There is no Empress etc. in prime canon. That's fanon adopted by Colin.
GDW prime canon says:
Manchuria, China and Canton speak different languages (Manchurian, Mandarin and Cantonese). George Stahl on the Bayern speaks Manchurian.
The main description is:
"China: Traditional China was virtually ungovernable in the collapse of world governments
after World War Ill, national minorities pressed for independence while the central economy
of China proved unable to handle the greater and greater demands placed on it Monolithic
China split itself into three nations: Canton (southern China), China (north of the Yangtze, but
south of Beijing), and Manchuria (northern China, plus Tibet and western China). Industrialized
Manchuria carefully grabbed the wasteland resource regions of western China and Tibet in a
foresightful attempt to support future expansion The rest of China split along agricultural lines
Canton has a hot wet climate, the reduced China has a cooler climate."
and
"
Manchuria Manchuria maintains a total of 14 colonies and outposts,
the second largest number of all of Earth’s nations
It holds colonies on five worlds; Delta Pavonis, Epsilon Indi, Zeta Tucanae,
Tau Ceti, and Epsilon Eridani. Its outposts are in nine systems DM - 26
12026, Xiuning, Junliang, Serurier, DM - 15 6290, Haifeng, DM + 1 4774, and
DM + 4 123 (an enclave on the Eber homeworld). One motivation for such a farflung
space program may be that Manchuria has always been greatly concerned with
progress and expansion, even as far back as the early part of the 20th century,
when it served as the industrial center of China. Not all of Manchuria’s colony
worlds receive the support that other nations give to their colonies. however.
Manchurian colonists are often expected to strive against very primitive conditions,
but they take great pride in their ability to do so."
When stutterwarp was discovered it was China that started operating starships (placing the breakup later?). China was the French rival in the early 23rd century. Canton tried invading Indochina in 2030, but was beaten back by France. Canton fought Indonesia over another Indochina war in 2264-8. The Central Asian War was started over Manchurian annexation of Xinjiang. Manchuria launched the first manned expedition to Mercury in the early 22nd century, before stutterwarp.
Manchuria and Canton had different players in the Great Game. The Manchurian currency is the ruble. They expelled the Japanese from Korea in the 21st century. In the 21st Century Manchuria annexed the Amur region of Siberia. The Manchurians helped Canada establish their colony on Doris, and of their 5 colonies, only one (Cold Mountain) is really Manchurian, with other nations operating in the others.
At the turn of the 23rd century, Manchuria was dependent upon exports from the ESA colonies, and much of their shipping was dedicated to that. This ended ca. 2250 when their own colonies started being productive. Manchuria supported the ESA over the right to claim planets.
Hanshan - buddist monk and poet (Chinese, should be Alin i Beikuwen in Manchu). Settled in 2208, after a decade of exploration (2201 by the CA) The planet is brutal, with a high death rate, and Manchuria keeps shoveling people there as a matter of national pride. It took 50 years for the colony to start producing minerals. The colony is highly protectionist, and the colonists are very xenophobic.
Chyuantii (Chinese, should be Gubci in Manchu) on Syuhlahm (bad Chinese, should be Fuldun in Manchu). Although a Manchurian colony in name, they brought in Europeans etc. to run it, and Britain settled and runs a large chunk of it as "New Liverpool."
Chengdu (Chinese, a city in the nation of Canton, the city is Cengdu in Manchu) has two colonies. Anyou ("peaceful," Huwaliyasun in Manchu) is a mining colony governed by a Committee which is Manchu ethnic. Shaoguan ("beautiful pass," a Chinese city, Gingcihiyan Guwan in Manchu) is only half Manchu, with the other half being British Commonwealth citizens.
Kwantung (the Chinese name for Manchuria, Manju in Manchu) could not be filled with regular colonists, and so was converted into a penal colony. It rebelled in the 2250's, and now is autonomous and Manchurian in name only. The incoming Mexican "colony" (it isn't an independent colony) is continuous, and the whole settlement speaks Manchu.
Dukou (the old name for the Chinese city of Panzhihua, literally "ferry" and hence Dogon in Manchu) was founded as a really harsh penal colony, based on the success of the one on Kwantung, but they didn't have enough prisoners, and so asked for other nations to send them prisoners. In 2294 the status of penal colony was ended (because they literally couldn't get the prisoners), and the colony opened to settlement from outsiders. 10% of the population are French, Mexican or Anglo. The colony is now a corporation.
Literally only Hanshan is "Manchurian," with the other colonies highly settled by Europeans etc. or as penal colonies, with the Manchurian government having little control.
Ranger stated Manchuria considers the Chinese Arm as "theirs" and they control access to 82 Eridani. Both Texas and the UAR lack the ships to maintain a presence, and Manchuria does all the shipping. Both human "colonies" are subject to Manchuria.
The ECS says:
"
MANCHURIA
During the 20th century, Manchuria was the most industrialized region of the nation of China
Extensive rail lines covered the area, bringing raw materials to Manchuria’s manufacturing centers
With the collapse of a central Chinese government just after the Twilight War, Manchuria declared
its independence, and with foresight, it seized mineral-rich lands around it, including much of
western China and all of Tibet
During the 21 st century, industrialized Manchuria found itself to be the major regional power,
and it filled this role willingly Shaping the traditional values of its people to the needs of developing
technology, it remained at the forefront through the next two centuries as well, challenging even
the power of France in the realm of Asia.
Manchuria’s mineral resources also yielded up tantalum, which ensured that the nation would
remain a world power as it developed off-world colonies. The nature of these off-world colonies
says much about the character of the Manchurian people-in most cases, colonists are set down
on a planet with almost no resources and are expected to either tame the environment they find
themselves in or adapt themselves to it. Manchurian colonies are therefore proud, tightly knit
groups of people demonstrating the culture of the Terran Manchus from which they spring."
It is generally clear that Manchuria, China and Canton divided along ethnic lines. The Manchurians are the Inner Mongolians reasserting themselves.
