Faction 3 - Chinese

Definitely possible. But maybe not crazy/insane cannibals, but with a very set up system to try to make it fair. Eating the old and sick first, sort of thing, looking for ways to not be cannibals. But Minerva won't trade with or help them at all because they're cannibals, so they have to go in and take by force?

I'll stick my "don't make them too evil!" part here too.
While cannibalism can be non-taboo part of their culture it can't be a major part of it. At least because humans tend to run out a bit too fast.
Maybe just make them communists - as Collapse happened some ideological leaders were charismatic enough to establish a true communism where people think about the society first, share resources in the optimal way and so on. But now their political power weakens and they need some sort of an external enemy to keep their power. So they raid Minerva and depict it as some evil den of pure evil.
I hope that's not too cliche for Cineese.

Soylent Green is people!

In fact it remembers me Fremen from "Dune" by Frank Herbert, where the Fremen drink the blood of their dead because they don't have much water.
It could be the same here with the Chinese, where food is really rare so they tend to eat their dead in some of ritual funerals.

A reason to fight Minerva could be that even with ritualized cannibalism being part of their culture, they are still starving and dying out (you can't eat EVERYONE), and Minerva won't help them (cannibalism). That plus using them as an external enemy to focus their communist party could be good enough.

As in preCollapse times China is one of the most industrially developed factions. There were so much stocks of mineral resources, workers of different qualification and so many plants producing variety of things that even a nuclear war was not able to destroy everything. Chinese were able not only to use stocks they had, but also to reestablish small production of prewar weapons, ammunition and even simple electronic gadgets. Cultural and political traditions of China also helped to stabilize the situation.


Lack of food is more serious problem. Environment in many regions of China was not very comfortable even before the Collapse later became unfit for living. Rice, on of the most important Asian grass, requires a lot of water to cultivate. Chinese do not have enough pure water for this. During hardest years some cases of cannibalism happened. But such practice did not become wide spread. Poor stocks of food are distributed among citizens according to quotas stated by government.


That is why looking for new lands that can be cultivated and occuping it is the generalline of policy. Citizens of areas where environment is the worst move to their new homes. They get new place to live, protection and are obliged to give halfof food they produce.

Chinese expansions is restrained by mafia - Triads. Criminal societies also were able to live through the Collapse and what is more to capture large areas. They stated feudal (or even slave holding) relations here. Nowadays they rule their lands and do what they are used to – racket, robbery and drugs selling. Triads are more tolerant to cannibalism. Some of their warriors think that by eating their enemies bodies they consume their power. (cause they are berserkers deep inside their souls).
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Как и во времена до Катаклизма Китай по-прежнему является одной из наиболее промышленно развитых фракций. Запасов природных ресурсов и рабочей силы различной квалификации были столь велики, а развитых производств различных сфер столь много, что полностью уничтожить всё не смогла даже ядерная война. За последнее время китайцы сумели не просто тратить прежние запасы, но и восстановить небольшое производство оружия и боеприпасов довоенного образца, а также простейшей электроники. Культурные и политические традиции Китая также способствовали относительно быстрой стабилизации ситуации.


Более серьезной является проблема недостатка еды. Многие районы Китая и ранее не отличающиеся прекрасной экологией теперь совершенно непригодны для жизни. Рис, одна из основных культур Азии, для успешного культивирования требует обильного орошения. Имеющихся запасов чистой воды для этого совершенно недостаточно. В наиболее тяжелые годы доходило даже до случаев каннибализма. Однако практика не получила широкого распространения. Скудные запасы продовольствия распределяются среди населения по установленным правительством нормам.


Поэтому основным направлением внешней политики Китая является поиск и заселение пригодных для ведения сельского хозяйства территорий. Жители наиболее загрязненных районов переселяются на новое место жительства. В обмен на новые земли они получают защиту и обязательство отдавать половину произведенной продукции.

Сдерживают экспансию китайские мафиозные группировки – Триады. Преступные сообщества также пережили Катаклизм и в смутные времена сумели подмять под себя целые районы, установив на них феодальную (или даже рабовладельческую) форму правления. В настоящий момент помимо управления своими владениями мафиозные боссы занимаются тем же, чем и всегда – рэкетом, грабежом и наркоторговлей. В землях мафии к каннибализму относятся гораздо терпимее. Некоторые войны триад считают, что поедая плоть убитого врага они получают его силу. (потому что глубоко в душе они берсерки)