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Text Chapter 766

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    "Is it true that your country cannot return to the Philippines? The issue of the Dutch East Indies has seriously endangered the interests of the South China Sea, and the Philippines is also very tense. Is President Roosevelt willing to turn a blind eye?" Under the broad canopy of maple leaves, there are  There was a small coffee table, and the strong aroma of coffee wafted from the coffee table. Ambassador Xu Gesen sat on a wicker chair, looking anxiously at Jason and Stuart opposite.

    The situation in the Far East has become like a runaway wild horse. Japan sent troops to Batavia on the pretext of revenge, Britain and France fettered Europe, Yang Qiu deliberately shirks the responsibility, and the Netherlands is completely unable to independently protect the Dutch East Indies. All these have left the British Empire in a state of distress.  Southeast Asia must be protected. Regardless of whether a protection agreement has been signed with the Dutch government, the Strait of Malacca alone, which accounts for half of the world's shipping, must not be lost!  Losing Malacca means losing the Far East. Japan understands it, China understands it, and even Johnson, who is sitting opposite, understands it.  So when Prime Minister Chamberlain resolves the Sudetenland crisis, he will definitely turn around and force Japan to withdraw its troops!  But how to force it, and what excuses to use, all have to be considered. You must know that Britain's presence in the Far East is no longer what it used to be. Except for the approximately 100,000 troops stationed in Singapore and Malaya and the Far East Fleet that is sunsetting, it is no longer possible to mobilize too many troops from other regions.  Multiple troops.  In Asia alone, the balance of power cannot be compared with China and Japan. Therefore, as a diplomat, he must win over more allies for the UK before the Prime Minister makes a decision.

    In fact, he also knew in his heart that the United States, which had withdrawn from the Philippines, would definitely not come back now because the domestic political atmosphere vetoed the possibility of sending troops to Asia again. Therefore, he came here mainly to hope that the United States would stop selling supplies to Japan and force Japan to leave the Netherlands.  Belongs to East India.

    Jason picked up the coffee, understood what he was thinking, and smiled: "Mr. Ambassador, the Philippines has become independent. And the Japanese government has not invaded the Philippines, so our country cannot fulfill its obligations under the treaty. Of course, I am also very concerned about the current situation in the Dutch East Indies.  .The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a neutral country recognized by all countries in the world, but the Japanese government is not invading this time, it is just arresting the murderer! Of course, in line with the principle of not selling weapons to warring areas, I still made a suggestion, asking the White House to stop targeting  Japan is selling weapons and supplies, and I hope President Roosevelt can respond as soon as possible."

    Xu Gesen is already satisfied with this sentence. It is indeed unlikely that the United States will return to the Philippines in a short time.  As for Japan's so-called statement, he doesn't believe it. Those kind of children can only deceive children. His biggest hope now is to win over China, the United States and France.  Using the methods used by the previous three countries to intervene and return Liao Dynasty, they jointly put pressure on Japan and prohibited it from sending troops to the Dutch East Indies.  But just as he was about to continue talking, he saw Major Stilwell trotting over.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Ambassador Xu Gesen."

    "Colonel, what's the matter?" Seeing him running in a hurry, Jason asked after saying hello.

    Stilwell nodded, and there was even a look of surprise on his face before speaking: "Mr. Ambassador, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called just now. Please attend the press conference in an hour. They said that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense will attend and announce  one thing."

    "Mr. Wang Zhengting announced it in person?" Jason slowly put down the cup, his face became solemn.  What needs the Prime Minister to announce to reporters?  You must know that Beijing is different from the United States.  Thousands of years of official customs cannot be changed in thirty years. Although Wang Zhengting's status is equivalent to that of the US Secretary of State, he rarely attends public press events, but he rarely attends.  Then there must be something big to announce.  Of course, Yang Qiu is an exception. He is a different kind of oriental.  Very fond of contacting the media and promoting his political and governance goals through newspapers and radio.

    So let alone the two ambassadors, even Mr. Leighton Stuart was surprised and asked: "Colonel Stilwell, do you know what is going on?"

    Stilwell looked at Xu Gesen first and then said: "I just got the news that Chinese naval aircraft bombed the Balikpapan oil field this morning!"

    "What!"

    "What!"

    "What!"

    Although Stilwell did not know the truth and referred to the Air Force as the Navy, the three shocking words were blurted out at the same time.  Then the embassy staff saw Ambassador Xu Gesen and Ambassador Johnson, who were usually strict in their words and deeds, running into the car like children.  When they arrived at the press conference room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was already dark and packed with people.  Ten minutes later, Republic of China Prime Minister Wang Zhengting and Defense Minister Song Ziqing arrived hand in hand, and the former officially disclosed the news of the bombing of the Balikpapan oil field to the press and diplomats from all over the world.

    One stone stirs up a thousand waves!  No one expected that China, which had refused to send troops to Southeast Asia the day before yesterday, would suddenly attack the oil fields of the Anglo-Dutch Shell Oil Company in Balikpapan!  And judging from what he said just now, it is obvious that it has been completely destroyed!

    "Mr. Prime Minister, why are you attacking the Balikpapan oil field? Is this a declaration of war against Japan?"

    "Minister's CabinetNext, was the Natuna base used in this air strike?  Was the oil field really destroyed?  Was there any resistance?  "

    "The Balikpapan oil field belongs to the British-Dutch Shell Company. Aren't you worried about the British government's protest when your country launches an air attack?"

    "How much damage did you suffer in the air strike?"

    "."

    Faced with the sudden big news, the reporters were also shocked. After a brief silence, everyone rushed towards Wang Zhengting and Song Ziqing like crazy, trying to figure out the inside story of the air raid.  Xu Gesen, who rushed over in a hurry, was even more stunned. Could it be that Yang Qiu was playing a trick on him before?  Even Jason was surprised because he didn't expect it.  No!  It should be said that the whole world did not expect that Yang Qiu would suddenly take action at this time.

    Facing the surging reporters and diplomats, Wang Zhengting was well prepared. After scanning the faces of Xu Gesen and others, he returned to the reporters and raised his hands with a smile: "Everyone! Everyone! Please be quiet. I just said  It is very clear that this air strike was at the request of the Dutch and British governments to prevent the Dutch East Indies rebels from using the Balikpapan oil field as weapons for military purposes. It does not represent our country's involvement in the East Indies conflict! This incident  , you can ask Ambassador Xu Gesen for confirmation. We in China still adhere to our consistent principles and will never interfere in the internal affairs of other countries without harming our interests. Therefore, we hope that relevant parties will continue to handle matters peacefully based on the principle of maintaining regional and world peace.  East India crisis. At the same time, our government will continue to pay attention to the accidental damage in this bombing. Thank you, thank you all."

    Wang Zhengting pointed his hand and threw Xu Gesen directly onto the fire.  The poor British ambassador to China was so angry that he gritted his teeth. When did Britain authorize you to bomb British companies?  But now is not the time to fall out. Not to mention that the British government still needs Beijing on Far East affairs. Just destroying the oil fields to prevent Japan from profiting can lay a good foundation for the next step of forcing Japan to retreat.  So when reporters surrounded him and the Dutch ambassador, they could only knock off their teeth and swallow it in their stomachs, using gorgeous rhetoric to praise the Chinese government and Yang Qiu for their fight against the Dutch East Indies rebels.

    News of Beijing¡¯s bombing of Balikpapan quickly spread to the surrounding areas. Unlike military strategists who paid more attention to air raid tactics, newspapers from all over the world reported the incident in large areas, suppressing the raging Sudetenland crisis for a time.  Both Britain and the Netherlands were angry, but they could only swallow it with a slap in the face. It was better to destroy the oil fields than let Japan get them.  The United States began to pay attention to its bomber force, and an order for one thousand B17s was passed by Congress shortly thereafter.  While France was gloating about its misfortune, it began to consider deepening its relationship with China to ensure the safety of the French East Indies.

    Of course, the happiest thing is Moscow!  The loss and gain of the Balikpapan oil field will definitely anger the Japanese government, so Stalin immediately asked Motolov to go to the United States to visit Japan, hoping to promote a war between China and Japan.

    Some people are happy and some are sad. In the charred harbor of Balikpapan, looking at the oil depot and refinery that were blown to pieces, Nagata Tetsuzan and other Japanese officers all had faces as black as the bottom of a pot.  2.7 million tons of inventory were burned to the ground, the refinery became scrap metal, and the flames of the oil wells have not been extinguished to this day!  Not counting the losses, just rebuilding the oil fields and refineries would require tens of millions of dollars and more than a year!

    Yang Qiu¡¯s slap was too hard!

    He took advantage of Japan's disadvantage of not openly occupying the Dutch East Indies, and took action under the guise of helping Britain and the United States fight the rebels, leaving Japan with no excuse!  You know, Japan is now stationed in Balikpapan, also under the guise of crusading against the rebels to avenge Kobayashi. In a sense, the two countries are still non-aligned allies.

    Without the oil fields, the success of going south would be greatly reduced.  What's the point of making enough money?  There have been rumors of a temporary embargo on Japan from the United States. China is even less likely to sell even a little bit of supplies. The Soviet aid will be blocked by the British outside the Suez Canal. If a way to replenish oil cannot be found soon, even if it declares war on China  , Japan without external support can only become weaker and weaker as it fights.  What's more, Yang Qiu's failure to attack the Kaohsiung also shows that he is telling Japan that if it attacks China, it must consider the cost of the same bombing on its homeland!

    A single bombing completely changed the prospect of going south, forcing Japan to fight for oil in the Palembang Oilfield and Sarawak Oilfield. However, these two places are the lifeblood of Britain. Doesn't this force Japan to declare war on Britain?  !

    This revenge must be avenged. Without solving China, Japan cannot become a world power!  But before China is solved, Nanyang must be solved first. Otherwise, Japan, alone in the Pacific, will be unable to get in touch with its allies if it is attacked from a flank.  Thinking of this, Nagata Tieshan clenched his hands tighter, and the veins on the back of his hands could be seen several meters away.  Kenji Doihara, who was next to him, also had a sad look on his face: "Nagata-kun, you should call the country back and block this news."

    Nagata nodded numbly. This news was a huge blow to the domestic citizens who were celebrating their success in going south.?.  If they knew that the oil field had been destroyed, perhaps the enthusiasm would immediately turn into worry and fear, so a blockade would be necessary.  Kenji Doihara continued: "The Palembang Oilfield is the empire's last hope. I believe the UK is already considering imitating China's bombing there. This time we are very passive."

    "Inform the base camp that the Fifth Division should not go to Batavia and disembark directly from Lampung Port." Nagata Tieshan picked up a bomb fragment and looked at it closely.  There are some roads that you can't turn back after you take them.  The march south has already begun, and retracting it will only make Japan worse!  Therefore, I and Japan have no retreat and can only take a gamble!

    Thinking of this, he threw the fragment aside harshly: "The rise and fall of the empire depends on this!" (To be continued.)
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