The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 568 Waves of applause
Bang bang bang.
As sporadic voices broke the silence in the conference hall, applause swept through the entire venue like a storm.

Thousands of people in the entire auditorium couldn't help but applaud and gave their applause to Liu Tao.

The warm applause lasted for three minutes.

Then it gradually calmed down.

The host came on stage and announced a fifteen-minute break. After fifteen minutes, there would be a communication session.

These fifteen minutes are time for everyone to go to the bathroom and drink water.

Liu Tao also took the opportunity to drink some water.

After speaking incessantly for more than two hours in front of thousands of people, he felt like his throat was about to smoke.

But the warm applause made Liu Tao very happy, because he felt that everyone approved of his speech.

He was also excited that this speech could inspire and help others.

I drank some water, went to the bathroom, and took a short rest.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly, and Liu Tao walked out of the lounge again and came to the podium.

At this time, everyone returned to the auditorium and sat down.

No noise, very orderly.

Everyone's eyes couldn't help but look at Liu Tao who came out.

They still haven't forgotten the content of Liu Tao's speech, and the many titles Liu Tao held shocked them even more.

General Manager and Party Secretary of Panshan Group Corporation, Secretary of Southwest Associated University.
A total of forty or fifty titles!

Among the many titles, the one that impressed everyone the most was not the general manager and party secretary of Panshan Group Corporation or the secretary of Southwest Associated University, but the chief scientist of China!
Everyone admires scientists. I don’t know how many people, when asked in elementary school what they want to be in the future, would answer: I want to be a scientist when I grow up.

We all know some scientists, especially the country's vigorous publicity in recent years for the winners of the "Two Bombs and One Satellite" medal. We are very familiar with these great scientists and admire and respect them.

However, when people hear Liu Tao's title of "China's Chief Scientist", they feel it is impressive. Chief scientist means he is the most powerful among scientists.

When the interactive session began, many people raised their hands.

Liu Tao picked a boy with a gentle appearance and short hair, who was full of scholarly spirit.

"Hello, there has been a lot of controversy in recent years about the Korean War. Many people think that this war should not have been fought, but you think it was a war for the founding of China. Can you tell me more about this?" The boy was a little excited, but his expression was still clear.

"The Opium War and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 defeated the Chinese people. Does anyone have different opinions on this?" Liu Tao did not answer directly, but asked about the Opium War and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

No one stood up to object.

The two Opium Wars and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 really brought the Chinese people down. In the First Opium War, the British used their powerful ships and cannons to blast open China's door, which ended with China's defeat and the payment of indemnities and cession of territory. China was forced to sign the first unequal treaty in Chinese history, the Treaty of Nanjing, during which China began to cede territory, pay indemnities, and negotiate tariffs with foreign countries, which seriously endangered China's sovereignty and began to become a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.

Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain during the First Opium War and 2100 million silver dollars was paid as compensation.

The modern history of China is also divided by the First Opium War.

In the Second Opium War, China's borders were once again breached by powerful ships and cannons, the Old Summer Palace was burned down, countless treasures were looted, and China was forced to sign unequal treaties such as the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Tianjin, the Treaty of Beijing, and the Sino-Russian Treaty of Aihui. After sending troops, Tsarist Russia forced the Qing government to cede more than 150 million square kilometers of territory in the name of "meritorious mediation". In addition, Hong Kong and Kowloon were ceded to Britain, and China paid 800 million taels of silver in compensation to Britain and France respectively.

In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, China was defeated and the Beiyang Fleet was completely wiped out. The Qing government was forced to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki, in which China was forced to recognize Korea's "complete independence", which in fact meant recognizing Japan's control over Korea. China was forced to cede the Liaodong Peninsula, Formosa Boulevard and all its affiliated islands, and the Penghu Islands to Japan. China paid a compensation of 230 million taels of silver, plus interest, a total of more than 300 million taels of silver.

The outcome of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 brought about an unprecedentedly serious national crisis to the Chinese nation and greatly deepened the semi-colonial nature of Chinese society.

Starting from the Opium War, China paid a total of more than 13 billion taels of silver in compensation for the unequal treaties signed throughout history.

The Chinese people were truly defeated and even had difficulty breathing.

The Anti-Japanese War almost led to the destruction of the Chinese nation.

Sick Man of East Asia!

The Sick Man of the East!
"Since everyone agrees, what I want to say is that the Korean War was the first time that the Chinese nation could stand up and fight against the world powers since we were defeated in the Opium War and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895!" Liu Tao's voice was sonorous and powerful. "As General Peng said, the history of imperialism conquering a country and a nation by setting up a few cannons in the East is gone forever!"

As soon as Liu Tao finished speaking, the entire auditorium burst into warm applause, and the applause surged towards Liu Tao like a tide.

The battle to establish a nation!

There is no doubt that this is a war to establish a country!
There are naturally gains and losses in the Korean War! But overall, the gains definitely outweigh the losses.

Our country paid a heavy price, with heavy casualties, with nearly 240 people sacrificed! In that war, the total number of Chinese troops exceeded 135 million, and at most, million troops were maintained in the entire North Korea.

But China also gained something. First of all, China's international status was recognized. After all, China defeated more than a dozen gangs, including the most powerful and well-armed U.S. military, which changed its commander three times. How could it not attract attention? Secondly, North Korea, the "strategic buffer country", was preserved, so that Northeast China, the most important industrial base in the country, was not directly ranked on the front line. Furthermore, the relationship with the Soviet Union entered a honeymoon period. The Soviet Union gave up its privileges on the railways in Northeast China and the factories it controlled, allowing China to regain control of the economy of the Northeast region. At the same time, the Soviet Union provided China with support for 156 major projects, which greatly helped China's industrial infrastructure construction.

On the other hand, it greatly deterred Western powers led by the United States. During the Vietnam War, they drew a line, but the U.S. military never attacked that line.

It is no exaggeration to say that that war brought about thirty years of peace.

Liu Tao felt quite relieved. Although some voices began to appear at this time, the voices that cursed their ancestors and revolutionary martyrs were not loud and were relatively small. Everyone's three views were still relatively positive.

He only hopes that Panshan Group and Southwest Associated University can maintain a clean stream in society in this regard.

Patriotism is the mainstream, and patriotism is glorious rather than shameful.

Liu Tao really doesn't want to see that people have to be cautious when expressing their patriotism, and will be criticized to pieces just by saying they love their country.

(End of this chapter)