Xinshun 1730

Chapter 604 The bottom line of guessing each other wrong

Since the disarmament and no ship building, the diplomacy of long-sleeved skills and the diplomacy of figuring out intrigues in a chaotic environment are the necessary talents of the Great Speaker.

In fact, it was precisely because of Anthony Heim's ability that he was elected as the candidate for the Great Speaker, as well as the important recommendation of his predecessor.

Although, in fact, what the Netherlands needs now is a military genius and a master of domestic affairs, to complete the construction of national identity, to centralize the seven provinces that have been decentralized into a real country, to reform the tax system, and to force transformation...

However, it is impossible for everyone to accept, recognize, and succeed.

Therefore, since it is impossible to enhance one's own strength, it is better to settle for the next best thing and choose someone who can rely on diplomacy to maintain peace.

This is standard wishful thinking.

Believe that diplomacy alone can maintain lasting peace.

As a person who is not good at internal affairs and military level, but was pushed to power by his predecessor who thought that the centralization of internal affairs and military affairs was impossible, and it was better to choose a better diplomatic idea, Anthony Heim started from Liu Yu's abnormal "didn't go to Paris first". Some problems have been seen in the matter of coming to the Netherlands first, instead of the capital of a first-class power such as London and London.

"Gentlemen, if we think that this Marquis is a childish, passionate, and fanatical person, then we can roughly explain the rationality of his various strange behaviors."

"And if we think of him as a shady, sinister, and thoughtful diplomat who shed his passion and fanaticism to fight for the best interests of his country, then there is another explanation for his strange behavior."

"He is pro-French, high-profile publicized his support for the descendants of the Stuart dynasty, and high-profile displayed his contradictions with the UK... Is it possible that he is just trying to gain bargaining chips with the UK?"

"China and the UK have no bargaining chips in the first place."

"But he took advantage of his pro-French support, his support for the Stuart dynasty, and his conflict with George Anson, and he gained leverage out of nothing."

"And use this to achieve his goal?"

"Even, including this early visit to the Netherlands, is it for the ultimate purpose?"

Out of nothing?

The oligarchs in several cities are business tycoons, and they are no strangers to this commonly used method in business negotiations.

"Your Excellency the Great Speaker, do you mean that he ultimately wants to negotiate with the United Kingdom? Coupled with the 'redistribution of the tea silk porcelain trade' he mentioned in his speech at the pier... So, his real purpose is to negotiate with the United Kingdom The East India Company cooperates, the two cooperate, and share [-]/[-] to achieve a monopoly on tea, silk, and porcelain in the entire European and North American markets?"

"He knew that it was impossible for the UK to give up these vested interests, so he created these bargaining chips out of nothing."

"When necessary, put all these chips on the table: If Britain cooperates and agrees to his conditions, then Dashun will no longer be too pro-French and will no longer support the Stuart dynasty?"

"In other words, he does not support the restoration of Catholicism in the UK. Once the UK cooperates, he will immediately sell the old usurper, the French, and even Sweden?"

Anthony Haim nodded, then shook his head again.

These people only understood the diplomatic bargaining chip that was created out of nothing, but still did not understand why they came to the Netherlands first.Because from the Netherlands, Dashun doesn't seem to have any leverage to negotiate with the UK.

However, there is a most critical problem here.

"Gentlemen, if you were at the helm of the diplomacy and trade of the Chinese Empire, would you prefer free trade? Or a [-]-[-] joint monopoly franchise?"

This question is also a question that does not need an answer, and it is not even a question.

In terms of trade with Europe, Dashun does not like any monopoly, and there is no need to have any monopoly.

What Dashun really needs is a world system under the framework of free trade.

Under the free trade system, everyone depends on their ability, Dashun releases customs duties, and even if European goods are sold to Dashun, it will not make a fuss.

Paper, wool, agricultural tools, ironware, woodware, pottery, wool, glass...even, arms, which one can be sold in Dashun?

Conversely, with the list of export goods tariffs in the Customs Tariff Agreement in the "Five-Port Trade Regulations" after a crow in history, almost all of them are hot-selling commodities to Europe.

Alum, star anise oil, cinnamon oil, tea leaves, cinnamon bark, rhubarb, sanlai, galangal, raw silk, linen cloth, purple cloth, woodware, boneware, lake silk, silkworm silk, ginger candy, candied fruit, rock sugar, dyes, lead powder , fish skin glue, cow and sheep skin glue, copper foil, tin foil, porcelain, pottery, paper...

There are so many things, basically covering the popular commodities sold in Europe at that time, with a complete range of handicrafts.

It was 1842 in history. Watt, who improved the steam engine, died for more than 20 years. In a few years, the "Manifesto" came out, and the gap between generations is already big enough.

But after removing opium, there was still a huge surplus—that was the situation when the British stole the tea seeds, the industrial revolution solved the mystery of porcelain, Darjeeling tea and Ceylon tea became popular, and the British porcelain brand Wedgwood had already taken shape. Down.

Now Dashun has made up for its shortcomings, such as glass, munitions, and imitation inferior mechanical watches.

Now no one dares to sell opium, and the woolen cloth cannot be sold at all.

Excluding these, what is left in the historical Shanghai tariffs are either Nanyang specialties: borneol, cardamom, bird's nest, clove, sorrel, shark's fin, sandalwood, ebony, rhinoceros horn.

Either there is really no or really can't be produced around China: Yalan rice (cochineal red dye, you have to eat cactus); Somali milk and incense; American ginseng; myrrh (Ethiopian terpene resin); .

It cannot be said now that nothing can be sold in Dashun.

If the British let go of export controls and sell nautical clocks to Dashun, even if they cost 1 taels each, the Dashun Navy will send out an order of 10 taels without saying a word. Research research.

If the imperial court does not approve the money, Liu Yu himself will pay for it.

The problem is that the British don't sell it... for any amount of money.

And the UK can still sell a nautical clock, what can the Netherlands sell?Except for the clove cardamom, which is controlled by the Netherlands among the Nanyang specialties, and the reciprocal tariff agreement has been signed, what else is left for the precarious industry in the Netherlands?
Anthony Haim knew what was going on in his heart, otherwise, it would not have been possible for merchant ships to China to carry half a load of silver coins.

"So, gentlemen, for the Chinese Empire, he only needs an international system of free trade. If this system can be achieved, it will be the most beneficial result for the Chinese Empire. Even, he is willing to pay a huge cost for this system .”

"And our Netherlands is the breakthrough point for him to establish this international system with its own trade. If he can't break through here, he will use his weight to exchange interests with the United Kingdom. The two companies will cooperate in a [-]-[-] split. monopolize the exclusive right to operate Chinese goods west of the Cape of Good Hope."

"For China, there are advantages and disadvantages to fully cooperating with the UK."

"The advantage is that the UK has a wider market than ours, and has a huge naval power to maintain the "Navigation Regulations."

"The downside is that Southeast Asia is under our control. If we impose a trade embargo on us and fully cooperate with the UK, we will inevitably face the problem of smuggling. The long coastline, the intricate islands in Southeast Asia, and Dashun are impossible to ban them businessmen go to Southeast Asia for trade... all of which require huge costs to prevent smuggling."

"So he wants to open a breakthrough from us: tariff agreement, free trade. If we sign it, it will be tantamount to tearing a hole in the whole of Europe. The background of our sea coachman is still there, and other countries have to follow suit. And as I said, it is in the Chinese Empire's best interest to create a free trade system, at least with China."

"The Netherlands is the easiest breakthrough and the most meaningful breakthrough. For example, Prussia, even if it breaks through, what's the use?"

"And if you can't break through from us in the Netherlands, then it means that it is impossible to make a meaningful breakthrough."

"He knows very well that the UK can only follow up after we are breached, and it is impossible for the UK to let go of directly negotiating reciprocal trade with the UK. And if the Netherlands breaks through first, the UK will have to follow up. "

"So he came to our Amsterdam first. If we can't break through here, he is likely to use the chips he created out of nothing to negotiate with the United Kingdom-but it is not a tariff agreement, but a [-]-[-] joint monopoly. "

"And if we don't accept the reciprocal tariff agreement, before we are able to break the British "Navigation Regulations" and show that the Dutch merchant ships have the ability to sell their goods throughout Europe and America, Dashun will not consider our exclusive authorized cooperation."

"We... are no longer worthy."

This is Anthony's guess about Liu Yu's purpose of coming to the Netherlands "first", and it is also what he is most worried about.

Because the UK is really likely to accept this condition.

On the one hand, it is the temptation of exclusive Chinese products, exclusive monopoly authorization in Europe, and a [-]-[-] split.

On the other hand, it is a diplomatic bargaining chip such as being pro-French and supporting the restoration of the Stuart dynasty out of nothing.

There are both chips and temptations, and the UK is likely to agree.

It couldn't be blamed on Anthony Heim's overthinking.

He didn't know Liu Yu's purpose, it was not to sell the goods, the emperor's daughter would not worry about getting married, and the Chinese goods would not worry about selling.

It is also impossible for him to know that Liu Yu's real purpose is India and Southeast Asia.

A market that can accommodate half of the initial industrialization of Jiangsu Province and alleviate the severe impact of domestic industrialization; it can provide half of the origin of cotton and indigo, the raw materials for initial industrialization of Jiangsu Province.

It is also impossible to know that Liu Yu's judgment is that the French navy is too wasteful, and there are problems with the policy. He also sent the American ginseng trade, and France will lose in the battle for India.If you want India, it is impossible to cooperate with the United Kingdom, and you must even prepare to deal with the United Kingdom in advance.

Therefore, in the eyes of Anthony, the great speaker of the Commercial Netherlands, it is a very possible conjecture; in the eyes of Liu Yu, the diplomatic behind-the-scenes man who is eager to industrialize China, it is not considered at all.

This is purely a difference between commercial and industrial routes, and has nothing to do with cultural differences between the East and the West.

But it is also this difference in focus that led to this diplomatic dispute between China and the Netherlands, where they guessed the bottom line wrong.

The reason why Liu Yu came to the Netherlands "first" is really simple.

It is because the reception of court etiquette in France takes time to arrange, and the famous French court does not want to lose its reputation. When it comes to dinner, it does not say hello in advance, and it is stuck with the meal time, especially this family is very face-saving.

Furthermore, Hannibal needed the help of the French embassy in Russia for the coup d'état in Russia. He had to meet many important people in France, and he also needed to send people to fight the outpost in advance.

The reason why Liu Yu came to the Netherlands is really simple.

Create chaos, put the Orange faction in power, and then destroy the Orange faction, and disintegrate the last bit of great power of the Dutch people.

It's just two major coups, not that complicated.

The key lies in these two "simple" reasons. Anthony would never have guessed that Liu Yu, an important figure from the "country of high morals", came here for a coup d'état with "the most despicable morals"...

Anthony thought that there was still a bottom line for Liu Yu's diplomacy, but he never thought that Liu Yu had no bottom line for the Netherlands.

He overestimated the moral level of this person who shouted "reputation, integrity, and the spirit of a gentleman" when he got off the ship in diplomacy with the Netherlands.

So he expressed his opinion to those present who were frightened by his words.

"I think we should first test the bottom line and purpose of China. If similar ideas really come out, we should try our best to persuade the East India Company...to divest the trade with China."

(End of this chapter)