Author Topic: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)  (Read 3019 times)

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Offline Daitō

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An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« on: November 01, 2022, 11:19:08 AM »

To King David III of East Moreland,

   As is custom set out by my grandfather, as the new Emperor of Daitō, I was supposed to visit a number of countries across the globe following my enthronement. Of course, owing to circumstances regrettably beyond my control, the opportunity has not arisen until recently. As a result, starting this month, I am beginning a tour of the world with the hope of fostering goodwill among nations and renewing ties forged in the Antei Era, for the betterment of all parties involved. As it happens, the Kingdom of East Moreland is first on that list, and as a result, with your permission of course, I would pleased to pay a visit to your fair country in the coming weeks.

   I eagerly await your response, as I do the opportunity to visit your fair nation.

(OOC Note: Signature is the Emperor's)

Online DaveIronside

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2022, 11:23:44 PM »
Autumn at Northfort Palace was an explosion of colour. The green leaves that made up the forest that surrounded the royal home were falling off the branches leaving a carpet of red, orange and brown. Princess Rhiannon could often be found piling the leaves up into mounds and jumping into them sending the leaves flying in a colourful autumn explosion. The tree lined driveway saw its trees almost bare as groundsman had ensured the leaves had been removed from the white gravel driveway. The meeting would be an interesting one, the Emperor hadn't been around Mundus and the Imperial Foreign Policy had in the past raised a few eyebrows.

King David had dispatched his sister Freya to the airport to greet the Emperor and his party. King Robert International was used to recieving foreign guests and a small "Diplomatic" terminal existed for dealing with such matters. A detachment of rather scruffy Red Legionnaires ran at the front and back of a convoy of vehicles that zipped through the Northfort traffic as lights were changed to ensure the convoy never had to stop. Freya sat and made small talk with the Emperor as they travelled through the capital.

As they reached the Palace the ceremonial Red Legion guard flanked the car as it halted in front of the Palace entrance. Princess Freya was first to exit and made the formal introduction of between the Emperor and her brother. "Its a pleasure to meet you" the King said as he extended a hand.

Offline Daitō

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2022, 09:10:23 PM »
   More than two years had passed since Eijiro had been in the country. Last time had Festival of Sail in 2020, down in Portworth and back when he was still merely Crown Prince. He'd been planning on visiting again this year, but, much to his chagrin, a bout of bronchitis had left him under the weather at the time, and a member of the Shinnōke—cadet branches of the Imperial Family—had attended in his stead. Of course, it was no excuse for previous occasions, when he had the opportunity to visit but didn't. Whether it be due to the influence of Chancellor Sachio Heishi—often known among certain circles in the Imperial Court as the "Kage Kanpaku", the "Shadow Regent", for his unofficial grip over the Imperial Throne—or the the political crises that filled headlines from December 2020 until May 2022, it mattered little. Ultimately, he hadn't gone forwards with this mission of goodwill, even if he had wished to. He was glad, in a way, to finally get around to doing it.

   He had, thus far, been rather pleased with what he had seen. Northfort was a quaint city; by the standards of back home, this was more of a large town than anything, but with it came a certain calm. Of course, he didn't mention it to Freya, rather spending much of the trip talking with Daitō's ambassador to the country, a man by the name of Fusao Tsujimura, with the hope of appraising himself of the situation in the country at present. Even so, he was certain to at least be polite, after all, he was a guest, and it would be foolish of him to be ill-behaved. Even so, as he watched the vehicle pull up to the palace, he knew it was time to finally get to work. 'To a bright relationship with a power on the opposite side of the world' he thought as he stepped out of the vehicle, where he, alongside a few ministers, would be greeted by his host.

   "Likewise." Eijiro said, accepting the gesture after a second. "I must say, it's a shame I couldn't make the trip sooner..."—he glanced around the area for a second, getting a feel for the grounds—"...but as they say, or so I'm told anyways, better late than never."

Online DaveIronside

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2022, 09:39:01 PM »
"Please come this way" David gestured as he motioned for the Emperor to follow him. Inside the Palace was a large white marble foyer with a pair of staircases going up the sides of the large open space. An East Moreland flag and that of the Empire hung side by side over the bannister of the landing. Several staff members hurrying about stopped to ensure that they didn't get in the way of the King and the Emperor. The King would normally have liked to conduct meetings such as this outside on the back lawn but in autumn that wasn't really something anyone would appreciate. Instead the King had arranged for the upper library to be prepared. It was the smaller of the three in the Palace and reserved for the families private use whereas the others permitted visitors. The room was wall to wall books from floor to high ceiling. A square of black three seater leather sofas sat in the middle of the room while a window overlooking the Palace's lawns and lake had a box seat that David knew his daughter Rhiannon liked perching on while she was reading her storybooks. David took a seat while inviting the Emperor and the ambassador to take a seat on the others. "My daughter has reliably told me that there are a guzzilion books in here. I'm praying her grasp of mathematics improves before she becomes Queen one day." David offered to pour the Emperor a cup of green tea. "A few years ago I got to visit a wonderful country called the Sky Coast, sadly they've become a silent power once again. They drank Green Tea by the bucket load and I got a taste for it." The King sat back in his chair and sipped his tea. "I think its a nation you'd have enjoyed visiting. For me a chance to travel to so many nations is the perk of the jobs we both have, which makes me wonder why it has taken you so long to take advantage of it yourself? I'm someone who is already tied to your two allies of Achkaerin and Rokkenjima so I suppose it makes sense to come here, but what else does the rest of 2022 have instore for your nation in terms of foreign policy?"

Offline Daitō

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2022, 02:44:08 AM »
   Eijirō listened patiently as they walked along the many corridors and halls of the palace, glancing around as they did so. Personally, he felt as though the amount of marble and other decorations, while impressive, were perhaps somewhat gaudy. It was a far cry from home, though he was certain that plenty would feel the same of the Imperial Palace in Shinkyō or any number of villas owned by members of the Imperial Family. Of course, he didn't hold the same opinion of the library. That, he silently admitted, was impressive. Oh, what his brother would do to get his hands on all of these books... He was the bookworm of the family, after all. Sure, Eijirō enjoyed a good book once in a while, but not to that degree. Maybe next time he was around, he'd see about getting him to tag along, if his work didn't get in the way, anyways.
   "I'm sure she's not too far off." Eijirō said, cracking a smile as he looked out the window. His mind briefly turned to his own family, to Mayumi and their soon-to-be-born child. He wasn't really sure if he was cut out for parenthood, as it happened, but that was neither here nor there. Not at the moment, anyways.

He turned around and took a seat on the sofa directly opposite to David, accepting a cup. He wasn't actually all that thirsty at the time, but it would be improper to decline. Besides, he might've wanted it later, who knew for certain? He continued to listen as David spoke, now turning to the Sky Coast and green tea. He was vaguely familiar with the country, though only just as it was, admittedly, not particularly relevant to his studies, but he was aware of their love for green tea. It was a love which was shared with Daitō, so he could understand how the King of East Moreland had come to appreciate it. He'd be sure to arrange to get David some premium-grade Matcha the next time they saw each other, given his apparent love for it. Nonetheless, that tangent came to an end soon enough, and it came to pass that David finally got to the point he was trying to make.

Why had he taken so long to make this trip?

It was something he regretted, but it was true that he had taken just over two years to really reach out like this. Sure, he had been in Rokkenjima once, but that hardly counted—it was effectively in Daitō's back garden—while other members of his family and the Imperial government travelled abroad. He remembered how his younger sister had travelled to Revana during the 2021 Aperture World Fair, even though he had desired to go himself. He had been close to making the trip, but Sachio Heishi, the Daijō-daijin—the Chancellor of the Realm—had stepped in the way of it. The last attempt he had made to visit East Moreland, in all fairness, was because he was too ill, but that shouldn't've stopped him from travelling to Djabidjan last month. Once again, the Chancellor stopped the trip before it could happen. Only now, now that the traitorous dogs who led the CDP had been handled, was he able to actually make such a trip. Perhaps the reason had been staring him and everyone else in the face all this time. He wasn't really making the decisions here, but... He wasn't sure if he should say as much. At least, not explicitly.
   "That's a very good question. Both of them, I mean." Eijirō admitted, glancing down at his cup. "Firstly, I'm sure you're aware of the issues that Daitō has faced in the last few years. The assassination of my father and all, I mean, not to mention the fears held by some"—his eyes darted briefly to Ambassador Tsujimura before he looked back at David—"that certain... complications may arise by me going abroad."
   "What I believe His Imperial Majesty is trying to say, Your Majesty, is that the Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu rightly feared that Kokuryūkai would attempt to assassinate him." Ambassador Tsujimura opined while Eijirō was quiet. "Merely a matter of security is all."
   "Regardless, as for what I believe the goal of the Yamatojin state should be as this year draws to a close, well, it's simple. We have stood idly by as mere observers on the global stage for long enough. We watched as others... overtook us, and we did nothing to prevent it. I'd argue that this inaction will only lead to ruin, and as such, I believe starting out, it is prudent to reach out, foster friendly ties with the outside world, from the center to the margins, as it were. From there, we shall have to see, but it is my sincerest hope that we may at least foster a healthy relationship with many nations across Mundus, especially with regards to international commerce."

Online DaveIronside

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2022, 10:24:12 PM »
David could in some ways see a glimpse of East Moreland in what Eijirō said. When he had come to the throne his own father, King Sven, had been on the verge of launching East Moreland out of their own isolation however it had fallen to David to do just that and then just a few months into his reign his mother had been assassinated followed just 18 months later by his sister, the then High Priestess of the Cult, Joanna. There though seemed to be a huge difference in how the two nations handled it. The personal tragedies had catapulted David into action to look ever further abroad whereas Eijirō seemed to have focused more on home affairs. "Well I think you'll find East Moreland is a nation that is always open to those friendly ties. We've often followed a pattern of discussions with nations but there are potentially some complications in this case. The uncertainty with the whole Cross Straits thing has some potential pitfalls. At present the extent to which we can form agreements, or actually the need for agreements is up in the air. For example we have an existing treaty with the Cross Straits Union that handles economic relations. Depending on the route you're heading down we could be covered by that or alternatively we would be exploring other ideas. I guess this puts the ball on your court regarding how things start officially between our nations." Traditionally David had always turned up with something as a draft but this time was different and so now his pen stood ready on a new page in his thick leather bound notebook.

Offline Daitō

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2022, 12:33:09 AM »
   David wasn't the only one who saw such similarities, though there was much that was also different. Unlike East Moreland, Eijirō noted, Daitō was under the thumb of a man who, in pursuit of his own power, had all but isolated him from the rest of the world. He couldn't speak of such things, of course, given that Fusao Tsujimura was an ally of Chancellor Heishi, so he had to find a way to hint at his situation without giving it away to the Ambassador. That, or he'd need to lose him, but there wasn't really much he could do now without arousing suspicion.
   "Certain 'complications'. Nice work, Eijirō, now Heishi-san will know what I'm doing and it'll all be over." He thought as he took a sip of his tea, listening to David speak as he did so. "Just... Breathe. You've got this. Right?"
   In his stead, Tsujimura spoke up, saying "With all due respect, Majesty, I suspect that the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization will not be an issue. As we speak, the new treaty is being debated in our Diet, and as it stands, it is a practical certainty that it will fail." He paused. "I would, therefore, advise that we do not consider this treaty in our negotiations, as it has not and almost certainly will not be ratified."

   There was a moment of silence as Eijirō took in what had been said. He wasn't wrong, strictly speaking, though even so, it wasn't best to negotiate based on what was uncertain.
   "For the time being, I believe it would be wise to work out some sort of basic trade deal, at least to lay the groundwork for what may come, one day." He stated. "You say the ball is in our court, and that may be true, but I find it always wise to negotiate based on what the other party would seek, then work from there, find the best solution for everyone."
« Last Edit: January 12, 2023, 05:15:35 AM by Daitō »

Online DaveIronside

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2023, 07:32:41 PM »
King David nodded thoughtfully at the information provided by Ambassador Tsujimura. "I see. Well, in that case, I agree with your suggestion of starting with a basic trade deal. It's always a good idea to lay the foundation for future negotiations and cooperation. I believe we can certainly find a mutually beneficial solution for both our nations. Let's start by discussing what each of our nations has to offer in terms of resources and industries, and see where that takes us." David leaned back in his chair and picked up his pen, ready to take notes on their conversation. "I'm confident that with open and honest communication, we can establish a strong and lasting partnership between East Moreland and Daitō." He thought for a moment. "For ourselves in East Moreland we've shifted heavily in the past few years away from a reliance on our countryside for a driving force for our economy and we're now pushing towards a highly scientific and technological future. One of my major concerns would be protecting intellectual property rights while also allowing exchange of ideas."

Offline Daitō

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2023, 10:57:34 PM »
   A fair concern, Eijirō thought, as David mentioned his desire for the protection of intellectual property. After all, there were many nations in the world which, whether by state policy or lack thereof, were infamous for failing in that regard. But Daitō was not one of those countries; Prime Minister Toshinari, back in the '50s, had seen to curbing that. Of course, back then, Daitō wasn't exactly where you would go if you wanted quality goods, rather being, in effect, the world's factory, producing cheap goods in high volume. It was, in fact, a major contributor to the state's rise from the ashes of the war. Now, however, was a very different time. It had traded in that role in exchange for, in the eyes of many, being as the pinnacle of technological development, depending on the field, of course. But what, perhaps, would interest the Morelanders?
   "Well, I can assure you, any copyrights that are held in East Moreland will be protected, provided the correct paperwork is filled out, of course." Eijirō said with a nod as he thought over what could be offered. "In any case, as I'm certain you are already aware, Daitō is, through YSMC and a few other firms, one of the largest producers of medium- and high-end semiconductor chips. As you mention, East Moreland is pushing towards a technological future, so I do believe something with regards to that would be beneficial to your nation's economy."

   For a split second, Eijirō paused, thinking over what else there was to offer. Assuming the proposal by DAIPEX was approved by the local governments in Nichinan and Nagato, then perhaps there was something there. After all, Daitō was potentially sitting on one of the world's largest deposits of natural gas, and that was ignoring claims in Tsukishima. It wasn't something Daitō was particularly concerned with for itself—roughly 70% of its power generation came from nuclear fission—but he knew the same couldn't be said for other nations, especially those which may wish to distance themselves from OPEN and, more specifically, Tamora. Unfortunately, Uranium, Plutonium, and a large number of other radioactive elements useful in nuclear reactors were off the table, as was technology relating to it. Were it not for lobbyists, Daitō would've signed MAEA ages ago. Maybe someday soon, as the debate over it had largely died down.
   "In terms of resources, while I'm certain that East Moreland already sources most things from other nations, I do believe Daitō has plenty that can be offered. But before that, I believe it would be in good form to get to know what, in your opinion, of course, East Moreland is in need of. That and, naturally, what East Moreland can, in exchange, offer us."

Online DaveIronside

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2023, 10:36:14 PM »
David hadn't really got a shopping list as such. He was happy to let businesses have control over such things and merely provide them a framework in which to get their deals done as cheaply and painlessly as possible, so long as the crown got its rightful share of any tax involved. "In terms of what East Moreland needs I suspect if we got Sir Alan Maybury from EMAC in his answer would vary massively to OsmanTech. What we need in East Moreland is three things. First we need a steady supply of brain power, both metaphorically and literally. While our Universities are now churning out a decent number of promising young engineers and technicians what they lack is experience, sometimes having done the job is important. As such we'd like to make it easy for a skilled and experienced person to come here. Now in terms of metaphorically we're building a huge number of things with a need for chips, if we can put together a package that makes that something our people at say EMAC can get their hands on in quality and quantity I'm sure they'd be happy. Long term though I'd like to see them using East Moreland chips but that'll come down the road. The second thing we need is various agricultural produce. Our climate is rather unaccustomed to things like sugars, certain fruits etc, I'm no expert in your nations agricultural sector but I'm pretty certain you're not a nation that's packaging Bear Steaks up. We've some rather colourful and exotic foods you don't have and vice versa. I think clearing a route for these to be sold in our markets is useful. Finally one of the industrial areas that seems lacking is cars, we've some high end performance companies, but a general low cost domestic producer hasn't emerged in our market. If you have any companies that can churn out low cost vehicles then you'd likely find a gap in our markets. As for what we can offer Daito, as I've mentioned we've a climate different to your own, that obviously means we've agricultural products you haven't. Furthermore we've some excellent companies with track records of wanting to get their hands on certain raw materials, as a result they've set up small scale enterprises in other countries. Take for example OsmanTech. They're a company that have done some excellent biological research and utilised some interesting natural ingredients, many that don't grow domestically. Its made sense for them to set up small labs and centres globally. If you can see a way to make this happen in Daito we can offer you some excellent high end jobs that can have direct benefits to your national economy and beyond. Take for example in the past OsmanTech have utilised their crops of Golden Rice to create even hardier and more health beneficial strains, we can't grow rice here, you can. You'd get OsmanTech creating jobs for top scientists, you'd get farmers getting cutting edge access to new techniques and new strains of crops and in the case of things like Golden Rice this can boost your own populations health. Sometimes our nations adherence to the Cult of Helus for example has held back OsmanTech. Take for example stem cell research, its controversial in the Cult but obviously can have huge implications for medicine. I'm not aware of your nations stance but potentially you could offer OsmanTech an avenue to do this research, which benefits your people as once again you've a huge high tech business investing in your economy and the world gets the benefits of the fruits of their labour. We're offering in effect a chance to increase your nations employment levels for your already clearly busy science and technology sector."

Offline Daitō

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2023, 09:34:47 AM »
   Daitō wasn't exactly in the business of forcing people to go to other countries, at least, not unless there were crises to be managed, so that was perhaps troublesome. He may have been born into a life of luxury, yes, but even Eijirō knew that people went where the pay was best, and frankly? It was too early to tell what sort of impact it would have. That said, if local companies could offer good enough incentives, and restrictions on travel between the two countries were to be reduced, well, who knows? Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't? But he was getting ahead of himself there. Then, there was the matter of chips. As he had mentioned, YSMC was a major producer of medium- and high-end semiconductor chips, and more than that, one that was looking to foreign countries for new opportunities to build foundries. Since David mentioned that he would like to see indigenous companies use their own chips eventually, he figured what better way to gain experience than by working with the company?

   Agricultural exports and imports were worth considering, but more interesting to Eijirō was the opportunity to export automobiles and other low-cost vehicles. Isuzu motors had long been seeking to break into the East Morelander—and by extension, Alba Karinyan—market, so a reduction of tariffs on imports of automobiles and the like would probably be perfect for them. Then there was the matter of OsmanTech, which was no doubt eager to do business in Daitō. Certainly, its laws regarding stem-cell research were more relaxed than in East Moreland, and the creation of more jobs would look good on him, so it seemed like it was hardly a question whether he would want to welcome them.
   "While as I'm sure you're aware, the Diet would need to sign off on anything we agree too here, I think we can make this work." Eijirō said with a nod. "Perhaps a reduction in tariffs on things such as agricultural products, motor vehicles, semiconductor chips, and the sort would work? As for OsmanTech, if they were to apply for a license to operate in Daitō, I'm sure they'd get it, but ultimately, it's up to the whims of our nations companies and the markets whether any of this will work out in the end."
« Last Edit: June 18, 2023, 07:48:47 AM by Daitō »

Online DaveIronside

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Re: An Emperor Abroad (Daitō & East Moreland)
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2023, 02:22:26 PM »
The arrangement that Eijirō had put forward about lowering tariffs seemed rather one sided, East Moreland would likely be the ones doing the importing of those products and as a result an agreement to allow them in tariff free would benefit those selling them. East Moreland had options of where to purchase these and a tariff free arrangement was giving Daito an advantage. The talk then of applying for a licence and not being told there was a certainty was not much of a come back. David thought for a moment. "While I have the luxury of not needing to consult a council of any kind on this matter I would normally at this point be happy to agree to lower tariffs but with the exception of agricultural products there is not much for a Morelander to celebrate. Companies like OsmanTech setting up in your nation to avoid some of the rules forced by our religion is likely to benefit your nation too. I'd also be looking at something being lowered that is of use to us, for example processed food products, pharmaceuticals, and potentially heavy engineering machinery, although that depends on your own economic needs. "