If you think about it, Chiang in the end, didn't do that bad. He did pull off one of the most remarkable social and economic transformations of any country of the 20th Century. That reform and transformation could have been pulled off in the fifties, supposing let's say, in our alternative history.
So fifty years later, how will the alternative ROCN of 2008 will look like?
To start, the ROCN after the war, was made of hand me down USN and IJN ships. Today, it probably is a mixture of later hand me down ships, plus a few new ships. In our alternative history, China will still modernize, and today, an economic and manufacturing powerhouse that includes ship building.
I think the navy will still get Perrys, Spruances and even the Kidds. By now they may even get the first generation Burkes used from the USN.
However, in the early 90s, the Europeans want a piece of the Chinese market. The move threatens US interests in China but the ROC wants to use the Europeans as a price chip bargaining point. So China buys some European stuff. The Ka Ding class will still be built but later the specifications advanced to a point that the newer frigates will resemble the Formidable class with Aster missiles.
The ROCN will examine German proposals for the F100 and F125 MEKO destroyers and frigates. It is heavily considering to do either a Burke copy or something like the F100.
The ROCN also gets its Walruses submarines from the Netherlands, but their number won't stop in 2. The UK offers its Upholder Class, so instead of ending up in Canada, the subs end up in China. But Germany and later Sweden also wants to get into the market. China procures a few Type 209s, then negotiates to locally assemble Type 214.
Territorial and water disputes with the Republic of Korea, which is unified by the way, and Japan are all still there, and all three countries continue to beef their navies in a show of force and dominance, while the US stands like a referree.
So fifty years later, how will the alternative ROCN of 2008 will look like?
To start, the ROCN after the war, was made of hand me down USN and IJN ships. Today, it probably is a mixture of later hand me down ships, plus a few new ships. In our alternative history, China will still modernize, and today, an economic and manufacturing powerhouse that includes ship building.
I think the navy will still get Perrys, Spruances and even the Kidds. By now they may even get the first generation Burkes used from the USN.
However, in the early 90s, the Europeans want a piece of the Chinese market. The move threatens US interests in China but the ROC wants to use the Europeans as a price chip bargaining point. So China buys some European stuff. The Ka Ding class will still be built but later the specifications advanced to a point that the newer frigates will resemble the Formidable class with Aster missiles.
The ROCN will examine German proposals for the F100 and F125 MEKO destroyers and frigates. It is heavily considering to do either a Burke copy or something like the F100.
The ROCN also gets its Walruses submarines from the Netherlands, but their number won't stop in 2. The UK offers its Upholder Class, so instead of ending up in Canada, the subs end up in China. But Germany and later Sweden also wants to get into the market. China procures a few Type 209s, then negotiates to locally assemble Type 214.
Territorial and water disputes with the Republic of Korea, which is unified by the way, and Japan are all still there, and all three countries continue to beef their navies in a show of force and dominance, while the US stands like a referree.