Chapter 512: Strong
The East Indies have a total area of 1.9 million square kilometers. If you divide it into several provinces, it's about the same. Of course, Wu Haoxuan's plan is to set up four provinces around the four islands of Kalimantan, Sumatra, Java and Irian. In this way, it will also facilitate the Empire's future administration of the East Indies.
As for the capture of the natives of the East Indies as slaves, it was the task of the army. Originally, the Imperial Army wanted to snatch this job. However, Marshal Sa Zhenbing, the Minister of the Imperial Navy, took the initiative to snatch this job. Marshal Sa Zhenbing proposed that three new divisions of the Imperial Marine Corps would also be deployed to the East Indies to capture the natives. In this case, it can be regarded as a military training.
The Empire has already begun to draw up a plan for the development of the East Indies, and the entire development plan will begin after the Singapore negotiations are concluded and the East Indies become the territory of the Empire.
Singapore, the capital of the Straits Settlements. It was the most important British stronghold in the Far East. Originally, the British regarded Xiangjiang as an important stronghold in the Far East. However, as the Chinese Empire grew stronger, Britain's special interests in China were lost. This allowed Britain to run Singapore at full capacity, using Singapore as an important fortress in the Far East.
Singapore holds the exit from the Strait of Malacca and has been strategically located since ancient times. Britain had built a fortified fortress in Singapore, and if it wanted to attack Singapore from the sea, even the Chinese Empire would probably pay heavy losses.
However, if the Chinese Empire wanted to attack Malacca, it was obviously impossible to directly fight those defensive fortresses. During World War II, when the Japanese attacked Singapore, they attacked from the back. The fortifications built by the British in Singapore were basically sea-facing. For the defense in the land direction, it is a blank. Believe that if the empire were to attack Singapore. The same tactics can be used as well.
On June 26, 4610 (12), the Imperial Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi sailed to Singapore on the battlecruiser 'Long Yao' of the Pacific Fleet of the Imperial Navy, and Sir Anderson, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, personally came to the docks to greet him. As the strength of the Chinese Empire became stronger and stronger, the diplomatic officials of the Chinese Empire were able to straighten their waists when participating in foreign-related affairs.
"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, welcome to Singapore. Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. His Excellency Hemskelke is two days away from arriving in Singapore. Hopefully in this negotiation. You can both agree to end the war and achieve peace. Sir Anderson said.
"Thank you, Your Excellency, Governor. The Chinese Empire is a peace-loving country, and we do not want war to break out. However, for the sake of the Empire and its diaspora, the Empire must do something. However, please rest assured that the Empire will never infringe upon the interests of the British Empire in the South Seas. Of course, please also ask Your Excellency the Governor to take proper care of the Chinese in the Straits Settlements. The Empire does not want them to be treated unjustly. Tang Shaoyi said. He said so. It is also to reassure the British. The Empire's strong capture of the East Indies posed a great threat to the British. The British also feared that the Chinese Empire would turn its attention to the Straits Settlements after its invasion of the East Indies. After all, the Straits Settlements are now almost under siege by the Empire. If the Empire was determined to take the Straits Settlements, the British would not be able to resist it.
Sir Anderson's face was immediately happy, and he knew that this was the guarantee given to him by the Chinese Empire. The British had been worried about this, fearing that the ambitions of the Chinese Empire would swell further with the capture of the East Indies. In that case, the Straits Settlements would undoubtedly be in danger. In the event of an attack on the Straits Settlements. His future as Governor of the Straits Settlements will undoubtedly be bleak.
"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, the British Empire is able to understand the actions of the Chinese Empire in the East Indies." Sir Anderson said solemnly. They also know. The promises of the Chinese Empire were not in fact entirely credible. However, it is better to have this promise than not to have it! At the very least, China will not act on its ambitions for the Straits Settlements in the short term. Especially now that the contradictions between Britain and Germany are becoming more and more acute, and Britain's global power is shrinking. They were even more reluctant to offend the Chinese Empire.
Tang Shaoyi nodded, the British said this, which is tantamount to acquiescing in the Empire's occupation of the East Indies. As for whether the Dutch will accept it, that is no longer the big picture. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is nothing more than a small country, and there are no big powers to back up their words. They can't afford to make waves. The empire could have relied on its great strength to directly suppress the Dutch.
After Tang Shaoyi arrived in Singapore, she refused to stay in the hotel prepared by the British side, but stayed at the imperial consulate in Singapore.
In the evening of the same day, Tang Shaoyi met with the Chinese representatives in Singapore, who were the principals of the big Chinese families in Singapore and had great influence on the Chinese in Singapore. After the empire seized the East Indies, the Chinese in Singapore were all looking forward to the empire to capture Singapore as soon as possible and save them from the British colonial rule.
However, the British Empire was not a small country like the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but the world's largest power. If the Chinese Empire were to capture the Straits Settlements, it would certainly tear its face with the British. Although the British Empire is now showing signs of decline, they are still very strong. Although the Chinese Empire was not afraid of the British Empire, there was really no need to confront the British Empire at this time. Even if the Chinese Empire wanted to take action against the Straits Settlements, it would have to wait for the British Empire to be in extreme weakness. Only in this way will the empire be able to reap the maximum benefits at the minimum cost.
Tang Shaoyi told the Chinese delegates that now that the empire had just seized the East Indies, it would take some time to digest it. At the same time, the strength of Britain and the Netherlands is completely incomparable. Therefore, the empire must take a more cautious approach. The empire hopes that the Chinese in Singapore can be more patient. At the same time, the empire promised to protect their interests, even if they did not capture Singapore. It is believed that under the pressure of the Empire, the Viceroy of the Straits Settlements will no longer oppress the Chinese as before.
The Chinese in Singapore, although somewhat disappointed, are also able to express understanding. After all, the position of the British Empire as the world hegemon is still unshakable. It is still unlikely that other countries would want to challenge the British Empire. Although the Chinese Empire has become more and more powerful, the time of development is too short, and the background is far from being comparable to that of the British Empire.
The Chinese also believed that the empire would certainly not ignore them like the Manchu dynasty did. Now they are in a much better position than they were a few years ago. After the empire became stronger, they already had a more intuitive feeling of these overseas bridge names.
Two days later, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Theo Brown. A Dutch negotiating delegation led by Hemskelke also arrived in Singapore. Sir Anderson, Governor of the Straits Settlements, was also on the docks to greet him.
The next day, on the morning of June 29, the negotiations officially began. The venue for the negotiations was chosen in a meeting room in the Governor's House of the Straits Settlements. Sir Anderson, Governor of the Straits Settlements of the United Kingdom, presided over the meeting as host. Minister Hahausen, the German Minister to China, also arrived here, after all, Germany is also another mediator. Imperial Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Prime Minister Hemskelke and other officials sat at either end of the long table.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the British Empire, as the mediator of this time, sincerely hopes that the Chinese Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands can reach a consensus in this negotiation and end this war. This war has already brought too many casualties. If it continues, it will only increase the number of casualties. Sir Anderson said.
"The German Reich also hoped for an early peace." Minister Hahausen also said.
The delegations of the Chinese Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands also expressed their hope that the war could be ended and peace could be achieved at an early date.
"This war is an invasion of the colonies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the Chinese Empire, and we demand that the troops of the Chinese Empire withdraw from the East Indies. The Kingdom of the Netherlands guarantees that it will treat the Chinese in the East Indies well, that the interests of the Chinese will no longer be infringed upon, and that the safety of the lives and property of the Chinese will be guaranteed. "Special Olympics. Prime Minister Hemskelke said.
Even by this time, the Kingdom of the Netherlands had not completely abandoned the East Indies and wanted to keep the colony. It's just that it's impossible.
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency Prime Minister. It's hard for us to believe in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The massacres against the Chinese in the East Indies were provoked by the colonial authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This time, the regular army of the Kingdom of the Netherlands joined the attack on the Chinese settlement. How can this reassure the Empire to let those Chinese accept your rule again? The Empire hoped that the Kingdom of the Netherlands would voluntarily relinquish its dominion over the East Indies and transfer it to the Chinese Empire. In this way, it is good for everyone. Tang Shaoyi said.
If the Dutch wanted to retake the East Indies, it would simply not be possible. This time the Empire made no secret of its ambitions for the East Indies. If the Kingdom of the Netherlands wanted the empire to cede the East Indies, it was simply impossible. How can you spit out the fat that you have eaten in your mouth? (To be continued.) )
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