Xu Bangguo

Xú Bāngguó
徐邦国
Second Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office 14th July 2016
Prime Minister	Xi Yao-tong
Preceded by	Xi Yao-tong
Constituency	Luozhao
Minister of International Relations
Incumbent
Assumed office 14th July 2014
Prime Minister	Xi Yao-tong
Preceded by	Xi Yao-tong
Minister of Defence and Military Planning
In office 2nd March 2014 – 14th July 2016
Prime Minister	Yuan Xiannian
Preceded by	Jiang Heping
Succeeded by	Sun CHuanjun
Presideing Officer of the State Presidium of Xiaodong
In office 18th October 2002 – 2nd March 2014
Prime Minister	Han Guanzheng Yuan Xiannian
Preceded by	Jiang Zhongyu
Succeeded by	Zhao Guanping
Personal details
Born	(1954-08-30) August 30, 1954 Rongzhuo, Langang Prefecture, Xiaodong
Nationality	Xiaodongese
Political party	File:孝共和黨.png Xiaodong Regeneration Society
Spouse	Jiang Meng
Alma mater	University of Rongzhuo

This is a Xiaodongese name; the family name is Xu (徐).

Xu Bangguo (Xiaodongese: 徐邦国; Xú Bāngguó born 30^th August 1960) is a Xiaodongese politician who has served as Second Minister and Minister of International Relations of Xiaodong since 2016, having previously served as Minister of Defence and Military Planning between 2014-2016 and Presiding Officer of the State Presidium from 2002 to 2014. He is currently seen as the third most powerful man in Xiaodong, after Yuan Xiannian and Xi Yao-tong.

Xu was born in an upper class political family, studying at the University of Rongzhuo before becoming a member of the Xiaodong Regeneration Society, where he became affiliated with the hardline Azure Dragon Society faction. In 1988 he became a Presidium delegate for the seat of Luozhao, and in 2002 he became Presiding Officer of the State Presidium (the body's de facto speaker). In 2014 he was appointed Minister of Defence and Military Planning under Yuan Xiannian where he expanded the Xiaodongese military. In 2016 he replaced Xi Yao-tong as Second Minister and Minister of International Affairs.

Xu has been described as one of the "most hardline members of the Council of Ministers", being seen as hawkish on Senria stating Xiaodong had the right to launch a "preemptive strike" on the country, and is also a strong opponent of economically liberal policies. Regarded as one of the core supporters of Yuan Xiannian, Xu is seen as one of the most likely successors to Yuan as party chairman alongside First Minister Xi Yao-tong.

Views

Xu has been called an "old school and traditionalist National Principlist who would have fit perfectly in the government of Sun Yuting." He has been called a hardline Xiaodongese nationalist, social conservative and economic interventionist. Xiaodongese political scientist Hu Guxiang says that Xu in many ways is a "throwback" but his support for public welfare, moves to lessen inequality and uncompromising nationalism has made him a "popular figure in some circles".

Nationalism

In 2004 when asked if Xiaodongese nationalism was still relevant in the rise of globalisation Xu stated "nationalism is more important than ever...it important for the current generation to grow up with a clear sense of Xiaodongese values, Xiaodongese culture and Xiaodongese history. I'm not a fan of self aggrandising our culture and our history which I think all Xiaodongese regardless of political view can be proud of". Xu has also said that Xiaodong needs to undergo a "cultural revolution" to stop globalism and liberalism, saying "the Xiaodongese nation is under attack from liberal, globalist and other anti-nationalism tenets...Xiaodong needs to undergo some kind of cultural revolution to reassert the Xiaodongese nation". Xu has called for a form of economic nationalism in Xiaodong and criticised free trade.

Inequality

Xu has been a critic of economic inequality in Xiaodong which he had blamed on economic liberalism. In 2009 he called for greater state control of the economy, de-privatisation and increased investment to eliminate inequality in Xiaodong, stating "it is a tragedy that Xiaodongese people are in poverty...the state, under the principles of National Principlism, must intervene to address the inequalities of the market and i some cases eliminate the market".

Historical revisionism

Xu has been reported to hold conflicting views on the Senrian Genocide. In 1996 he wrote the introduction to Uncovering the Truth about Senria", a book by controversial historian Feng Huqiao which accused the Senrian Genocide as being fabricated by Senrian Prime Minister Imahara Katurou to legitimise his regime during the 1930's. Xu was also a member of the Society for the Investigation of the Senrian Incident which denies the Senrian Genocide and in 1998 voted in favour of a bill that would have absolved Xiaodong from participating in "unlawful killings'" during the Senrian-Xiaodongese War.

In 2007 however Xu was one of 165 delegates in the State Presidium to sign a letter of regret to the Senrian Prime Minister Izumi Sigesato over "past transgressions to the Senrian people". Nevertheless the move was condemned as political opportunism, as shortly afterwards Xu stated that "the term genocide is often overused...I think its safe to say that what happened in the 1930's in Senria does not fit a legal or academic definition of a genocide".

In 2012 Xu said that "the debate on genocide is to clouded by emotion. I think we are better by looking to the facts than emotion, which suggest the opposite of what Senrian historians such as Nakano Hirosige suggest." In 2013 he penned an essay in the Xiaodongese Observer where he criticised Xiaodongese historian Wang Decheng - who was one of the first historians to estimate the deaths of the genocide to number 4 million - as being "totally wrong" and a "filthy traitor".

In 2017 Xu said he was in "complete agreement" with Xiaodongese historian Zhou Youyu who claimed only 100,000 Senrian civilians were killed by Xiaodongese forces in the Senrian-Xiaodongese War saying the evidence was "indisputable".