This is the background post for the world of Merc:2020; this may be subject to change.

****
The coup took everyone by surprise. In 2018, a group of PLA officers seized power in Beijing - and then held democratic elections, bringing the end of nearly 70 years of Communist rule in China.

The US, now fully energy independent, thought that a democratic China would be an ally to them; they were wrong. The new Republic of China may have allowed freedom of speech, but it still believed that the 21st century would be an Asian century. With direct war too damaging to each other's economies, other ways of securing influence would be used; frequently using cutouts... and particularly using mercenaries.

Elsewhere, other events would rebalance the world order. The Gulf Cooperation Council turned into the Arabian Union, an economic bloc with aspirations to rival the EU. A comprehensive Middle East peace deal brokered by President Rachel Lawrence, fighting for a second term, resolved most of the issues there... but a cadre of hardliners on both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian divide remained intent on fighting a war most people had long got sick of.

In West Africa, Nigeria is taking steps to become a major power with ambitious plans for a new naval fleet... but South Africa is also looking to expand its influence.

It's a world rich with opportunity... and danger.

Notable technological developments in last five years
* Two manufacturers have brought into service supersonic-capable business jets; the American BA-2500 and the Chinese Black Lightning, both capable of Mach 1.5. These are available to higher-end companies on a hire-basis; Lindgren does not have access to them, but some of their clients do.
* Bionic replacements for lost body parts are starting to become seriously available, although are still costly.
* You can now make international video calls using a watch linked to your mobile phone; although the video mode should be disabled if you really don't want someone to see you.
* Driverless vehicles are now to be found in a number of US cities, but with heavy restrictions on their activities and a tendency to stop suddenly if any sign of a danger is available.
* Polio has well and truly been exterminated.
* 4K televisions are the norm; in addition, live-television watching is now very much a minority activity except for very popular shows.