African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1111 Layout in the Far East
Time flies and it is now 1912. In previous lives, this year could be said to be a turbulent year, with many major events occurring on almost every continent.

In Asia, domestic conflicts in the Far East Empire broke out completely, the Balkan War broke out in Europe, the Argentine labor movement and the US presidential election broke out in America, and in Africa, there was a resistance movement of black indigenous people against the Portuguese.

Of course, the last event is no longer possible. The two protagonists of the event, one was driven back to Europe by East Africa, and the other was completely degraded due to the long-term consumption in East Africa.

What the East African government is most concerned about at this time is obviously the social changes taking place within the Far Eastern Empire. As the most important market in East Africa, any changes within the Far Eastern Empire may have a significant impact on East Africa.

Moreover, East Africa is in a relatively delicate position in the Huaihai Economic Zone, where the Far Eastern Empire has the greatest influence. It can be said to be a transitional zone between the central government of the Far Eastern Empire and the southern forces. Therefore, in order to avoid the Huaihai Economic Zone becoming a hotspot for conflict between the two forces, the East African government must always pay attention to changes in the political situation of the Far Eastern Empire.

For this reason, at the end of 1911 when the situation was already tense, East Africa sent diplomats to conduct "negotiations" with both sides.

……

As a country, East Africa's determination to safeguard its own interests is unshakable. Even Ernst himself will not excessively interfere in East African national diplomatic behavior due to personal emotions.

Xuzhou.

Although Jiaozhou is the economic core of the Huaihai Economic Zone, East Africa's influence on the Huaihai Economic Zone is mainly achieved through Xuzhou.

To this end, the East African Consulate in Xuzhou called together various local forces in the Huaihai Economic Zone for a meeting in early 1912.

Mannheim, the Consul General of the East African Consulate in Xuzhou, said to all parties attending the meeting: "In the Huaihai Economic Zone, no force should show obvious political inclinations towards the South and the North, or participate in the disputes between the South and North governments. In this political turmoil sweeping the Far East Empire, we only stand on the side of the final winner."

Today, people in the Far East Empire are restless, and the same is true in the Huaihai Economic Zone. The Huaihai Economic Zone can be said to be a rather complicated place.

As a trade cooperation zone, although East Africa has played a leading role in the past few decades, it is ultimately not as deterrent as other countries, so the East African government can only temporarily suppress conflicts in the region through negotiations.

After all, the Huaihai Economic Zone involves the intersection of five provinces: Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Anhui and Hebei, and it has to deal with five provinces at the official level alone.

Mannheim said: "I believe everyone here also knows the harm of war. It can be said that every large-scale war within the Far East Empire has caused the most damage to the Huaihai area. Since your country has written records, this place has been a natural ancient battlefield."

"In the last century, the turmoil and floods of the Yellow River turned the entire Huaihai region into a wasteland, so that today the entire Huaihai region is one of the most economically weakest places in the coastal areas of the Far East Empire."

Of course, this is the case in the Huaihai region, but not in the Huaihai Economic Zone. After all, the eastern part of the Shandong Peninsula does not belong to the Huaihai region. It was only forcibly included in the region because East Africa conducted trade activities with Jiaozhou as the core.

Moreover, the Huaihai region was not as destitute as Mannheim said. After all, so much time had passed, the economy of the Huaihai region had almost recovered, and in the trade with East Africa, Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the economic level here actually exceeded the pre-war level.

Unlike other colonizers, East Africa did not use various methods to attack local industry and commerce, so a large number of national capitals of the Far East Empire actually appeared in the Huaihai Economic Zone.

Of course, as an industrial power, East Africa certainly has an advantage in local trade, but this is almost unavoidable, and it is impossible to say that East Africa really harms its own interests. Selling blood to support the development of Far Eastern national capital is relatively fair compared to other imperialist countries. Mannheim continued: "Economic discourse power is political discourse power. Your current power can be said to come from our support in East Africa. Otherwise, you will not be able to compete with the interest groups in the Pearl River or Yangtze River Basin."

"If a war breaks out in the Huaihai Economic Zone, and the tragedy of the 1950s and 1960s is repeated, it will be disadvantageous to you and also to us in East Africa. Therefore, it is our common responsibility to maintain regional stability."

"Don't have any small thoughts. After all, other powers are not as easy to talk to as we are in East Africa. I believe you often deal with Britain and the Americans, and you know the true face of the powers. East Africa is one of the countries with the most friendly attitude towards China."

"So in the current great changes in your country, you should be consistent with our country and do not easily interfere in the political or military conflicts within the Far East Empire."

East Africa's frank discussions with these local tyrants are actually in line with the thinking of local political forces. In fact, as Mannheim said, cooperation with East Africa at least means the right to eat meat, unlike other comprador groups who can only drink soup.

Moreover, everyone has witnessed what the economy of the Huaihai region was like back then. It can be said that apart from southern Anhui and Jiangxi, which were completely destroyed, the Huaihai region was the worst off.

Although East Africa is unreasonable, the entire Huaihai region has maintained basic stability over the past few decades. On the one hand, a large number of refugees have immigrated to East Africa, easing conflicts. On the other hand, the development of local industry has made the economy of the entire Huaihai region even more developed than before the war.

So everyone basically agrees with Mannheim's words. If we can develop peacefully, who would like war?
Of course, the most important thing is that the country behind Mannheim convinces everyone. As a world power, East Africa has a relatively strong deterrent power.

……

In addition to negotiating with the local tyrants, the East African government also had "friendly" exchanges with the governments of the north and south.

"In the Huaihai Economic Zone where our country and your country have signed an agreement, large-scale wars are not allowed to occur. If any force introduces the flames of war into the Huaihai Economic Zone, we in East Africa will not sit idly by. At the same time, the East African government will not take the initiative to interfere in the war between the two sides in other regions."

All in all, it is not excessive for East Africa to ensure that peace is maintained in the Huaihai Economic Zone within the Far East Empire.

In fact, up to now, the main contradictions within the Far Eastern Empire are not as intense as they were last year. The southern government and the northern government have reached some deals in secret, so what East Africa does will not have much impact on the politics of the Far Eastern Empire.

As for why Ernst wanted to ensure the stability of the Huaihai Economic Zone, the most important purpose was actually to preserve the Far Eastern Empire's industry and economy in the Huaihai region.

The purpose of Ernst's doing this was to set a trap for Japan in the future. In Ernst's view, East Africa would definitely give up its interests in the Far East on its own initiative in the future. After all, East Africa's core strength lies in the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific, and the South Atlantic, not the Far East waters.

It can be said that apart from the United States, no country can curb the rapid growth of Japan's military strength in the Far East in recent years, so it is better to directly support the local forces of the Far East Empire to cause trouble for Japan in the future.

After all, in terms of East Africa's naval strength alone, it is not much stronger than Japan, and East Africa also has to take care of the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic on its doorstep, so it is even more impossible to withdraw troops to confront Japan.

The United States and Britain, two countries in cahoots with each other, both have a laissez-faire attitude towards Japan. There is even a high probability that the two countries may use Japan to clear out East Africa's interests in the Far East Empire in the future. Therefore, East Africa must always be prepared to give up its interests in the Far East. During this period, it is difficult for East Africa alone to suppress Japan, not to mention that behind Japan stand Britain and the United States, two top powers that are in no way inferior to East Africa.

(End of this chapter)