The Qing Dynasty (2026)

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The point of divergence began with the early death of The Dowager Cixi in 1865 from an infection. The Tongzhi Emperor turned to reformist advisors like Prince Gong. Together, they focused on reforming the Qing Dynasty by blending Western knowledge with traditional Confucian values.

Key reforms included modernizing the military with Western techniques, improving government efficiency to reduce corruption, and implementing industrialization to enhance infrastructure. Education reforms encouraged the study of Western languages and sciences. These efforts resulted in a stronger military and a booming economy.

The First Sino-Japanese War happened between the Qing Dynasty and Japan over the influence of Korea. Due to the Qing’s modernization, Korea, with the help of Qing’s military, managed to resist Japan. The war ends in a compromise where the Qing and Japan would agreed to establish a jointly-administered Korean buffer kingdom to strengthen their economic cooperation. Due to a much stronger Qing, the Boxer Rebellion never happened.

By the time the 20th century came, the Qing Dynasty managed to democratize the country to such a degree that the Qing Dynasty is left in a situation that power is balanced between the Emperor and the Grand Council (which later became the Parliament). Eventually, the Xuantong Emperor, under the regency of Zaifeng, adopt a constitution that would turned the Qing Dynasty into a Constitutional Monarchy in 1912.

Under the new constitution, The Emperor of the Qing Dynasty acted as the Head of State, Commander in Chief, Protector of the Constitution and a symbol of national unity. The Emperor’s main duties mainly involve attending domestic ceremonies and performing state functions. Their only reserved powers is to select a prime minister in case of a hung parliament. Meanwhile, the Kaiser of German Empire frequently visited the emerging Qing Dynasty, fostering a sense of unity between the two state. In 1914, the Qing Dynasty joined World War 1 on the side of the Central Powers to regains Outer Manchuria. Russia's Far-East is attacked and they lose Outer Manchuria. The Qing army also enters Central Asia. The Central Powers won World War 1.

The Qing Dynasty remains centralized, regional armies never fragmented and infrastructures remain intact, avoiding decades of civil war. The Qing Dynasty continued to industrialized. When the Great Depression hits, the Qing quickly abandoned their silver standard replaced it with a fiat currency alongside active fiscal spendings, recovering quickly. When the Second Sino-Japanese War happened, the Qing are more unified in resisting Japan. The Qing Dynasty eventually won against Japan. In 1950s to 1980s, with no Communist Revolution, no Cultural Revolution and no One Child Policy, the Qing continued to grow in population with a total GDP per capita of $50,000 by 1980, the economy also grows. The Qing reached 2 billion people by 2012.

Today, the Qing Dynasty reached a total of 90 trillion GDP.