The French government's response to the People's Party's "proposal" to protect North Vietnam and Laos was not as big as the People's Party had imagined. A few colonies thousands of miles away were nothing compared to the fierce war fought on the French mainland. France is very interested in the "Sino-French relations" proposed by the People's Party, and the cooperation of interests reached between China and Britain in commercial cooperation is very enviable to the French side. If Zhang Yu is not joking, and really supports the establishment of a commercial cooperation between China and France independent of the United Kingdom, the French will of course warmly welcome it.

During the Sino-French negotiations, Gu Weijun realized more and more deeply how great the "courage" of the People's Party is. China's 5% tariff is already very low in this era. This was originally a side effect of foreign countries forcibly opening China's door with strong ships and artillery, and they coerced China to lower tariffs, which directly led to a significant reduction in China's tax revenue.

In these respects, the People's Party did not have the mania of the nouveau riche in these respects, but negotiated realistically according to the interests of both sides. The proposal of various agreements that satisfy normal commercial interests does not shy away from the reality created by history. This mature demeanor often makes young Gu Weijun feel naïve.

In terms of tariffs, the BJP has no intention of forcibly changing the current tax rate as if it is not aware of these tax problems at all, and low tariffs have become a powerful tool for the BJP to negotiate with foreign countries. Zhang Yu's only insistence was to develop the People's Party's trade with foreign countries on the basis of fixed trade, and his explanation was, "We don't have hard currency, we can't get the gold standard, we can only use fiat currency." ”

For this insistence, Gu Weijun found that he could not guess the core policy of the People's Party, and he simply stopped asking what the reason was.

Nicknamed the "empire of usury", France has a considerable level of money lending. Since low tariffs can protect France's interests, France has proposed that in order to build a "new Sino-French relationship", France could consider "transferring the power of the protectorate of northern Vietnam and Laos" to China, but China should also consider providing loans to France to support France's war needs.

"As far as I know, France is not short of money." Zhang Yu replied.

The French minister's face immediately became difficult to look at, and Zhang Yu's words were tantamount to directly rejecting France's request. Zhang Yu's next request surprised the French minister even more, "I would like to invite Mr. Minister to visit Chinese farms and factories with me. I wonder what Mr. Minister thinks? ”

The French minister asked suspiciously, "What is Mr. Zhang's plan?" Does it prove that China has the production capacity for food and industry? ”

Zhang Yu said with a smile: "France's industrial, agricultural, and scientific and technological level is among the best in Europe. Leaving aside the question of joining the Entente, that will be a matter for later, but I just hope that the minister will be able to evaluate whether the level of these peasants and workers in China can reach the level of France. ”

The French minister was a little annoyed by Zhang Yu's statement, saying that he still wanted to show China's strength! The French minister said unkindly: "Can Mr. Zhang Yu still send these peasants and workers to work in France?" ”

Zhang Yu replied, "Why not?" ”

Then the French minister suddenly realized, and he said with a polite smile, "I have never been to Wuhan, but I would like to visit it." ”

Zhang Yu also replied cheerfully: "We have a saying in China, there are friends from afar, how happy? Let me be your guide myself. ”

The scope of the visit was quite extensive, and Zhang Yu accompanied the French public to visit farms, villages, factories and mines in Hubei and Anhui for a week. While traveling, they discussed the possibility of cooperation between China and France in various fields. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, China was not far behind the world level in terms of technology, and after the People's Party seized several important industrial centers in China, it strengthened its industrial level and strength. France also has its own unique level of heavy industry, not to mention that France is a major agricultural country in Europe. Originally, their industrial and mining enterprises did not notice the huge demand for industrial construction in China. Even if it is noted, there is no way to compete with Britain in the Far East.

After a week's visit, the French minister was really "unsatisfied," and if it weren't for his mission, the French minister would even want to turn around the entire People's Party base area. What a huge market! The business opportunities are endless! Needless to say, the demand for the entire Chinese market is enough to eat the entire Chinese market.

As for the Chinese workers and peasants on the farms and in the factories, their work performance was far beyond the imagination of the French. Agriculture is China's strong point, and the French have even seen a large number of hot ball tractors driving back and forth on the farms, whether it is ploughing land or transporting it. China is not a backward country at all, and the country is also undergoing industrialization efforts.

As for the factories, the French are very confident in the level of their own country, and the level of French industry is far above that of China. Although he did not know the specific situation in the French factory, the French minister thought that the Chinese workers who were immersed in their work could still meet the French standards if they came to France as apprentices.

France has men on the battlefield, and even if the Chinese are unwilling to send troops, they can send hundreds of thousands of workers and peasants to work in France's empty factories and farms. The French minister's negotiating angle naturally leaned in this direction.

"If you send workers, they can't be considered immigrants." The French Minister first emphasized this issue.

"Of course, we don't have any intention of immigrating millions to France." Zhang Yu agreed, "But if we send labor to France, we also need to sign an agreement with the French side to guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese workers." ”

Zhang Yu then emphasized, "We are sending workers to France, not slaves. Therefore, we must ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of these Chinese citizens are guaranteed. That's where all the foundation lies! ”

The French minister, of course, was able to understand Zhang Yu's request, and after amicable negotiations in this regard, the French minister returned to the consulate in Wuhan on the grounds of physical exhaustion. Three days later, the French minister formally proposed to Zhang Yu that he could negotiate with Zhang Yu on sending 50,000 Chinese workers to work in France.

In international politics, when two very important countries negotiate in a small black room, other countries will feel uneasy. The secret talks between China and France aroused great "interest" in Britain and the United States. The two countries, whose relations were once strained, are now fiercely closer, and Britain doesn't care. Anyway, the goal they pursued was China's participation in the Entente, and China's approval of British bonds.

Compared with Britain's calmness, the biggest feeling of the American representative is uneasiness. If China puts aside the collusion between the United States and France, this will have a considerable impact on the grand strategy of the United States. But it was Zhang Yu who was in charge of the negotiations, and Zhang Yu never showed up, and the other leaders of the People's Party did not show up. The American minister was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Since the diplomatic work at the national level could not be carried out smoothly, the Legation put its own commercial interests first for the time being. Since he had taken the lead in negotiating a trade in coconuts with China, the U.S. minister spent a lot of money to maintain his position as minister in China, one of the purposes of which was to continue to monopolize the coconut trade. The U.S. minister quickly got in touch with the Chinese business representatives in this area. However, the Chinese businessman who had been approaching the American minister was gone, and the new representative told the American minister with a cold look, "Now the situation has changed." ”

The face of the representative of China's new business tried to be polite, but the smile that he tried to squeeze out was so fake that it looked more comfortable than no expression at all. Such an expression was an expression of hostility and rejection, and the American minister immediately became alert. Maybe you're going to suffer some losses in your business? The American minister asked: "What has changed?" ”

"The route to Anhui via the Yangtze River has changed a bit, and we have started to build a processing plant in Fuzhou. This is the place to be. Pointing to the map, the Chinese commercial representative said, "In the future, some of the transportation routes will be greatly shortened." ”

When the U.S. minister heard that he was not going to curtail or even abolish the coconut trade, he immediately put his heart back in his stomach. He just couldn't understand what was going on with the indifference of the Chinese business representatives, and where the original business representatives had gone. During the whole meeting, several people from the Chinese side were present, and all of them had gloomy faces, as if they were going to do something terrible.

But the talks were very constructive, and the People's Party planned to build two new coconut processing zones in Fujian and Guangdong. The proximity of these two places to the Philippines can lead to significant cost savings. The U.S. minister expressed the hope that China would expand the quota for coconut picking labor. The ability of the Filipino natives to work, especially the enthusiasm for this large amount of repetitive work, is limited. Chinese laborers are more efficient in the Philippines.

Such a request was not immediately agreed, as was the case last time, and the Chinese business representatives looked even more ugly. He said coldly that this matter could continue to be discussed. No reply can be given to the American Minister at this time.

What's going on? This was the biggest doubt of the US minister after the talks. The previous Chinese business representative was a very flexible person, especially after receiving certain benefits in the negotiations, his attitude became more flexible. The demands on the American minister were met with all their might. The new production plan seemed to the American minister to be well designed, both in terms of transportation routes and local arrangements. Including the procedural arrangements for a series of receiving and transporting, the Chinese side has obviously made great efforts. The problem is that the opponent in this negotiation is very blunt, even jerky. If it weren't for the fact that the American minister cared more about money, he would have been cold to each other because of his personal willingness.

After this incident, the US minister felt that these things he had encountered could be an attitude of the BJP?

The United States is fully psychologically prepared for the People's Party to take power in China. The United States even welcomes the fact that the People's Party can complete its control over China. What the United States is really worried about is the foreign attitude of this emerging political power. The last time China was violently beaten by a foreign country was only 16 years ago. For more than half a century from 1916 onwards, China was beaten again and again by foreign countries, so it is very likely that the People's Party, which has finally begun to regain its status in China, will erupt into strong hostility with the outside world.

But the U.S. minister soon understood what was really happening. Consulates in various parts of the United States attach great importance to gathering intelligence, and as far as they know, the Chinese business representative who had negotiated with the US minister has been removed from his post and investigated for accepting bribes. It's not just that one person, the People's Party has carried out a major overhaul of all kinds of business negotiators, and many people have been dismissed. Some people were even shot because of the huge amount of bribes they accepted.

Now the new group of people can also complete business negotiations according to the orders of the People's Party, but Yin Jian is not far away, and they are now completely in accordance with the negotiation mode of strict suspicion, for fear of following in the footsteps of those guys in front of them. In business negotiations in various countries, especially in the People's Party's near-government procurement model, officials basically have to take a bite of it, which is a common practice all over the world. The Chinese business representative who negotiated the deal with the U.S. minister didn't actually receive much. Judging by the price code around the world, this official is already quite incorruptible.

However, the BJP has even resorted to the death penalty in response to such acts, and the United States Minister does not know whether to applaud or appalled the BJP's actions. If the United States were to do the same with the People's Party, the diplomatic community would be shot in the first place. In the United States, with the exception of a few important diplomats, the positions of all diplomats are bought with money, which is legal in the United States. As for the business practices of collusion between various government officials and capitalists, there is also a corresponding judicial process in the United States to legalize them. Those sentenced guys only fell in the political struggle if they didn't care about the rules and did not come to their own nonsense. If the People's Party's standards and methods were followed, all US domestic officials would have to be executed, and the US minister himself would not have been spared.

Fortunately, however, the BJP is not opposed to normal business practices, and the US minister does not need to worry about what the BJP does with its own affairs. But the U.S. minister felt that after returning home, he needed to push for several laws to protect the legitimacy of his actions. What kind of moral and behavioral standards the People's Party uses to define the country is an internal affair of China, but the United States is a country governed by the rule of law, and as a member of the American ruling class, it must use the law to protect the interests of the ruling class. What is not legal in China has to be legal in the United States.

However, these can only be operated after returning home, and the American minister arranges the work. finally waited for Zhang Yu to conclude the negotiations with the French minister. After meeting Zhang Yu, the US minister immediately proposed to Zhang Yu the attitude of the US Government, "The federal government of the United States is willing to recognize the People's Party government as the legitimate government of China, and hopes that diplomatic relations can be established between the two countries as soon as possible." ”

"Oh?" Zhang Yu was not surprised by this, he smiled and said, "Mr. Minister, we welcome the attitude of the US government. Let me introduce you to one of our people who studied in the United States. The specific operation of this matter can be entrusted to him. I would like to talk to you about the philosophy of our BJP in foreign affairs. As you may recall, those are the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. ”