Chapter 1557
Ambitious
Chapter 1557 Ambitious
In the South China Sea Trade Alliance, the dominant country is Haihan, which has the largest trade volume, and a considerable proportion of the trade content between countries and Haihan is entrepot trade through ports under Haihan's control. The real trade partners It's actually Daming.Especially for western countries like the Netherlands and Portugal, most of the commodities they can provide can be produced by Haihan themselves. They can only sell these commodities to Daming through Haihan's trade channels in order to obtain relatively rich profits.And all kinds of porcelain, textiles, tea and other commodities produced by Daming can only be bought by these countries through the trade center established by Haihan.
In the past, Haihan's control of the coast of Daming was only concentrated in some parts of the southeast coast, and its control over maritime trade channels was not enough to manipulate other countries. But now Haihan has basically completed the control of Daming's coastal areas from south to north. Especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the most affluent area of Ming Dynasty, almost all maritime trade is under the direct control of Haihan, and the officials of Ming Dynasty have already acknowledged the status quo through the construction of transportation business.At this time, it is much easier for Haihan to set some conditions in exchange for the obedience of the members of the South China Sea Trade Alliance.
Haihan's overall control over Daming's maritime import and export trade can be said to be a very powerful trade method, because it affects not only Daming, but also many countries in Southeast Asia and even the West.The new plan that Schneider is currently going to propose is to require the countries of the South China Sea Trade Alliance to unify trade standards as soon as possible, and most of the content of this standard comes from the trade agreement between Daming and Haihan.
To be precise, many industry standards and related regulations in this trade agreement were actually formulated by Haihan. This is one of the reasons why Shi Diwen met with local industry leaders in Zhejiang some time ago.Schneider believes that these trade standards negotiated with Daming can also be used to change the status quo of the South China Sea Trade Union. After all, many orders from Southeast Asia are actually transferred from Haihan to Daming for completion.If the trade standards of Ming, Haihan, and the South China Sea Trade Union can be unified, trade barriers can be effectively eliminated, and Haihan will guide these trading partner countries to accept the new rules of the game.
Schneider believes that the weight of Haihan and Daming should be enough to influence the decision-making of these countries, especially the Netherlands and Portugal, two western countries, they basically just need some of the high-end goods produced by Ming, and they cannot use force or other means. The only way to break Haihan's monopoly on Daming Maritime Trade is to accept Haihan's arrangement.
So Schneider quickly summoned Thomas, the Portuguese special envoy in Sanya, and Su Keyi, the Dutch special envoy in Sanya, and explained to them the current situation and Haihan's new concept of international trade in the Far East.
For these two countries, Haihan is really a country that they love, hate and fear.The trade process with Haihan is actually very pleasant. The business reputation and settlement speed of Haihan people are almost impeccable, and they are far more comfortable than other countries they deal with in the Far East.But at the same time, Haihan is also their strongest competitor in the Far East. All commercial routes in the sea area north of the Indochina Peninsula are under the control of Haihan, and the trade with Ming must also go through Haihan. If possible, they I am more willing to remove this stumbling block in the way I am best at.
But they have tried this many times, but they will always fail, and every failure will make them realize that the gap in military strength between the two sides is insurmountable.Later, when he saw with his own eyes how Haihan beat the mighty Spanish fleet to the ground, his resentment gradually turned into happiness.Yes, Haihan is not regarded as an opponent, but as a trading partner. This is probably the greatest luck for a Western colonial country like them in the Far East.
Regarding the "trade standards" proposed by Schneider, they are actually very clear that this is repeating the same old tune. Haihan had already started to formulate international trade standards two or three years ago, and since then it has revealed its ambition. big.But for countries like Portugal and the Netherlands, agreeing to Haihan's standards actually vetoed the possibility of their own becoming a controller in this area in the future.Therefore, although Haihan has made many requests on this issue, Portugal and the Netherlands have always adopted delaying tactics. They promised well, but they shirked it in every possible way when implementing it, and did not follow the standards led by Haihan. to execute.
Portugal and the Netherlands have a much clearer understanding of the international situation than Ming. Unless all countries in the region can join forces to deal with Haihan, and do not hesitate to launch a large-scale war that may last for several years, Haihan will dominate the Far East. Basically irrepressible.But forming this kind of military alliance is probably less likely than Haihan disappearing from this world by himself, so no one would be foolish enough to really try to organize such an alliance to deal with Haihan.
The only more feasible strategy is to slow down the expansion and development of Haihan, and try to keep the gap in strength between the two sides from further widening.Preventing Haihan from unifying international trade standards under its framework in an uncooperative manner is the main means Portugal and the Netherlands can take at present.
This tactic can be said to be quite simple and practical. Both Portugal and the Netherlands will express their approval and support for Haihan's proposal, but in the process of implementation, they have stumbling overtly or covertly, preventing Haihan's method from being fully implemented.Even if Haihan knew that it was because of their lack of cooperation, it would be difficult to punish them. After all, we are still partners in the open, and it is not worth tearing your face for these dirty things under the table.
But the premise of the feasibility of this kind of operation is that Haihan has no decisive means to restrain the two countries.But now this balance has been destroyed by the construction and transportation business between Daming and Haihan. The previous smuggling trade is now fully legalized, and it is almost Haihan who has unilaterally controlled the initiative.Schneider has made it clear to them that all future trade between Portugal and the Netherlands and Daming must be done in accordance with the regulations in the trade agreement signed between Haihan and Ming. I am afraid that the established trade standards cannot be bypassed perfunctorily this time.
Thomas and Su Keyi did not doubt the authenticity of the news that Haihan and Daming established a communication business. They believed that the Haihan people would not joke about such a big event, and the Haihan people never bothered to use fraudulent means in trade.But because of this, they immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.
Schneider directly summoned them to announce the matter. It was no longer the same as before, to discuss with them a timetable for the implementation process, but to inform them of this as the result.
"You two, we have known each other for a long time, so we don't need to say some polite words about spying on each other. Let me say straight to the point that in the future, the trade between Portugal, the Netherlands and Daming must fully comply with this time. The trade agreement formulated is the common request of our country and Ming Dynasty." Schneider said firmly: "If you two want to ask if there is room for bargaining or an implementation timetable, my answer is...no."
"A completely ruthless operation?" Thomas asked with a shrug.Although he had no hope after hearing Schneider's tone, he still asked subconsciously.
"This is for the common interests of everyone. I guarantee that all countries participating in the trade will benefit from it, and the sooner it is implemented, the greater the benefits." Schneider's attitude is still very firm, and at the same time he does not forget to use some preferential terms to appease the people sitting opposite him. negotiating opponent.Of course, now that Haihan already has the upper hand, he will not give any specific preferential policies. If the other party is still unwilling to submit, then the follow-up trade punishment measures are no joke.
"Isn't your country worried that this rough method will offend trading partners?" Su Keyi took another way to question Schneider's decision.
"I believe that our country's real partners will naturally understand and cooperate with our work. As I have said, this will not harm the interests of participating countries, but will only provide more convenience." Su Keyi was overwhelmed by words, but continued to use words to manipulate the other party - if you still don't cooperate, then you are not a "real partner", and then don't say you don't care about your feelings.
Schneider has extremely strong conditions in his hands this time, and naturally he is unwilling to give up half a point. If these two countries still insist on their past attitudes, then Schneider will make a big move.He has already obtained the authorization from the Executive Committee to initiate trade sanctions when the situation warrants, that is, to partially suspend the trade projects between the two countries and Ming Dynasty, and the highest level is to completely block their trade with Daming until the sea is satisfied. until the conditions proposed by Han.
The special method of trade sanctions has actually been written into the agreement as early as the establishment of the South China Sea Trade Alliance, but no country has ever used this method in bilateral trade.Even if Haihan is qualified to use this method, he is unwilling to cause a result that hurts both sides.But now that the objective conditions Haihan needs to control international trade have been fully formed, Haihan can hold Portugal and the Netherlands in a very simple way, so Schneider naturally does not hesitate to use this extreme method.
However, even in the current atmosphere, Schneider still did not take the initiative to mention the words "trade sanctions", but kept hinting at the ministers of the two countries. Purpose.
For the envoys of these two countries, the current situation is indeed rather embarrassing. Although Portugal and the Netherlands have ports in Macau, Guangdong and Dayuan, Taiwan, their trade with Ming has to be controlled by Haihan.Especially in the waters north of the Fujian Strait, merchant ships from Portugal and the Netherlands can only call at the ports specified by Haihan. trade.If Haihan wants to wear small shoes for someone, it is really a matter of one sentence.
Thomas and Su Keyi looked at each other, and they both read the obvious helplessness in each other's eyes.It seems that since they came to Sanya, the ministers in Haihan, they have never gained the upper hand in various negotiations with Haihan, and this will probably be another setback experience in their careers.
It is quite uncomfortable to feel controlled by others, especially the Portuguese and Dutch maritime powers that have almost achieved global colonization, but they have to suffer in the Far East.Su Keyi himself is a descendant of Chinese who grew up in Batavia, so he has never really experienced the power of the Netherlands, so that's fine.But Thomas is a genuine Portuguese, and he knows how terrible this kind of power suppression is. Before that, only Spain could do this.But thinking about the tragic experience of the Spaniards in the South China Sea, Thomas instantly felt that he had nothing to complain about. The threat of trade sanctions was much lighter than military strikes.
"Well, I think partners should have full mutual trust. I have always admired your country's business methods, and I believe you won't let me down this time, right?" Thomas took the lead in expressing a compromise .In fact, he really didn't have a choice, and Schneider didn't leave rejection as an option for them at all.
"Your decision is very wise." Schneider nodded slightly to Thomas.Although this was the result he had expected, he still felt somewhat complacent about being able to win over his opponent with just a few verbal confrontations.
Schneider then turned his gaze to Su Keyi, waiting for him to make a statement.Compared with the Portuguese, the Dutch East India Company is obviously more difficult to deal with, and the grievances and grievances with Haihan in the past were deeper, but now it means more rivalry.Although Su Keyi is a Chinese, his position is completely on the side of the Dutch, so Schneider does not expect him to make a decision that is not conducive to the East India Company because of his closeness to Haihan.
"What did Mr. Su say?" Seeing that Su Keyi hadn't spoken for a long time, Schneider couldn't help urging him.
Thomas has already entered the state of watching the show, and the competition between Portugal and the Netherlands is more direct. Even if his personal relationship with Su Keyi is not bad, but from his standpoint, of course, he would like Haihan to turn against the Netherlands, and then terminate the Netherlands in Ann. All trade activities in the area north of Buna Island have left this huge market for Portugal to operate.However, he will not deliberately use words to provoke the confrontation between the two families. Playing such a clever trick in front of the extremely shrewd Schneider may only be counterproductive.
Su Keyi sighed, and said helplessly: "I can agree to your country's conditions, but I also have conditions to mention."
(End of this chapter)
In the South China Sea Trade Alliance, the dominant country is Haihan, which has the largest trade volume, and a considerable proportion of the trade content between countries and Haihan is entrepot trade through ports under Haihan's control. The real trade partners It's actually Daming.Especially for western countries like the Netherlands and Portugal, most of the commodities they can provide can be produced by Haihan themselves. They can only sell these commodities to Daming through Haihan's trade channels in order to obtain relatively rich profits.And all kinds of porcelain, textiles, tea and other commodities produced by Daming can only be bought by these countries through the trade center established by Haihan.
In the past, Haihan's control of the coast of Daming was only concentrated in some parts of the southeast coast, and its control over maritime trade channels was not enough to manipulate other countries. But now Haihan has basically completed the control of Daming's coastal areas from south to north. Especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the most affluent area of Ming Dynasty, almost all maritime trade is under the direct control of Haihan, and the officials of Ming Dynasty have already acknowledged the status quo through the construction of transportation business.At this time, it is much easier for Haihan to set some conditions in exchange for the obedience of the members of the South China Sea Trade Alliance.
Haihan's overall control over Daming's maritime import and export trade can be said to be a very powerful trade method, because it affects not only Daming, but also many countries in Southeast Asia and even the West.The new plan that Schneider is currently going to propose is to require the countries of the South China Sea Trade Alliance to unify trade standards as soon as possible, and most of the content of this standard comes from the trade agreement between Daming and Haihan.
To be precise, many industry standards and related regulations in this trade agreement were actually formulated by Haihan. This is one of the reasons why Shi Diwen met with local industry leaders in Zhejiang some time ago.Schneider believes that these trade standards negotiated with Daming can also be used to change the status quo of the South China Sea Trade Union. After all, many orders from Southeast Asia are actually transferred from Haihan to Daming for completion.If the trade standards of Ming, Haihan, and the South China Sea Trade Union can be unified, trade barriers can be effectively eliminated, and Haihan will guide these trading partner countries to accept the new rules of the game.
Schneider believes that the weight of Haihan and Daming should be enough to influence the decision-making of these countries, especially the Netherlands and Portugal, two western countries, they basically just need some of the high-end goods produced by Ming, and they cannot use force or other means. The only way to break Haihan's monopoly on Daming Maritime Trade is to accept Haihan's arrangement.
So Schneider quickly summoned Thomas, the Portuguese special envoy in Sanya, and Su Keyi, the Dutch special envoy in Sanya, and explained to them the current situation and Haihan's new concept of international trade in the Far East.
For these two countries, Haihan is really a country that they love, hate and fear.The trade process with Haihan is actually very pleasant. The business reputation and settlement speed of Haihan people are almost impeccable, and they are far more comfortable than other countries they deal with in the Far East.But at the same time, Haihan is also their strongest competitor in the Far East. All commercial routes in the sea area north of the Indochina Peninsula are under the control of Haihan, and the trade with Ming must also go through Haihan. If possible, they I am more willing to remove this stumbling block in the way I am best at.
But they have tried this many times, but they will always fail, and every failure will make them realize that the gap in military strength between the two sides is insurmountable.Later, when he saw with his own eyes how Haihan beat the mighty Spanish fleet to the ground, his resentment gradually turned into happiness.Yes, Haihan is not regarded as an opponent, but as a trading partner. This is probably the greatest luck for a Western colonial country like them in the Far East.
Regarding the "trade standards" proposed by Schneider, they are actually very clear that this is repeating the same old tune. Haihan had already started to formulate international trade standards two or three years ago, and since then it has revealed its ambition. big.But for countries like Portugal and the Netherlands, agreeing to Haihan's standards actually vetoed the possibility of their own becoming a controller in this area in the future.Therefore, although Haihan has made many requests on this issue, Portugal and the Netherlands have always adopted delaying tactics. They promised well, but they shirked it in every possible way when implementing it, and did not follow the standards led by Haihan. to execute.
Portugal and the Netherlands have a much clearer understanding of the international situation than Ming. Unless all countries in the region can join forces to deal with Haihan, and do not hesitate to launch a large-scale war that may last for several years, Haihan will dominate the Far East. Basically irrepressible.But forming this kind of military alliance is probably less likely than Haihan disappearing from this world by himself, so no one would be foolish enough to really try to organize such an alliance to deal with Haihan.
The only more feasible strategy is to slow down the expansion and development of Haihan, and try to keep the gap in strength between the two sides from further widening.Preventing Haihan from unifying international trade standards under its framework in an uncooperative manner is the main means Portugal and the Netherlands can take at present.
This tactic can be said to be quite simple and practical. Both Portugal and the Netherlands will express their approval and support for Haihan's proposal, but in the process of implementation, they have stumbling overtly or covertly, preventing Haihan's method from being fully implemented.Even if Haihan knew that it was because of their lack of cooperation, it would be difficult to punish them. After all, we are still partners in the open, and it is not worth tearing your face for these dirty things under the table.
But the premise of the feasibility of this kind of operation is that Haihan has no decisive means to restrain the two countries.But now this balance has been destroyed by the construction and transportation business between Daming and Haihan. The previous smuggling trade is now fully legalized, and it is almost Haihan who has unilaterally controlled the initiative.Schneider has made it clear to them that all future trade between Portugal and the Netherlands and Daming must be done in accordance with the regulations in the trade agreement signed between Haihan and Ming. I am afraid that the established trade standards cannot be bypassed perfunctorily this time.
Thomas and Su Keyi did not doubt the authenticity of the news that Haihan and Daming established a communication business. They believed that the Haihan people would not joke about such a big event, and the Haihan people never bothered to use fraudulent means in trade.But because of this, they immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.
Schneider directly summoned them to announce the matter. It was no longer the same as before, to discuss with them a timetable for the implementation process, but to inform them of this as the result.
"You two, we have known each other for a long time, so we don't need to say some polite words about spying on each other. Let me say straight to the point that in the future, the trade between Portugal, the Netherlands and Daming must fully comply with this time. The trade agreement formulated is the common request of our country and Ming Dynasty." Schneider said firmly: "If you two want to ask if there is room for bargaining or an implementation timetable, my answer is...no."
"A completely ruthless operation?" Thomas asked with a shrug.Although he had no hope after hearing Schneider's tone, he still asked subconsciously.
"This is for the common interests of everyone. I guarantee that all countries participating in the trade will benefit from it, and the sooner it is implemented, the greater the benefits." Schneider's attitude is still very firm, and at the same time he does not forget to use some preferential terms to appease the people sitting opposite him. negotiating opponent.Of course, now that Haihan already has the upper hand, he will not give any specific preferential policies. If the other party is still unwilling to submit, then the follow-up trade punishment measures are no joke.
"Isn't your country worried that this rough method will offend trading partners?" Su Keyi took another way to question Schneider's decision.
"I believe that our country's real partners will naturally understand and cooperate with our work. As I have said, this will not harm the interests of participating countries, but will only provide more convenience." Su Keyi was overwhelmed by words, but continued to use words to manipulate the other party - if you still don't cooperate, then you are not a "real partner", and then don't say you don't care about your feelings.
Schneider has extremely strong conditions in his hands this time, and naturally he is unwilling to give up half a point. If these two countries still insist on their past attitudes, then Schneider will make a big move.He has already obtained the authorization from the Executive Committee to initiate trade sanctions when the situation warrants, that is, to partially suspend the trade projects between the two countries and Ming Dynasty, and the highest level is to completely block their trade with Daming until the sea is satisfied. until the conditions proposed by Han.
The special method of trade sanctions has actually been written into the agreement as early as the establishment of the South China Sea Trade Alliance, but no country has ever used this method in bilateral trade.Even if Haihan is qualified to use this method, he is unwilling to cause a result that hurts both sides.But now that the objective conditions Haihan needs to control international trade have been fully formed, Haihan can hold Portugal and the Netherlands in a very simple way, so Schneider naturally does not hesitate to use this extreme method.
However, even in the current atmosphere, Schneider still did not take the initiative to mention the words "trade sanctions", but kept hinting at the ministers of the two countries. Purpose.
For the envoys of these two countries, the current situation is indeed rather embarrassing. Although Portugal and the Netherlands have ports in Macau, Guangdong and Dayuan, Taiwan, their trade with Ming has to be controlled by Haihan.Especially in the waters north of the Fujian Strait, merchant ships from Portugal and the Netherlands can only call at the ports specified by Haihan. trade.If Haihan wants to wear small shoes for someone, it is really a matter of one sentence.
Thomas and Su Keyi looked at each other, and they both read the obvious helplessness in each other's eyes.It seems that since they came to Sanya, the ministers in Haihan, they have never gained the upper hand in various negotiations with Haihan, and this will probably be another setback experience in their careers.
It is quite uncomfortable to feel controlled by others, especially the Portuguese and Dutch maritime powers that have almost achieved global colonization, but they have to suffer in the Far East.Su Keyi himself is a descendant of Chinese who grew up in Batavia, so he has never really experienced the power of the Netherlands, so that's fine.But Thomas is a genuine Portuguese, and he knows how terrible this kind of power suppression is. Before that, only Spain could do this.But thinking about the tragic experience of the Spaniards in the South China Sea, Thomas instantly felt that he had nothing to complain about. The threat of trade sanctions was much lighter than military strikes.
"Well, I think partners should have full mutual trust. I have always admired your country's business methods, and I believe you won't let me down this time, right?" Thomas took the lead in expressing a compromise .In fact, he really didn't have a choice, and Schneider didn't leave rejection as an option for them at all.
"Your decision is very wise." Schneider nodded slightly to Thomas.Although this was the result he had expected, he still felt somewhat complacent about being able to win over his opponent with just a few verbal confrontations.
Schneider then turned his gaze to Su Keyi, waiting for him to make a statement.Compared with the Portuguese, the Dutch East India Company is obviously more difficult to deal with, and the grievances and grievances with Haihan in the past were deeper, but now it means more rivalry.Although Su Keyi is a Chinese, his position is completely on the side of the Dutch, so Schneider does not expect him to make a decision that is not conducive to the East India Company because of his closeness to Haihan.
"What did Mr. Su say?" Seeing that Su Keyi hadn't spoken for a long time, Schneider couldn't help urging him.
Thomas has already entered the state of watching the show, and the competition between Portugal and the Netherlands is more direct. Even if his personal relationship with Su Keyi is not bad, but from his standpoint, of course, he would like Haihan to turn against the Netherlands, and then terminate the Netherlands in Ann. All trade activities in the area north of Buna Island have left this huge market for Portugal to operate.However, he will not deliberately use words to provoke the confrontation between the two families. Playing such a clever trick in front of the extremely shrewd Schneider may only be counterproductive.
Su Keyi sighed, and said helplessly: "I can agree to your country's conditions, but I also have conditions to mention."
(End of this chapter)