Information
I fail at applications!11
personality China is one of the oldest nations in the world, and because of this, he both carries some "old" tendencies (an aching body, for example), and commands a high amount of respect. A majestic country with a rich and detailed past would almost have itself on an otherworldly pedestal over other nations and nearly seem untouchable. This is of course shown not to be the case (even literally so, as his back is scarred by none other than Japan who once struck him down), but the presence is still stubbornly in place.
He is very superstitious and religious. He is also very set on what is considered to be "proper" and "appropriate" behavior. Because of this, he's often considered to be a little uptight and maybe even kind of a buzzkill. China is always complaining about the other countries conspiring against him. Unfortunately, many of them really are. He tries very hard to be a respected and loved "big brother" figure to the other Asian nations, however his good intentions are usually overlooked and he does not seem to get much respect after all. This is constantly a frustration of his, but of course he loves his sibling countries anyway (even if they thanklessly steal his language, or claim his things as theirs, or try to grope him, and etc.).
Because he has lived so long, and "Red" countries in particular suffer many hardships, he has carried the weight of suffering, pain, and loneliness for many years. There is a heavier side to his usually bright and (mostly) friendly attitude. What he wants is happiness, what he longs for is peace of mind and body, but he is hardly optimistic about it. Bad memories have tainted his opinions a bit, and he recognizes that it takes hard work and sacrifice to achieve what looks so light and free on others.
He's not all seriousness and hard work. He does have some silly parts to him. He has the tendency to get attached to other people's things (not in the same way as Korea, but hey, they are brothers) and rename them as his own (aka bootlegging). He particularly loves cute characters. Lastly, China is skilled in many things, including calligraphy/painting, cooking, running business, and martial arts. His specialty move is attacking with a wok.
You don't be messin' with China's wok.
history
*adjusts spectacles* THE HISTORY OF CHINA is very long and detailed. My personal shortened version of it displeases me so I will not post it unless requested to or something to that extent. What I will tell you is that it is quite intriguing and you should avoid Wikipedia when researching China at all costs. It would hardly do it justice.
verde history According to Verde history, Yao was the eldest son of three. He had two younger brothers (named Kiku and Yong Soo) whom he attempted to be a role model for, though they mostly ignored him. Unfortunately, Mommy and Daddy Asia were out too long one evening and were tragically killed by the monsters lurking in the forests. This left Yao in charge of the family. He did his best to take care of the two rebellious young brothers, but could really only do so much.
He was forced to take over the family business, which was a small shop advertised as a Textile and Food business. Really, however, it's kind of a jack-of-all-trades sort of place. Want some shoes, a nice Chinese meal, a Korean massage, or some other fast and cheaply made product? Then their shop was the place to go. Eventually, when he was old enough, Korea would come to join the business as well.
Yao more or less overlooks the labors of his younger brother, which usually results in him coming home with a migraine or five, since the other is lazy and likes to talk all day. They don't really do so bad as far as status goes. Despite being orphaned, they are skilled and hardworkers (well... Yao is anyway), and able to become sucessful businessmen, despite the absolute odds-and-ends sort of feel about their shop. Yao is kind of the overseer of Verde's own China Town...except instead of being a whole Town, it's merely one compact shop.
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Yao's verbal tick: He will infamously end many of his sentences with "-aru", which is a more or less untranslatable Japanese suffix. I will still be using this simply to keep a little more of the character in tact. My personal preference is to use it occasionally and not after every sentence, however!
England: On that note, England gets his very own suffix. Yao will sometimes use "-ahen" on him, instead of ARU. "ahen" is the Japanese term for opium, and references the Opium Wars.
Player: In case it's relevant to someone, I do speak Japanese & Chinese. Japanese I'm formerly fluent in, but can still read/write it well. Chinese I have studied for 2+ years, but I am in no way a native or fluent speaker.