What would the flag of a non-KMT, democratic China without Tibet, Uyghuristan, etc. look like?

[Pipcard]

Let's say this flag couldn't be used due to historical baggage. For example, a scenario where the KMT goes fascist, joins the Axis (while still using said flag), and is defeated. (Also, the KMT had a dictatorial streak for several decades in OTL.)

And this flag represents "Five Races Under One Union," so it can't be used either.

So, what flag would be used instead?

 

[Belarus-Chan]

This flag in OTL was used for a short lived collaborationist government in Shanghai. Perhaps it could work?

 

[Schnozzberry]

I think the original Republican flag would work:

 

[Pipcard]

I think the original Republican flag would work:
View attachment 526661

That was only used as a military flag.

 

[Schnozzberry]

That was only used as a military flag.

That's true, I misunderstood what I read, but that'd still probably work as a base for the national flag. It was the flag used in the Wuchang Uprising, and to quote crwflags:

The Iron Blood 18-Star Flag (or simply the 18-Star Flag) was originally designed in August 1907 by a group of Chinese revolutionaries in exile in Japan, as the flag of the Progressive Association. The black and red of the flag symbolized iron and blood respectively; the nine points represented the nine ancient provinces of China, while the eighteen yellow discs ('stars' in traditional Chinese depictions) represented the eighteen provinces of China Proper at the time (the homeland of the majority Han ethnicity, thereby excluding Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet).

It was initially designed as a flag for China sans the minorities to begin with, so it'd probably work quite well here.

 

[Kermode]

They could whittle down the Five Races flag to account for which ethnic groups are still within this China. A tricolour of red, yellow and white (Han, Manchu and Hui, respectively) could work.

Failing that, I don't think there's an obvious choice, so it would go to the circumstances of this China's foundation— or just what parts of their history they want to tie themselves to. The Wuchang flag, mentioned upthread, is a great choice, because that rebellion is ultimately responsible for a republican China, so the symbolism is evident. Another source of inspiration could be Qing naval flags, if they want to emphasize military might… the Lay proposal (minus the dragon) could do nicely (as a significant break from other designs); or, if they still like bands, then the Beiyang Fleet's flags could be modified and repurposed.