Chapter 231 Diplomacy

Weak countries have no diplomacy!

Perhaps no one has a better understanding of this sentence than the Chinese. In the past 64 years, since the moment the gate of the country was opened, from the officials of the Qing Dynasty did not know what diplomacy was, to paying tuition fees from knowing what it was, to knowing what it was doing, and then did not have diplomacy because of the power of a weak country.

Diplomacy! It can be said that the diplomats of the Qing Dynasty have tasted all the bitterness. The diplomatic power of the Qing Dynasty was lost partly due to the weakness of the country, while the other part was due to the weakness of the country. The two overlapped and caused the loss of state power. After replacing the Qing Dynasty, diplomacy naturally became the top priority of the new regime, and Liang Dunyan, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the ruling Chen Moran, only said one sentence when he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"Weak countries have no diplomacy! No, no! Strong countries use strong power to measure diplomacy, and weak countries use spiritual power to diplomacy!"

It's just a sentence. Liang Dunyan thought about it for a whole month before tasting the taste of it. For other departments, it is still the same when they are involved in foreign affairs. The so-called spiritual power is nothing more than that the weakness of the country doesn't matter. But if even the bones are weak, it is no wonder that it has to become the fish of another country.

The bones should be hard, there should be a way to advance and retreat, and the rights and interests to be fought for should not be irrewayed! This is the core of China, which is still a weak country, and is currently handling diplomacy. It's easy to say. Anyone can say it, but it's even more difficult to do. In the 64 years of the Qing Dynasty, all the rights and interests that should be sold have been sold out, and there is nothing to fight for.

The rights and interests that can be sold are often closely related to the interests of the new regime. Almost as soon as the Ministry of Communications was formed, it encountered such a problem. In the last few years of the Qing Dynasty, the late Qing Dynasty's "borrowing money to build a road" activity, although it had the purpose of balancing the power of the great powers in China, it also expanded the political and economic penetration of the great powers into China to a certain extent, which was by no means the opinion of the ruling axe.

Although "borrowing debts to build a road" has the shadow of a political axe, it is still "commercial". Naturally, after the establishment of the Ministry of Communications, it immediately notified foreign companies holding railway stocks to come to Nanjing to discuss railway matters. These companies had to buy it. After all, the place where the railway passes is in the control area of the ruling axe, and they have sent agents one after another. Go to Nanjing to negotiate with the Ministry of Transport.

And the railway has naturally become the first case ofzhi zheng axe diplomacy. Since the beginning of July 12, it has attracted much attention from all walks of life. This is the first case of national political axe diplomacy. The ruling axe is also of great concern. At the beginning, it was "Luhan Railway", "Guangdong-Han Railway", "Guangai Railway", "Shanghai-Nanjing Railway" and "Tianjin" The negotiations of "Town Railway" and "Bianluo Railway" were joined by the "Liutai Railway" with the increase of the restoration of the province. The negotiations were only started for a month, and the negotiations were interrupted several times due to the differences between the two sides, but in the end they had to return to the negotiating table.

In front of the negotiation table covered with red tweed velvet in the conference room of the Ministry of Transport, there is a representative of the Belgian company, Yu Beide, the chief engineer of the Luhan Railway, and the representative of the company. The reason why the Belgian consul will directly participate in the negotiations in the future is nothing more than to leave some room for maneuver. At the same time, for them, this "right of way negotiation" It is the best time for them to directly observe the new regime. On the other side, there are officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport. The atmosphere of the negotiations seems to be a little tense. Perhaps from the beginning of the negotiations, it was doomed that the atmosphere of the negotiations could not be harmonious.

"...In order to speed up the progress of the project, save costs and cut corners, the quality of the construction line is extremely low."

As a railway engineer of the Ministry of Communications, Zhan Tianyou scolded while showing the evidence he had collected.

"Not only the line, but also important projects such as the Yellow River Bridge, with a total length of 3010. 2 meters, with a total of 102 holes, it is the longest bridge on the Luhan Line. However, in order to reduce the investment burden and speed up the construction progress, the depth of the foundation pile was not enough, and 8 piers were destroyed by floods during the construction. According to your country's regulations, after the completion of the bridge, the warranty period is only 15 years, and the driving speed is only 10 kilometers per hour..."

While talking with the other party's drawings, Zhan Tianyou stared at Yu Beide.

"May I ask, Engineer Yu Beide, have you ever built such a low-standard railway when you built a railway in Europe? Even the wartime railway built by the Guangfu Army is probably more than the railway designed by you. Is this your company's intention to reduce costs and cut corners, or does Mr. Yu Beide and your company itself do not have the resources to design and build railways!"

"You are insulting me and the company!"

In the face of scolding, Yu Beide immediately stood up and replied in a hurry.

"It's your own behavior that insults yourself!"

Zhan Tianyou replied rudely.

The other party's rudeness made Yu Beid dumb. The fundamental reason for designing such a low-standard railway and road grid was to reduce costs. While he was dumb, Harderd next to him immediately said.

"According to the loan road construction contract, your country does not impose any restrictions on the route and bridge conditions, and your country does not have the corresponding railway construction specifications..."

Seeing that the other party was technically scolded, Harfred cunningly refuted it technically.

"That's Manqing, not China! I remind Mr. Harfred of the difference between the two!"

Liang Dunyan answered first, and Harfred immediately added a sentence.

"According to international standards, the railway is subject to the specifications of the road construction period. Please forgive us for not being able to comply with your country's new railway standards."

"According to international standards, during the construction of the road, there are changes in the construction specifications, and the unfinished sections need to strictly abide by the new regulations. Mr. Harfred is not surprised!"

Zhan Tianyou took out the railway engineering specifications of various countries that had already been prepared, opened a page of one of the railway engineering specifications of the Kingdom of Belgium, and put it in front of Harfred.

"Your country's railway engineering regulations also stipulate the same!"

"This..."

Harfred smiled awkwardly, and looked at each other with his colleagues around him. Even if he was cunning, he could not change the fact that the unfinished route must be based on the new engineering specifications.

"So do you agree to abide by the new engineering specifications of the ruling axe in unfinished sections, bridges and tunnels!"

Zhan Tianyou asked a question.

"This is what you should do!"

After reaching a consensus with his colleagues, Yu Beide nodded and rarely made many rebuttals.

All this was not beyond his expectation. There was no possibility of using words or national power. In the previous month, while the negotiations were going on, the ruling axe had signed a new engineering specification, an extremely harsh norm, which was technically refuted, thus forcing the other party to make concessions.

"Please write this sentence into the memorandum of additional terms of Luhan Railway! For example, we have agreed with the international practice of following the new regulations! I don't think everyone has any different ideas about this, right?

After getting everyone's nod, Liang Dunyan asked his entourage to record this clause again.

"But before we change, we need to get your country's new engineering specifications to modify the design drawings!"

"Of course you will get it! And you will get it now!"

Speaking of a French railway engineering specification taken out by the entourage and handed it to Yu Beide. Almost at the first time he took over the engineering specification, he turned it over. Just a minute or two later, he suddenly raised his head, looked directly at Liang Dunyan, Zhan Tianyou and others in front of him, and shouted loudly.

"This is impossible! Your trunk railway standards far exceed those of European counterparts! You are simply using technology as a reason to adjust the difficulties!"

Yu Beide's eyes were almost widened when he shouted this sentence. He realized that from the beginning, like other companies, he had fallen into the trap designed by the damn Chinese. They first took the old "Detailed Contract" and agreed with the companies. For example, the Luhan Railway should have been completed three years ago according to the contract, because Four years ago, in the turmoil in the north, the project was accidentally hindered, which affected the progress, coupled with the restoration campaign.

Although there are differences, the two sides finally reached an agreement to complete it before December 31 next year. In this regard, the additional clause of the contract has been signed. According to the provisions of the contract, every day late, for example, a fine of 35,000 taels will be paid, and the fine will be doubled after 30 days, and then the fine will be doubled every 30 days until the contract is doubled. It also expires, and if it is delivered one day in advance, China's political axe will provide a bonus of 35,000 taels.

The seemingly fair clause now seems to be a well-designed trap.

"To be precise, it is the European standard a few years ago. At present, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany have made new standards. China's iron fall standards are all based on the standards of European and American countries, and there is no intention of adjustment!"

Zhan Tianyou's expression remains unchanged. This railway standard was just signed by the government last night. From the beginning, the whole negotiation was completely a carefully set-up scam. Even the Ministry of Communications did not want to continue to perform any loan road construction contract signed by the full clearance. This was even last month. Reasons for making concessions and signing supplementary terms of contracts with companies.

"It is absolutely impossible. With the road construction of 37 million and 500,000 taels, if according to the new railway standard, the investment will exceed at least 70%! All the tracks we have purchased have become waste products! The loss is nearly 10 million taels!"

While Yu Beide shouted loudly, Harfred seized the railway engineering specification. After looking through two pages, he was also shocked. What kind of engineering specification is this? This is simply a specification that wants to bankrupt them.

"For the performance of the contract, we will add up to 25% of the investment according to the supplementary terms of the contract!"

Zhan Tianyou's expression has not changed at all, but he is already happy in his heart. This supplementary clause was agreed by both parties a week ago. The reason is very simple. In the past five years, Belgian companies have first raised interest rates on the grounds that the bond interest rate is too low to be underwritten, and then asked for additional investment on the grounds of rising raw material prices, difficult routes, etc. Because of this, in the negotiations last month, with the public The company agreed that the supplementary clause should focus more on the duration and the recovery of some of the rights and interests.

But they never thought that for the Ministry of Transport, the most important of all the supplementary terms are regarded as "normal" construction period restrictions and additional terms. According to the new regulations, the vast majority of construction railway companies will face bankruptcy or zero profit, and This is exactly what the Ministry of Transport needs.

"Impossible! We can't accept this specification! We ask the Ministry of Railways of your country to lower the new railway standards!"

"Will Belgium revise its railway engineering specifications for the benefit of foreign companies?"

Although he was a little worried, Liang Dunyan still refuted that this was a trap prepared by the government for these foreign companies. The stakes in it have been very clear, but the government has to go its own way.

After a while in his heart, Yu Beide immediately came out to save the way.

"If the new norms are implemented, it will undoubtedly put us in bankruptcy. We hope that your country can accurately build railways in accordance with Belgium's 1900 road construction standards out of friendship, and we can guarantee that we strictly abide by the railway engineering norms!"

When he said this, he even kept saying to himself in his heart that this is only a failed route, less than two-thirds of the total amount of work. It's just to make less money. The cutting corners of other sections of the road have made the company quite rich, and the delay in the construction period in recent years has allowed the company to use the road construction money. It is acceptable to make other investments.

"I'm very sorry, we can't accept this! The responsibility of the Ministry of Communications is to supervise the construction of railways, highways and docks in accordance with engineering norms and standards!"

Zhan Tianyou's words just fell, but Harderd beside him couldn't stand his anger. He slapped the table and stood up.

"Then let your damn norms die! We can never abide by this norm! If you have the ability, go and talk to the Belgian army!"

"Hmm..."

Liang Dunyan's report made Chen Moran almost laugh. The Belgian is a little too cute. If he is a British or German, he may think about it, but it is a Belgian who said this!

"Are you sure you heard it right? He asked us to talk to the Belgian army?

"Legion, Belgium is just a small country, and Harfred's words are just angry words, but borrowing involves the five major powers of Britain, Germany, the United States, Russia and France. If they jointly exert pressure, I'm afraid we will have to make concessions in the end, unless..."

"Unless what? Unless you give in now, right?"

Chen Moran looked up at Liang Dunyan. His right hand was used to touching the carefully decorated Prussian must-style muster on his lower lip, and then leaned lazily on the back of the chair.

"It's impossible to make concessions. Now I can tell you clearly that they either accept our conditions or wait to pay liquidated damages. What kind of railway are these people building? Crossing a bridge should be slowed down to ten kilometers. It doesn't matter if they don't want this kind of railway. Even if they sell the road back to us, the bridge has to Blow it up and repair it!"

Saying this, Chen Moran's heart is beating drums. Redeeming the railway is already the biggest bottom line he can accept. If it really doesn't work... a powerful country! Is it just because of the threat of the Russians that I fought desperately with the Russians in the Northeast? No, but to create a powerful position. In this era of the law of the jungle, if you don't win the status of a powerful country on the battlefield, no country will listen to your voice.

But now "Don't that Belgian let us talk to their army?"

Chen Moran suddenly asked. When Liang Dunyan was about to speak, he added another sentence.

"Song Sheng, do you remember what I said to you when you first arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, weak countries diplomacy with spiritual power!"

With that, Chen Moran grinned, with this expression in his eyes.

In China in 4602, there may not be a newspaper with a larger circulation than the Guangfu Newspaper, which is the mouthpiece of the ruling axe and the official newspaper of the Restoration Association. Three months ago, this newspaper was still an underground illegal publication, but now this newspaper has become the largest circulation and most influential newspaper in China. .

Thanks to the financial subsidies of the Restoration Council and even the subsidies of the ruling axe in the name of culture, the Guangfu Newspaper can be distributed to the provinces that have been restored at a far more low price than its peers, and expand to the provinces with the pace of the restoration army. As my colleagues said, wherever the restoration army went, only three kinds of "one is the national political axe, the two is the industrial coupons, and the third is the restoration report."

Political advantages make Guangfu Daily the most influential and readeral newspaper in China in just a few months, while the headquarters of the newspaper is not in Nanjing, but in Pudong, Shanghai. At night, the newspaper company is still busy, and the editors of the newspaper are nervously proofreading the newspapers that will be released tomorrow. .

Just as they were about to finish proofreading the newspaper, a room separated by a glass window suddenly opened.

"Repone the front page!"

Ye Shusheng, the editor-in-chief standing outside the door, shouted loudly. All the editors were stunned. It is said that if this is not a big deal, it is impossible to change the front page. Since the public release of the Guangfu Newspaper, it has only changed the front page twice, one is the restoration and the other is the capital.

After a while, after the content of the front page was sent by the deliveryman of the telegraph bureau, the editors in the newspaper were all semi-dulumsy. They never thought that a railway negotiation would evolve to this point. Not only did the negotiations break down, but even the other side also threatened with war, and the threat was not a great power like Britain, France, Germany and Russia, but only It is a small country where most people don't know where it is.

"Mingju, you write an editorial immediately!"

Holding another telegram in his hand, Ye Shu shouted loudly.

"Update the front page of tomorrow immediately, and send the editorial together! The title is - War! We are now rushing to the manuscript overnight and try to send it out with the newspaper tomorrow morning!"

"Editorial?"

Zhou Yiyang was stunned.

"It's what you usually practice. Whether you can turn out the flowers or not depends on your editorial!"

Agitation! Ye Shusheng clearly knows the role of editorials. For a long time, Guangfubao has attached great importance to the role of editorials, especially his drumming. The front-page news itself can be said to be full of incitement, but it still relies on editorials to ignite the wind.

(to be continued)