What Schiller had meant, of course, was China. In fact, China now wanted to do more than just farm on other planets. Their thinking was rather unique: if plants grew through photosynthesis, and the light in photosynthesis meant sunlight, then why couldn't they farm on the sun?
Of course, Schiller had no idea how far that research had progressed. He had not dealt much with China in his life and knew, at most, a few people from the Divine Spear Bureau.
China in this universe simply did not need much help. They had been formidable throughout their history, ruling the world for far longer than the United States had, and needed no one to worry on their behalf.
Still, Schiller felt that since the broad setting had not changed, China surely had people with that sort of expertise. But he also felt that they probably would not cooperate with the Brotherhood of Mutants.
For one thing, the Brotherhood of Mutants believed in seeking a utopia beyond Earth, which did not align with China's views on Mutants. China had always advocated for Mutants to integrate into society. They were merely ordinary people with exceptional gifts. China would never approve of packing up all the Mutants and throwing them somewhere far away.
Even if China wanted to do that, it would have to consider the opinions of the many Mutants within its borders. After generations of living and multiplying there, most Mutants in China thought the same way: I am one of the ordinary people, a citizen of Earth, and a builder of this society. I deserve to enjoy this entire civilized society. Why should I be driven away?
Second, the Brotherhood of Mutants did not have a very good reputation. They had carried out real terrorist attacks, and as Schiller remembered