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Volume 2 Beijing Story Chapter 110 The Product of Compromise

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    Update time: 2012-07-24

    "The total share of the Boxer reparations of the three countries of Germany, Austria and Russia is almost half of the entire Boxer reparations. It would not be a surprise if the Duan government, under Wang Geng's deception, could actually negotiate with Germany, Austria and Russia to achieve any results!" Zhu Erdian  Apparently the more I talked about it, the more I thought it was possible.

    "Russia is now in chaos. The provisional government wants to stay in the Allied Powers and continue the war. The Bushviks don't seem to agree. Isn't this Wang Geng really going to cause something?" Lin Quanzhu was actually a little worried.  .

    "In order to maintain domestic stability, the Russian provisional government may actually be able to negotiate peace with Germany and Austria. If they use the cession of the Far East as bait to catch the Duan government again, do you think the Chinese government can resist such a temptation?" US Ambassador  Ruien Shi said leisurely.

    "Everyone! You have been deceived by that Wang Geng so much that you can't find your way. I don't believe the terrible prospects you describe at all! Let's hurry up and discuss how to deal with the four conditions proposed by Wang Geng!" Kant!  He yelled with fierce expression but in the end, he unconsciously showed his timidity.

    "Intelligence shows that when German Minister Xin Ci left China and returned to China, he diverted to Shanghai to meet with Sun, the southerner, in an attempt to overthrow the Duan government and re-establish Sino-German diplomatic relations! What does this mean? My dear friends!" The American Minister  Ruienshi said slowly.

    "This means that the Duan government, which insists on war, is still the first choice for our support and support! If the Duan Qirui government is overthrown, and the Chinese people can decide among themselves, the European war may be over.  "How can Japan agree to replace Li Yuanhong or Feng Guozhang, who are supported by Europe and the United States, to take charge of the government when it has invested so much in Duan's government?" Lin Quanzhu shouted, waving his arms.

    "Well, the first choice before you is to continue to support Duan Qirui's government, let him continue to be a military strongman in Beiyang and China, and promote China's participation in the war as soon as possible. So, with these four conditions proposed by Wang Geng, we  How to reply? It¡¯s not China that can¡¯t be held back, but us! The young men in Britain and France are bleeding on the Western Front every day!¡± Zhu Erdian raised his voice.

    "Exempting the German and Austrian Gengzi reparations is not a problem. The problem is the Allied Powers. A 15-year moratorium is too long, just like we discussed last month! A 5-year moratorium is almost enough!" French Minister Kant said impatiently  .

    "That's definitely impossible. Wang Geng raised the condition to 15 years. I guess his bottom line is to suspend it for 10 years. If it's lower, he will definitely not agree!" American master Rui Enshi thought for a while and said.

    "The European War definitely doesn't need to be fought for another five years. So what if we just agree to a 10-year reprieve? Who has the final say who has the bigger fist by then? If not, let's have another armed intervention!" Japanese Minister Hayashi Gonsuke looked at people.  Quite polite, but at heart he is obviously a militarist who believes in the supremacy of force!

    "Lin Sang, your ideas go against the trend of the times. The results of the European War have proven that the world cannot conquer its opponents by force alone. For a country with a population like China, a gentle policy will be the way to go in the future!"  The American Minister Rui Enshi obviously felt that Japan's eagerness to eat was too ugly.

    In fact, Britain is not wary of the increasingly powerful United States. It has long been an open secret that the British Empire supports Japan, its little brother, in Asia to restrain the great powers, especially the United States.

    "A 10-year moratorium is better than pushing China to the side of Germany and Austria!" the British and French ministers almost said in unison. The combined quotas of these two countries in the Boxer Indemnity are almost close to Russia's share. At this moment  It was obviously a delaying tactic.

    "Minister Lin, what is Japan's attitude?" The American Minister Rui Enshi is in a state of affairs. Anyway, the United States became the first country to exempt China from the Boxer Indemnity in 1909, so the United States' attitude at this moment is very aloof.

    "Then let's postpone it for 10 years! Of course, I have to report to the Prime Minister before finalizing it!" Lin Kwonsuke gave himself some leeway.

    "Okay, the German and Austrian parts of the Boxer Indemnity are exempted, and the Allied part is suspended for 10 years. The next condition is to increase China's import tariffs by 10%. What do you think of this issue?" U.S. Minister Rui Enshi unknowingly became the subject of closed-door consultations among the four countries.  leader.

    "China's industrial base is so weak that it is almost nonexistent. Raising tariffs cannot protect their domestic market. I think it is acceptable!" British Minister Zhu Erdian said.

    "The French government maintains the same position as the British government on this issue," Kant said, waving his hand.

    "What about the Japanese government? Cotton yarn is the bulk of Japan's trade with China. Is the Japanese government willing to make sacrifices and concessions for the common interests of the Allied Powers?" U.S. Minister Reinsch's tone was relaxed but contained pressure.

    "Cotton is the bulk of the U.S. trade with China. If the U.S. government is not worried about harming the interests of U.S. cotton farmers, the Japanese government will naturally follow!" Japanese companyLin Quanzhu gritted his teeth and said.

    "Okay, the answer to the second condition is that import tariffs can be increased by 10%. Everyone, you should take a broad view. If you don't give China any sweetness, how can it be willing to work hard when it is grinding! I appreciate your decision!" Rui Enshi!  said with a smile.

    "The third condition is that in places with concessions such as Tianjin and Shanghai, troops are not allowed to be stationed within 20 kilometers. This is pure rubbish. Can the security of the concession be guaranteed by stationing troops 21 kilometers away? The safety of overseas Chinese and concessions in various countries depends on  What matters is the strong military and economic strength of each country, not the distance between the other party's garrison and the concession! What do you think of this one?

    Rui Enshi said lightly.

    "Agree!" Zhu Erdian blushed. He and Li Hongzhang had agreed to this clause back then. Being ridiculed by Rui Enshi today, he really felt a bit self-deceiving.

    "Agree!" The French and Japanese ministers also nodded in agreement.  France is powerless, and Japan does not take the Chinese team seriously at all.

    "Article 4 is obviously different from what Wang Geng said, that if necessary, 3 million troops can be sent to fight. However, it is understandable that it is easier to convince Congress and the president to only send workers and provide raw materials than to directly send troops to fight. This  What do you think of Ichijo?" Rui Enshi raised his eyes and looked at the three ministers and asked.

    "The British government will maintain a common position with the U.S. government on this issue!" Zhu Erdian was savvy and kicked the ball back to Rui Enshi. Obviously, the U.S. and Japan were the sponsors of the money. Can Britain and France finish the war now?  Thank God for being broke.

    "The French government will maintain a unified position with the British government on this point!" Kant imitated, thinking, who can't imitate the cat and the tiger?

    "Where's Japan?" Rui Enshi frowned. Obviously Britain and France didn't plan to pay for it themselves. These two brothers owed a huge debt to the United States, and they had to pay even if they wanted to!

    "Japan only assumes its own obligations. We don't need Chinese laborers to dig trenches in Japan!" Lin Quanzhu separated himself from Japan at this moment, which was true.

    "This question is a headache. It is not too much to say that Wang Geng's request is too high. Does the Lord say that all people are created equal? ??I will take a look at this matter You can agree to him first. Anyway, according to Wang Geng's intention, he will send troops to join the war.  , this condition refers to labor, and does not mention military expenses and benefits when sending troops. We can discuss it separately at that time. What do you think? "

    Rui Enshi is obviously not a simple master, and he immediately came up with an expedient to take advantage of the loophole!

    The United States is the leader of the great powers and the largest creditor at the moment. Since Rui Enshi said this, Zhu Erdian and Kant had no choice but to hold their noses and agree first.

    "Okay, it seems that tonight's harvest is not small. This Wang Geng is not easy to deal with. It seems that in addition to the dragon Xu Shuzheng, Duan Hefei has a tiger named Wang Geng! Everyone, the four conditions are  Let¡¯s settle this and ask the domestic government for instructions. The sooner it is passed, the better! Who knows what trouble Wang Geng will make if it takes too long?¡±

    Rui Enshi said with finality.
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