A Grand Summit

[Centurius]

Everything Below This Notice Encrypted and Classified
​

Things were looking well, the Celestial Empire was getting settled in and recent meetings had made it clear where foreign policy priorities should be. To that extent it was felt it was time for the sovereign nations of the world, and Asia specifically to receive a new banner to rally behind. A banner defending a world of equals rather than the unilateral imposition of ideological forces. It was time for the sovereign state to regain its position in the international order. To that extent an e-mail was sent to both the Indian and Singaporean governments.

Your Excellency, Your Majesty,

It is with great joy that the Celestial Empire is able to call both your states friends. What is an even greater joy is how much we seem to agree on the way things should be within the global order. I believe it is time for the world to gain a new beacon, not one that seeks to impose its values on unwilling recipients but instead one that grants the nation state the role it deserved on the global stage. I would like to invite both of you to meet with myself in Hong Kong to negotiate the formation of just such a beacon.

We all face a difficult challenge but I feel that together and through unity of purpose we can bring about a world we all want to live in.

Sincerely,
Yuan Zhi

@VoodooNova
@Jace

 

[Jace]

After their previous meeting at the forbidden city, King Wei was more than pleased to accept the Empress's call to Hong Kong alongside herself and India's leader. His acceptance was confirmed by email and the arrival of his delegation would come much in the same manner as before, albeit a private matter unlike the previous visit. Flanked by four of his finest guard personnel, Vincent's group would arrive and make their presence not known. Somehow a bourbon on the rocks would find its way into Vincent's hand before he went off to meet with the Empress, and give his greetings before the official function began.

@Centurius @VoodooNova

 

[VoodooNova]

Asin and Yuan's vision was coming alive with this invitation, which was accepted with a personal response by the President. She would arrive with an aide or two beside her and a single bodyguard, owed to the trust she held with her Chinese counterpart. Greetings would be made before the meeting officially began.

@Centurius @Jace

 

[Centurius]

Upon their arrival in Hong Kong, both leaders would be escorted to the Four Seasons on the island. Once there they would immediately find that the all streets in the blocks surrounding the Four Seasons had been blocked by the Hong Kong Police Force. Beyond the first line of roadblocks the People's Liberation Army took over security with soldiers throughout the streets. Less visible would be the J-11Ds and J-20s in the sky and the Shenyang in the port to guarantee security from the sky and seas. Within hours these streets had probably been turned into the safest place on earth. Upon their arrival the honoured guests would find that the Four Seasons was empty except for the security details and staff. There was not going to be anyone able to record even a single thing.

Both delegations would be given the chance to take advantage of their suites and the hotel bar to recover from their trips before the meeting would start the next day.

Once the next day arrived a conference room had been prepared. Inside would be a round table with designated positions for the Celestial, Indian and Singaporean delegations as marked by their respective flags. In the background a table with a large array of beverages and snacks had been laid out. Zhi would be the first to enter as she took her seat at the table, quickly followed by some aides to take notes of the meeting.

@Jace
@VoodooNova

 

[Jace]

His retinue would be left outside to enjoy the festivities elsewhere (except for SecDef Yen) once the meeting between three of Asia's monarchs began. Vincent would take his seat second, his Secretary of Defense standing off to his side, and a smile and nod would be extended towards his two counterparts.

@Centurius @VoodooNova

 

[VoodooNova]

Asin would take her seat last, observing the mood of the room in the process. She had envisioned the day when Asia's great leaders would meet in the same room. This was that day, with two peer counterparts who understood the importance, and the historic significance, of this gathering.

@Centurius @Jace

 

[Centurius]

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice, I think it is no secret to anyone that as far as the region is concerned we are in a difficult position. Asia is held down by the oppressive boot of Vietnam, by all appearances Taiwan and the Philippines have fallen in line behind them. Word has just reached my Office that the Imperial Japanese government no longer exists. This situation provides us with both opportunities and risks. It is this why I have called for the both of you. In our recent discussions it has become clear that we all have similar views on how the world should be, while we might differ on just how we feel about domestic policies. The view on how the world should be is nearly equal. Asia has gone too long without a force to defend its freedom, the world has gone too long without a force to defend the sovereignty of states and bring about a return to a global order of sovereign states and not a single ideology. As such I will start off this conference with the primary topic. The formation of a new initiative. The Sovereign Initiative. An organization bringing about military, economic and political cooperation to allow Asia to gain its position on the top of the world. And I would like both Bharata Kanda and Singapore to join the Celestial Empire in founding and shaping this alliance. As equals." Zhi said before taking a sip of water to let the initial statement settle in with the other participants.

@Jace
@VoodooNova

 

[Jace]

Vincent smiled, nodding along as the Empress spoke. "Singapore has established ties with both your esteemed nations for the reasons Empress Zhi has stated. With the current balance of power in Asia, it is both within my Kingdom's interests, and my own, to further solidify ties between us all here today. It will cause an upset of balance within Asia, I am sure of that. But an upset to the current status quo is, in my opinion, what is needed for the more jingoistic nations of the region to understand our willingness to protect our sovereignty, our borders, and if so be it our allies as well."

@Centurius @VoodooNova

 

[VoodooNova]

"The imbalance in Asia will be rebalanced with the formation of The Sovereign Initiative. It will be a beacon of light in a world led by the dying West, who continually try to influence our internal affairs and view our way of life as subhuman. They desire to be seen as the true global order, the ideal vision of "true civilization". TSI should end that desire and encourage other nations to charge towards the goal of a true global order of nations who desire peace, not ideological fairytales. We will support this Initiative and the philosophy behind it."

 

[Centurius]

"I am glad to see we can all agree on this, I have had my staff prepare an ambitious treaty but I believe you will all see the merit in it. The document will provide for a proper base so we can make sure our states can maintain sovereignty in peace. But with a strong hammer should anyone seek to provoke us."

The Hong Kong Accords​

The parties;



ACKNOWLEDGING the difficult security situation in the world.



RECOGNIZING the needs of sovereign states to be able to exercise their sovereignty in peace.



COMMITTED to a world order where all can develop in freedom.



RECOGNIZING that such can only be achieved by the voluntary cooperation of sovereign states as equals.



CONCLUDING that such cooperation will require a degree of institutionalization.



Have agreed to form THE SOVEREIGN INITIATIVE under the following terms.



Article I - Sovereignty

1. The sovereignty of each member is considered to stand above all else. No member will take any action, military or otherwise, that can be considered direct intervention of the affairs of another members.

2. The Supreme Council will be empowered to decide for the organization.

3. For the duration of this agreement the Celestial Empire will hand over control of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the Sovereign Initiative. Remaining responsible for security and law enforcement within the territory and collecting tax revenue.


Article II - Membership

1. Any sovereign state may seek membership of the Sovereign Initiative. To apply for membership the candidate must send a message to the President of the Supreme Council, informing them of the desire. The Supreme Council may set minimum conditions a candidate must comply with in addition to this treaty.

2. Membership is divided into two levels, full members and protectorates. Full members are bound by the entire treaty. Protectorates are bound by the entire treaty but only enjoy protection under Article V and are not obligated to provide military voices. Protectorates only have an observer role on the Supreme Council and cannot vote on any matter.

3. Membership of either level must be approved by the full Supreme Council.

4. In case of violation of any provision of this treaty by a member, another member may initiate expulsion procedures. Once one quarter of the membership requests for such a procedure the President of the Supreme Council will assess if there is in fact a violation. If it is established there is, a majority vote is required to expel the member. For the duration of the investigation and consecutive vote all Article IV and V rights will be suspended. If a member violates Article I, they may be immediately expelled by the President of the Supreme Council.

5. If a member wishes to leave the Sovereign Initiative they must provide one month’s notice to the President of the Supreme Council. Upon expiry of this term the member will lose all rights under the Treaty as well as any obligations. This period may be waived with a unanimous vote in the Supreme Council to do so.


Article III - Institutions

1. To aid in the functioning of the Sovereign Initiative, several institutions will be founded. These serve complementary roles to the member’s governments.

2. The Supreme Council is founded as the decision making body for all matters presented to the Sovereign Initiative.

1. Each full member may send a delegate to the Supreme Council.
2. The President of the Supreme Council will chair all meetings, they are appointed by the Supreme Council. The President of the Supreme Council will only have a tie-breaking vote and serve for a 1-year term.
3. Unless mentioned otherwise, all voting in the Supreme Council shall be by a simple majority. Each member shall have 96 hours to issue their vote.
4. The Supreme Council may pass a vote of no confidence against the President and any other official within one of the Institutions. Upon such a vote passing, the official is ordered to vacate the office.
5. The Supreme Council shall meet regularly in the Headquarters of the Sovereign Initiative in Hong Kong and establish offices in each of the member’s political centres to maintain close ties with member governments.
6. Meetings of the Supreme Council will be held in private and secured settings. Transcripts may only be shared with member governments.

3. The Supreme Allied Command is founded as the coordinating military body.

1. The Supreme Allied Command will enhance interoperability between member militaries and take command of any joint operations under Article V.
2. The Supreme Allied Commander will serve as the head of the Supreme Allied Command and during joint operations is the senior ranking officer and operational commander. The Supreme Allied Commander is appointed by the Supreme Council for a 1-year term.
3. Each member is expected to send military staff to the Supreme Allied Command in Hong Kong. The Supreme Allied Command will establish liaison offices in each of the member’s military centres to enhance coordination.
4. The Supreme Allied Command may consult in case of non-TSI military operations but will not take operational command.

4. The Economic Development Forum is founded as the coordinating economic body.

1. The Economic Development Forum will consult with members on ways to ease trade restrictions and guarantee compliance with the Treaty.
2. The Economic Development Forum will coordinate financing requests by member states for military and non-military needs.
3. The Director of Economic Development will serve as the head of the Economic Development Forum and is appointed by the Supreme Council for a one-year term.
4. The Economic Development Forum will be located in Singapore, all members are expected to send a representative and the Economic Development Forum will establish offices in the political centres of members.

5. The Research and Development Office is founded as the coordinating research body.

1. The Research and Development Office will coordinate research projects by the member states of a military nature.
2. The Director of Research and Development will serve as the head of the Research and Development Office and is appointed by the Supreme Council for a one-year term.
3. The Research and Development Office will be located in New Delhi, all members are expected to encourage institutions within their states to establish communication channels to the Office. Registration with the Research and Development Office is required for any project to be provided with organization funding.

5. Heads of the Institutions and any employees will be considered to have diplomatic immunity. If any crime is violated by an individual working for the Institutions, it must be reported to the President of the Supreme Council who will launch an investigation. Depending on the results of that investigation, disciplinary action may be taken or the diplomatic immunity may be lifted.



Article IV - Intelligence

1. Should a member obtain any information that could be considered relevant to the security of another member, it is the responsibility of that member to hand over all information as soon as possible, though at least within 24 hours from obtaining it.

2. Intelligence and security services belonging to a member government will work towards a linking and sharing of resources to allow for information to be passed quickly and efficiently.


Article V - Military

1. An attack on one member of the Sovereign Initiative is an attack on all members. If a member is attacked, it is the obligation of the remaining members to come to its defence.

2. Through a unanimous vote in the Supreme Council, the Sovereign Initiative may engage in offensive military operations.

3. If a member wishes to go to war with a non-member, despite not having gained unanimity in the Supreme Council, it may do so on its own initiative. In such cases Article V section 1 will not apply and any aid is on a voluntary basis.


Article VI - Economic Cooperation

1. To guarantee the peaceful flow of trade in a secure environment, members will strife to remove barriers to trade among themselves.

2. If a member state requires financial aid for the development of national infrastructure or their military, they may file a request for direct aid or financing. Any financing will be free of interest.

3. Each member state is expected to contribute 5% of their monthly income to the Sovereign Fund to finance the operation of the organization and to provide reserves for direct aid and financing.

4. With special permission from the Supreme Council, aid and financing may also be provided to non-members.


Article VII - Research and Development

1. For the mutual security of all members, the Sovereign Initiative seeks to coordinate research efforts and open access to sensitive technologies for each other’s benefit.

2. Each full member will grant to every other full member a license to produce military assets, including those not available for public sale.

3. New research projects and institutes may be funded by the Sovereign Initiative if they provide a direct and concrete added value to the organization.


Article VIII - Supremacy

All obligations within this treaty will stand above all other obligations. No national or international law or treaty may excuse any member from not complying with the provisions of this treaty.


Article IX - Amendments

Through unanimity in the Supreme Council, the members may add, modify or remove articles of this treaty.


Article X - Ratification and Entry Into Effect

1. The present treaty shall enter into effect on the date following the deposit of the final instrument of ratification to the headquarters of the Sovereign Initiative in Hong Kong

2. The original of the present treaty, of which the Chinese, English, French, Indian, Malay, Russian, and Spanish versions are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Supreme Council of the Sovereign Initiative. Certified copies shall be sent to all current and future full and protectorate members.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by the collective peoples, have signed the present convention.

@Jace
@VoodooNova

 

[Jace]

Vincent would have Yusef review the documents first, the man giving him a smirk along with a nod of approval before placing them before Vincent. He would quickly read through them, although in the short amount of time it took his mind had already taken in the many different points that were beneficial to him and his nation. His signature would be placed on the document with a grin. "And with this signature, the Kingdom of Singapore gives its approval."

@Centurius
@VoodooNova

 

[VoodooNova]

Asin and Yuan Zhi had all but outright agreed to something similar when they signed their previous treaty. Asin would sign it with a purpose, knowing this would be an extension of Asia's growing power in a multi-polar world.

@Centurius @Jace

 

[Centurius]

With the conclusion of the formal part the main summit would conclude while the venue remained open for discussions in a more casual setting while the background minions started on actually implementing the agreement.

 

[VoodooNova]

Asin departed for other engagements, but ensured she could be reached in case of an emergency via encrypted lines.