Xu Bangguo

Xú Bāngguó
徐邦国
Minister of International Relations
Incumbent
Assumed office 19th November 2016
Prime Minister	Xi Yao-tong
Preceded by	Xi Yao-tong
Member of the State Presidium
Incumbent
Assumed office 2nd March 2012
President	Yuan Xiannian
Minister of Defence and Military Planning
In office 2nd March 2012 – 19th November 2016
Prime Minister	Yuan Xiannian
Preceded by	Jiang Heping
Succeeded by	Sun Chuanjun
Minister of Science, Research and Development
In office 30th March 2008 – 2nd March 2012
Preceded by	Sheng Jianxi
Succeeded by	Zhao Guanping
Personal details
Born	(1954-08-30) August 30, 1954 Wudan, Zhongan Province, Xiaodong
Political party	Society for Restoring Benevolence
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 1954) is a Xiaodongese politician who has served as Minister of International Relations of Xiaodong since 2016, having previously served as Minister of Defence and Military Planning between 2012 to 2016 and Minister of Science, Research and Development from 2008 to 2012. He is currently seen one of the most powerful men in Xiaodong having been a member of the State Presidium since 2012.

Xu was born in an upper class political family, studying at the University of Rongzhuo before being elected as a member of the Legislative Council, where he became affiliated with the hardline Society for Restoring Benevolence. In 2006 he was appointed as Minister of Science, Research and Development where he gained a reputation on supporting greater investment on the internet and the digitisation of government operations as well as being close to then-premier Yuan Xiannian. In 2012 he was appointed Minister of Defence and Military Planning under Yuan Xiannian where he expanded the Xiaodongese military and supported hawkish policies abroad. In 2016 he replaced Xi Yao-tong as Minister of International Affairs.

Xu has been described as one of the "most hardline members of the State Presidium", 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 a crucial voice in support of an aggressive approach in the Normalisation process alongside a general hardening of Xiaodong's foreign policy.

Ministerial career

Minister of International Relations

Xu was appointed as Minister of International Relations in November 2016, during the 2016-17 Xiaodongese Protests succeeding Xi Yao-tong when the latter was promoted to Premier. The decision of State Chairman Yuan Xiannian and Xi to appoint Xu as foreign minister was widely criticised by the opposition and within the ministry. Unlike previous foreign ministers Xu had not been a member of the diplomatic corps having never served as ambassador to a foreign country. Xu's foreign language skills were also questioned, with his Gaullican being reportedly poor - his predecessor Xi in contrast spoke Gaullican and Senrian fluently as well as having some knowledge of Pardarian and Estmerish. Yuan and Xi dismissed claims that Xu was unsuited to the role, stating that his previous role as defence minister had placed him in close contact with foreign officials thus giving him substantive experience in foreign relations.

As International Relations Minister Xu retained his seat on the State Presidium making him one of its longest serving members. Commentators such as Li Daohan noted that with Yuan and Xi - both strongly interested in foreign relations - taking up senior leadership positions following the resignation of Jiang Zhongyu as State Chairman it was "inevitable" that the next International Relations Minister in foreign affairs would be overshadowed by the Premier and that by placing a Yuan loyalist and former defence minister in the ministry Yuan was "clearly indicating that the premier will oversee foreign policy in its execution whilst Xu will be responsible for Yuan's likely strategic goal - militarising foreign policy approach through a far more ideological lens then the usual transactional view supported by bureaucrats".

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 Xiaodongese government 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 500,000 Senrian civilians were killed by Xiaodongese forces in the Senrian-Xiaodongese War saying the evidence was "indisputable".