20 Things You Didn't Know About Serenity
11. The Alliance
If you ever wondered about the show and film's fascination with China, then it actually originates from The Alliance. The Alliance (full name being the Anglo-Sino Alliance) is an authoritarian-style, bureaucratic force, and the show's main villainous presence.
If you look closely at the flag of The Alliance, you will notice that it is a mixture between the Chinese and American flags.
This also explains why the characters speak both English and Chinese in the film and series.