Alder looked at Qiao Yu anxiously, hoping that he could agree to this exchange request. Qiao Yu also knew that it was too hasty to ask for tariff power now. It would be a great thing to exchange for a batch of industrial machine tools, but Qiao Yu
I won't be taken advantage of.
"Mr. Consul General's proposal is very good. I will arrange a team of experts to evaluate the value of the machine tools provided by France. I wonder if France can agree?"
"Absolutely!" Alder hurriedly nodded in agreement. It would definitely be a cost-effective deal to exchange some dead objects for workers. Fushan opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything.
The United Kingdom also instinctively felt uneasy about Sichuan's rapid expansion. As a veteran world hegemon, the United Kingdom has played checks and balances to the extreme. The British government certainly does not want China to embark on the path of becoming stronger, nor is it willing to see Sichuan surpass its own capabilities.
Control, but what else can the British Empire do under the current situation? Compared with the more greedy United States and Japan, Sichuan can be regarded as easy to dispatch. As long as it is given some technical equipment support, it can be exchanged for the continuation of the war.
of human and material resources, which is already the biggest blessing for the Allied Powers.
"Qiao, now Russia is regrouping and needs huge amounts of arms and supplies!"
Fushan made further demands. Russia, the mud-legged giant, had already shown its weakness and incompetence, but after all, Russia was still a behemoth that could attract a lot of firepower. Britain and France urgently needed to strengthen and arm Russia, but now they could only rely on
As for the United States and Sichuan, they really can't muster any strength.
Qiao Yu had just agreed to the condition of using machine tools to repay the workers. He was still a little depressed because he failed to get back the privileges from the Allied Powers. But now they have given the handle to him again, allowing him to rip off the workers with confidence. This feeling is definitely
It was so wonderful, but Qiao Yu continued to act stupid.
"Mr. Fushan, we have provided Russia with more than 300 artillery pieces of various calibers, 100,000 rifles, bullets and shells, and countless food supplies. So far, the Allies still owe Sichuan 30 million pounds.
To be honest, I am not optimistic about Russia's prospects. Although I think the Allies can win the final victory, Russia may not be able to survive that day. Domestic uprisings are coming one after another. Defeat on the battlefield means getting rid of it. Russian soldiers have become
I think the Tsar's credibility has been ruined. If Britain and France cannot provide cash to Sichuan, I will refuse to provide supplies to Russia!"
Fushan and Alder suddenly felt dizzy. They all knew what Qiao Yu said, and Britain and France were also very worried about the situation in Russia, so they eagerly hoped that Sichuan could provide arms to support Russia. But Qiao Yu said
It is very clear that they want real money and silver. The United States and Japan have the same attitude on this point. Moreover, they not only want economic interests, but also political interests, and the conditions they propose are even more difficult to accept.
Of course, they can also avoid consuming precious funds. Then there is only one way, which is to use enterprises, tariffs, and various privileges in exchange for arms, as Qiao Yu just said. There is no doubt that this will weaken the Allied Powers' control over the Far East.
But what else can they do?
"Qiao, we need to communicate with the country. As for how to cooperate, we will come up with a method acceptable to all parties!"
Fushan and Alder then left in a hurry. Qiao Yu looked at their retreating figures with a smile. He felt very comfortable in his heart. The rope on Sichuan's head was getting looser and looser, and a world war was still going on.
It took more than two years to end. Sooner or later, Britain and France will be unable to stand it any longer. That is when Sichuan will truly get rid of the pressure.
"Qiao Shuai, these two guys came to ask for arms support again?" Jiang Baili came to visit Qiao Yu, happened to bump into Fushan and Alder, and guessed their difficulties.
"Yes, not only arms, we also need to provide a large number of laborers. It is best to send troops. The Allied Powers are not having a good time now. Russia is useless, and the lifeline of the sea is facing the threat of German submarines.
Some British people have a headache!”
Jiang Baili asked with a smile: "Commander, are you going to kill them again?"
"My terms are very loose. I asked them to hand over their tariff power to repay the loan. Who knows that the UK is not willing to agree yet, but I believe they will agree sooner or later!"
After hearing the word tariff, Jiang Baili was also confused. Qiao Yu was so bold that he actually focused on tariffs. Of course Jiang Baili knew what the tariff issue meant. This was the fundamental reason why Britain controlled China. As long as it was solved
Only by eliminating the tariff issue can China's fragile industries be adequately protected and China can truly become a powerful country. However, this is also the core interest of the United Kingdom. Can they give in?
"Commander, I think this matter may be a bit difficult. If the UK cannot control tariffs, how can they dump industrial products? After the war, they will have no way to return to the Far East!"
"Brother Baili, the British will agree. Now they are at a critical moment of life and death. Nothing can compare with the pressure of survival. It's just that it is a little difficult to get the national tariff power. After all, it requires the cooperation of Beiyang. I guess Beiyang
Without this ability, the most you can do is take the tariff power of the southwest!"
"That would be great. After tearing open the gap between the privileges of the great powers, the next step can be to abolish privileges on a large scale, and China will truly become a dutiful country. Commander, you are taking this step too wisely. In fact,
I do think that the commander-in-chief can further expand his power now and take the entire south into his hands. With our air force superiority, we can blockade the Yangtze River and capture Nanjing with ease!"
Jiang Baili actually advocated continuing to expand the victory. Qiao Yu had a headache. Even the calmest chairman of the joint meeting was tempted. This shows that there must be such an intention among the Sichuan army. However, Qiao Yu knew very well that Sichuan must now
Resist the temptation, although as Jiang Baili said, the Sichuan army is sure to win Nanjing, Sichuan is definitely not sure to run Nanjing.
"Brother Jiang, you know very well how much Sichuan has spent on this war, and I am also planning to bring Yunnan and Guizhou provinces under control. The money it will cost will be even more staggering. Occupying it does not mean truly owning it.
A method like Beiyang's to control the whole country is simply undesirable. The entire regime is like duckweed, without any foundation. On the contrary, it will waste our already insufficient financial resources. Moreover, Sichuan's economic development now relies entirely on the support of the Allies, but
Once the war ends and the great powers return, our military factories, heavy industrial enterprises, and an astonishing number of light industries will be affected.
This is why I am eager to ask for tariff power. We must have the power to compete when the great powers return. We must not only have tariff protection, but also have enough skilled workers and strong enough enterprises. These all take time.
Accumulation and blind expansion of power will inevitably lead to prosperity and decline. Beiyang is a lesson learned from the past. Only by laying a solid foundation and having the power to resist the great powers can we naturally unify the country!"
Jiang Baili nodded repeatedly when he heard this: "Commander, you can still stay awake at this time and not be fooled by the victory in front of you. It is really a blessing for Sichuan and the southwest, but we must get enough benefits, otherwise
The Sichuan Army officers and soldiers will not agree!"
"Don't worry, Lao Duan has sent Xu Shuzheng to negotiate, and he will arrive soon. Beiyang must offer some benefits this time!"
"Commander, I have one more thing to do here this time, which is the issue of arms!" Jiang Baili paused and said, "Because we have to deal with the war to protect the country, the weapons have been equipped with the army, so the export of arms to Russia has been postponed.
We have made some progress, and now the Russian side is pressing hard. Should we resume exports now?”
I don't have anything good to say about Russian Qiao Yu. The two countries that have hurt China the most in modern history are Japan and Russia. Now it would be great if Russia could shed more blood.
"Now that the major wars are over except for northern Sichuan, I think exports can be resumed. However, Sichuan cannot always export less profitable things. We should definitely expand the scope of exports, including aircraft, armored vehicles, heavy artillery, trucks, etc.
Merchant ships, these things can bring more profits, and we can also use this as an excuse to get more technology from Britain and France!"
"Commander, now in our trade with Russia, artillery has become relatively mature and has formed a large scale. Our main export types are 75mm caliber mountain guns and field guns, which account for more than 40% of the total exports.
, there are also 105mm caliber mountain cannon, 120mm cannon, and 155mm caliber howitzer, etc. A total of more than 430 units have been sold, with a profit of 1800
1.25 million yuan. In addition, the mortars we produce are also very popular in Russia. The mortars have simple structure and low price. The most important thing is that they can adapt to Russia’s harsh climate. Currently, the total profit from sales to Russia
It has reached more than 100 million yuan. If other strategic materials are included, this profit will be even more amazing!"
After Jiang Baili became the chairman of the joint meeting, the scope of supervision became larger and larger. When he learned that Sichuan had achieved such a level of military industry, he was very surprised, and then he also had a sense of admiration for Qiao Yu, who was able to control Sichuan early.
Transforming the arsenal so that it can adapt to the needs of World War I requires such strategic vision.
"Brother Baili, arms sales to Russia are just a means. It is a shortcut for us to obtain the advanced technology of the Allied Powers. Our current technical level does not need to be hidden. If we have any good things, we must sell them. I heard that the arsenal
A new type of self-propelled artillery has been developed, and a heavy mortar has also been developed. I think we should sell it as soon as possible to win profits for us!"