expansion would surely benefit all of us."

"The Most Serene Empire see no issues of a unified internal economic policy. That is, after all, a core aspects of a customs union. We see no reason not to adjust our economic infrastructure to complement each other, so as to avoid unhealthy competition between our economies."

[Tinzhan]

Ki nodded slowly as the Regent of Tuthina made her comments. Smiling, he rose once more; his instinct for mutual concurrence pulled him forward. Wen rolled his eyes; didn't the GS just say that? he thought. He again snapped out of it and continued to write.

"I concur with the statements. We would be stronger if we expanded our borders to other developing nations or other nations within the Tengkong System. However, it is prudent to be cautious in not being too inclusive and not letting to much slide. We must be sure that those who wish to cooperate with us are really in good faith. I think we can all agree that a customs union with a unified trade policy and competition policy benefits all of us."

Ki stopped, contemplating if he should say what came to his mind. He thought that discussion regarding political alter-egos and interference would be discourteous due to the recent situation in Xiaodong. Perhaps Tuthina could take it the wrong way too. Only one way to know, he decided to go with it,

"Let us also be sure that we do not become the EC. Allowing political alter-egos in this customs union will surely dissolve it into a bureaucratic nightmare with politicians who will seek to advance their motives at the cost of all of us. This should not be a political union run by politicians. I despise the system of the EC because it encourages the creation of political parties who will in turn represent the best interests of their party not the nation they are supposed to represent. A political union like this not only has the potential to reverse progress, but the ability to destroy fragile national economies. The political strife of the member nation should not interfere with the function of the OCC. This union ought to be governed by independent government chosen experts."

[Tuthina]

"The Most Serene Empire sees no issue with the current proposal regarding the nature of the Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium. As suggested before, members of the Council would be selected by the polity that appoint them and, in turn, be represented by them regarding the coordinated internal and external economic policies. As for the concerns from the honourable General Secretary of Tinzhan regarding the possible politicisation of OCC, I can personally assure you that such would not happen in this nascent organisation." The Regent commented, "Since the dawn of the Imperial Examination system, the government for His Most Serene Majesty has always been staffed by the brightest mind the Home Islands can offer, with all ministers having proven their abundance of academic knowledge, as well as ability to utilise them for the good of the Empire. Candidates for the Oceanic Co-prosperity Council would be no different. As for our esteemed host, it is in my sincere belief that their wise leadership share the same concern over the issue, and will be appointing only the most professional experts available."

The translator took a brief sip of the tea, having finally caught up to the words from the Grand Princess. "Regarding the concerns of OCC being too enthusiastic in its expansion, I believe the issue can be resolved if any ascension require, perhaps, approval from a majority of the Council should a consensus could not be reached. The same method of resolution should apply to the general policies of the organisation as well. Would that be acceptable for our honourable colleagues?"

[Xiaodong]

Xi nodded as Han Meimei hurriedly jotted down the points made by Anteko.

"Your proposal, your highness, is acceptable to the Xiaodongese government. As with the government of the Most Serene Empire, XIaodong maintains an examination secretariat that ensures an impartial civil service, as I believe Tinzhan does as well. Such a system will prevent politicisation. Although I agree with the thrust of your highness's proposal to base membership to this consortium on majority vote by memberstates, I feel that it should instead be based on unanimous consent, so we can have total peace, harmony and a commitment to cooperation.

As such, I present a declaration for this summit for the purposes of promoting such an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium, and invite discussion on its general articles. .

TREATY OF MUTUAL FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN XIAODONG, TINZHAN AND TUTHINA

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On Economic Cooperation and Integration

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1. Our three nations will commit to the creation of a customs union within an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium which will see our nations adopt a unified external tariff, competition policy and external trade policy.
   
   
2. Such an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium would have a controlled process of expansion that would be undertaken with the consent of member states to ensure peace and cooperation between its members.
   
   
3. An Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium would also be a body created and staffed on the basis of serving the good of the nations they represent, and will not be subject to the influence of political parties.
   
   
4. The process of creating an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium would also see a harmonisation in the internal trading policies of each member state.

[Tinzhan]

"The People's Republic of Tinzhan concurs with this draft in whole."

[Tuthina]

"While I fully understand the concerns of the esteemed First Minister of our honourable host over the potential disharmony over a system that does not require solely on the consensus of all involved, it is unfortunate that His Most Serene Majesty does not share the same interpretation." The Regent offered two slight bow to the other participants, both when she said personally, and when the translator repeated the statement in the local tongue. "Our experience in upholding the mutual cultural support and reinforcement in the Monic Union has revealed that consensus is not always attainable even if it is within the desire and benefit of all participating. This is especially true when swift actions are required."

"Therefore, while I wholeheartedly agree on the sentiment of the gracious host regarding the treaty, my duty as the representative of His Most Serene Majesty and His Empire cannot allow me to offer my backing in official capacity if a full consensus, while preferable, is deemed the sole means to implement policies. It is in my sincere hope that the honourable First Minister and General Secretary can sympathise with our concern." The Grand Princess took another sip of the tea. "Should the honourable First Minister and General Secretary agree that the need of the many sometimes might have to regrettably outweigh the need of the few, though, the Most Serene Empire will be eager to offer its full support towards the Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium."

[Tinzhan]

"While I sympathize with the concerns of His Majesty, Tinzhan were to feel uncomfortable in an alliance of purely majority rules.

While I do understand the importance of majority rules on the day-to-day function of this OCC, I am concerned that the majority rules system with regards to the administration of major or potentially economically changing affairs. The fact of the matter is that Tinzhan is a small nation when compared to the fine nations of Tuthina and Xiaodong, and while I am sure both of your governments are equipped to make good decisions, the simple fact is that Tinzhan does not want to be a nation sandwiched between two larger nations. While I do not intend for this to be offensive in anyway, I believe that in the interest of fairness, our nations should unilaterally agree when it comes to affairs which would have the power to enfranchise or disenfranchise our collective or national economies.

My sentiment only extends to major affairs. It would be difficult to require unanimity for every single affair, proposition, or matter of administration. While I think the majority should be prioritized over the few, I think that the goal of this meeting to create a system which in large benefits all of us. Therefor, there should exist some decisions which have the potential to have a lasting impact on all of us to be reached in unanimity."

[Tuthina]

The Regent took a long sip of her tea, as her translator nervously swallows his saliva accumulated from the rapid speech he had to deliver, converting from the more concise, but no way slower Literary Tuthinan language. "Would the honourable General Secretary of Tinzhan consider a compromise between our position? While it is obvious that our respective polities share a different view pertaining to this issue, it is in my belief that we can focus on our commonality instead of difference. The Most Serene Empire can agree to major affairs of OCC requiring approval of both a majority within the council as well as approval of at least one representatives of all member polities, or a super-majority of two-third representatives."

[Tinzhan]

Ki Fung looked at the Regent cautiously. The proposition did not really address the problem, but he did not want to stir the pot any longer, "I suppose I can accept that."

Foreign Secretary Wen was visually distressed.

[Xiaodong]

Xi nodded as Ki made his concession. Small, proud countries like Tinzhan often liked to punch above their weight in international conferences, especially in the presence of great powers like Tuthina - more of them needed sensible, pragmatic leaders like Mr Ki who knew when to compromise. He turned to Han Meimei, who was still frantically making amendments to the treaty, before sipping his tea. The creation of a customs union had been the aim of the Xiaodongese government since 2006, and they were now within cusp of finally implementing one.

"If we have come to consensus, I have drafted an amended treaty, stipulating the merit of a supermajority being requiered for membership to be acquired. If there are no objections, then I propose we move onto the second subject on our agenda - namely, Monic cooperation in scientific and space research, education and cultural exchanges."

TREATY OF MUTUAL FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN XIAODONG, TINZHAN AND TUTHINA

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On Economic Cooperation and Integration

---

1. Our three nations will commit to the creation of a customs union within an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium which will see our nations adopt a unified external tariff, competition policy and external trade policy.
   
   
2. Such an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium would have a controlled process of expansion that would be undertaken with the consent of a supermajority of member states to ensure peace and cooperation between its members.
   
   
3. An Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium would also be a body created and staffed on the basis of serving the good of the nations they represent, and will not be subject to the influence of political parties.
   
   
4. The process of creating an Oceanic Co-prosperity Consortium would also see a harmonisation in the internal trading policies of each member state.

[Tuthina]

"The Most Serene Empire sees no objections to this treaty by our generous host. As the representative of His Most Serene Majesty, I would like to thank the honourable General Secretary for his understanding." The Regent offered a nod towards Ki and Xi, which was repeated by her translator, who seemed to be relieved that he was not caught in a fierce debate with him possibly taking the blunt of the responsibility should it fell apart. Both he and his mistress took a long sip of the warm tea offered, both to replenish moisture spent during the previous session, and to settle themselves in a more suitable mentality for the following topic.

"Regarding the issues pertaining further cooperation between Monic countries, specifically within the framework of Tengkong system, as noted by the agenda of this summit prepared earlier, it has indeed be the intention of the Most Serene Empire to further integrate the various member polities under the system, especially in light of the rise of modern super-national organisations, most prominently the Esquarian Community." Anteko began to speak, once her servants had hastily finished their tea. "Obviously, as our honourable host can most likely attest, the Esquarian Community model proved not exactly... fitting for the Monic countries, given their drastically different understanding in various aspects of both our cultures and the governing systems stemming from them. As such, in face of the gradual formation of political blocs across the globe, the Tengkong system will have to stand in solidarity, knowing that only an indigenous system will be capable of fully protecting our Monic heritage."

"The Most Serene Empire currently operates several programs with an explicit focus towards further cooperation of the Tengkong system. Among them, the most famous ones are probably the Lyenwa space missions of the Imperial Combine for Cosmic Development, which offers its resource for Tengkong members pertaining to space development, and the Hwunphyung fighter aircraft, which is created to provide an economical alternative to, among others, Tengkong member polities." The Regent continued, "That said, in this increasingly competitive diplomatic environment, these means are but short-term solutions aiming to ease the transition of Tengkong system to a more concrete supranational institution. While our diligent servants of the Imperial government and Imperial College have been labouring to procure a more concrete blueprint for such arduous endeavour, it is in my belief that standardisation of formats and mutual recognition, such as that of Imperial Examination and its counterpart of other Tengkong members, as well as a diplomatic platform for its member states to settle disputes within the system. These together, we hope, will serve as a solid foundation where further integration can take place. Obviously, due to the particular nature of government of many of its members, this nascent international organ is unlikely to utilise the same method of participant generation as the Esquarian Community, but a similar method that can guarantee appropriate weight for all Tengkong member polities should be possible without resorting to popular mandate of politicians."

"Naturally, as both Xiaodong and Tinzhan are both existing members of the Tengkong system, the Most Serene Empire would want to understand the stance of their representatives, seeing that only with consensus can such system be built on a stable foundation."

[Tinzhan]

Ki nodded as his entourage made with haste and wrote down notes. Ki smiled his signature friendly smile and began

"The Tengkong System is, in my opinion, one of the fairest and equitable systems of mutual cooperation and friendship that we have today. I wholeheartedly agree with the emergence of political giants like the Esquarian Community, it is our right, our duty, to stand up against mindless and bogus political institutions. The Tengkong System is an excellent staple for international and supranational cooperation.


In these times, the world is coming closer and closer together. With the emergence of the western powers of Ainin, Namor, and Luziyca comes the emergence of nations striving to connect with the western world. This wanting for economic collegiality has forced many nations to abandon their traditional roots in favor of a more modernized world. In this ever changing and industrialized world, we must strive to keep up, yet we must not abandon our proud roots as Monics. Our cultures, traditions, languages, and heritage is one of the most interesting and captivating of all of Esquarium. Many Monic nations have left their brethren in favor of conformity with the western powers: Freyhill, Namor, and Senria.

We must also strive not to create divisions amongst ourselves. A Monic Union divided is a Monic Union that will fall. We must be strong, diligent, and brave to fight against those who would wish to turn us away from our traditional roots. We should be proud to be Monics, we should be proud to be united. This is why it is so important that our three nations agree to be cooperative, companions, and correspondents to ourselves. This is why the Tengkong is so important; this is why this meeting is so important.

I propose the creation of a sort of Tengkong Council, a forum of leaders chosen by their national governments to discuss Monic cooperation in the fields of energy, sciences, foreign affairs, and more. The Council will function in the same manner as the OCC. An independent, non-partisan panel of leaders chosen in the same manner as Her Highness has described without the influence of politics will not only transcend us to an era of prosperity, but will prove that the Tengkong and its members are on the map and are willing to protect their cultural and traditional roots whilst adapting to the modern theater of commerce."