"Materialist dialectics looks at the world and history from the viewpoint of universal connection. It believes that the world is an organic whole. It believes that everything in the world is in mutual influence, interaction, and restriction. It opposes looking at things from a one-sided or isolated point of view.
Materialist dialectics believes that connection has objectivity, universality, and diversity.
Objectivity of connection: connection is inherent in the thing itself, independent of human subjective will, can neither be created nor can it be destroyed.
Universality of connection: connection includes horizontal connections with the surrounding things, and vertical connections with history and the future. All things, phenomena, and processes, as well as their internal elements, parts, and links, do not exist in isolation. They interact, influence, and restrict each other. "
After Li Xin finished reading this compulsory lesson for the members of the Restoration Party, the comrades of the diplomatic corps were either at a loss or in deep thought. Foreign Minister Li Xin suddenly made such a statement, and everyone needed time to consider Li Xin's true thoughts.
France and the Netherlands finally reached an agreement with China. China would pay France three tons of gold and the Netherlands two tons of gold. The matter of the colonies was written off. As for France's islands in the Pacific, France sold them to China for half a ton of gold. The Netherlands lost far more land than France, but received less gold. Because China judged problems by strength, it was already giving the Dutch a lot of face by setting the Dutch's strength as two-thirds of France's.
The most important thing was that China signed an agreement with France and the Netherlands. In this ten-year agreement, China announced that it would not join the group that targeted France and the Netherlands. If both sides had no objections to this agreement, then the agreement would automatically be extended for another ten years.
In the eyes of the China delegation, this agreement was of little value. First of all, this agreement had no binding effect, and China could turn against them if it wanted to. Second, the agreement itself was a one-sided agreement. France and the Netherlands had no obligation not to join the group that opposed China. Of course, when the two were balanced, it became China showing a peaceful and friendly attitude, wanting to reconcile with France and the Netherlands. In the end, it was really surprising that Vézé agreed to this agreement.
Li Xin began to explain, "This incident proves two things. First, we have been treated as a real superpower by Europe. Second, our settlement with Russia has had a ripple effect in Europe. This proves that China has been recognized by Europe as a country that can solve problems through negotiation. "
"Then the commander-in-chief agreed. Did he decide that our future path is peaceful?" someone asked.
"The Commander-in-Chief agreed because the Commander-in-Chief believes that our only enemy in the future is the United Kingdom. As long as we maintain at least a state of peace with the other countries, we can focus on dealing with England, "Li Xin replied.
After hearing this answer, the delegation finally understood why Vézé agreed to sign a unilateral treaty.
"It turns out that Europeans also know how to be shameless," someone in the group said. Hearing this, everyone roared with laughter. But this laughter was not so simple. Of course, China thought of itself as the Celestial Empire. After more than 20 years of struggle, this Celestial Empire was finally recognized by Europe as an equal country. This reality made everyone unsure whether to say that China's efforts had paid off, or that China was looked down upon by foreigners.
However, along the way, the delegation found that Europe's industry was indeed more advanced and developed than China's. As a core country in Europe, France's overall performance in railways, telegraphs, shipping, and commerce was no less than China's. China only had a larger territory and a larger population than France. If both sides had the same territory and population, it would be difficult to say who would win or lose.
At this time, Li Xin had put down all the pressure in his heart. He said to everyone, "I actually didn't think that anything would happen when the commander-in-chief sent us out. Now, it seems that the commander-in-chief's judgment was correct. France and the Netherlands knew very well that there was no way for them to make a comeback if this matter dragged on, so they seized the opportunity to get as many as they could. After settling France and the Netherlands, the following visits will be much easier. I hope that everyone can make new contributions to the motherland in the following visits! "
After passing through France and the Netherlands, the rest of the trip was relatively easy. In Germany, when the Germans raised the issue of China's rifle replacement, Li Xin and the others were ruthlessly bluffing them. China no longer used 11mm black powder bullets, and began to popularize the 9.5mm black powder bullets. The only change was that China used the cartridge loading technology that several countries had started to develop.
Using smaller caliber bullets was not just the idea of China, but the world's major industrialized countries had also tried this. The results of these experiments proved without exception that a smaller caliber meant a smaller charge, and a smaller charge meant a smaller bullet's power. If they wanted to maintain the power of the bullets, they had to use refined black powder, but refined black powder meant that the cost would be greatly increased.
The major industrialized countries had all produced 9.5mm rifle samples. This type of rifle was indeed lightweight, and it greatly reduced the pressure on the troops while marching. It also increased the number of bullets they could carry. After calculating the cost, all the countries concluded that the lightweight and delicate 9.5mm rifle was far less cost-effective than the stupid black and thick 11mm rifle.
The Germans also believed Li Xin's words for the time being. As the metal shell bullets matured, the combination of black powder and DI fire brought out the black powder's potential as much as possible. In the end, it was filled with spherical gunpowder or shredded gunpowder. The DI fire was placed in the center of the rear, or on the side of the cartridge. There were many experiments conducted by various countries, and they produced many different results. China's smaller caliber bullets and cartridge design were just one of the many choices for the development of rifle technology. Germany also had a lot of new designs and ideas, and they really wanted to cooperate with China in this area. Just like how the two sides had cooperated before.
Of course, Li Xin didn't refuse. China no longer needed to maintain a close relationship with a certain European country. Other than England, China also didn't need to adopt a hostile policy with certain European countries. Understanding that Europe and America recognized China's status as a world power, Li Xin knew that China no longer needed to stand in the center of the world stage. China had struggled for so long, and it was time for other countries to take on the task of attracting the world's attention. As for who would stand in the center, it was up to fate.
In Sweden, Li Xin once again met the former Swedish ambassador and his daughter. In Li Xin's memory, the child used to dance with Zuo Zhidan, and the girl was even cuter than a doll. This reunion made Li Xin a little disappointed. The angel-like beauty had grown into a tall, strong, young Nordic woman with a face full of freckles. Reuniting with an old friend, Li Xin suddenly had a bad thought. If Zuo Zhidan saw this Scandinavian woman again, he didn't know what he would think.
Of course, this was just a temporary joke. Sweden was actually quite worried about Russia's movements. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia formed the Three Emperors Alliance. Russia's strength could temporarily raise the status of Germany and Austria-Hungary. But after Russia's strength, all the countries around Russia were worried.
"Minister, I would like to know what role China played in this operation." The Swedish Foreign Minister asked.
"We really hope for peace. It's not because of what role Germany or Austria-Hungary played in it," Li Xin replied.
The Swedish Foreign Minister was skeptical. He continued to ask, "How long do you think this peace can last?"
Li Xin thought that the peace between China and Russia would probably last until the next battle between China and the United Kingdom. This certainly couldn't be said publicly. Even if it was an open secret, it couldn't be made public.
"Peace is what all countries sincerely look forward to. We, China, are a peace-loving country. As long as it is conducive to peace, we will do our best to promote it. "Li Xin said.
This was actually the same as not saying anything. What did it mean to promote peace? Although he was shouting a few words to promote peace, there was probably nothing worth paying attention to other than the superficial meaning of this kind of action. But this was the first time Li Xin saw the European newspaper's approach. "If Russia attacks Sweden, will China take military action against Russia?" Such a headline appeared in the Swedish newspaper.
Of course, the editor knew how to play tricks. There was a big question mark at the end of the title, indicating that it was a question.
Since it was a question, the content of the article was just a bunch of nonsense made up by the newspaper editor. The impact of this incident was not small. When Li Xin returned to Russia from his visit to the United States, the foreign minister of Russia pushed the prepared newspaper in front of Li Xin, hoping that he could give an explanation.
"Let me ask you a question first," Li Xin said to Alexander. Mihailovich? Gorchakov, a veteran European diplomat, had no scruples. "The gold has been delivered, right?"
China and Russia finally chose to transport it by land. The gold was transported by train to Kulen, and then sent by a large convoy to the border, where it was handed over to the 30,000 Russian troops waiting at the border. At the new border, the representatives of the two sides officially signed the agreement after counting the gold. At this time, the gold had been transported to Moscow. In response to Li Xin's question, the foreign minister of Russia gave a positive answer.
Li Xin continued, "So, do you think we should believe the sincerity of China, or should we believe the words of the newspaper? Of course, we are willing to maintain the peace after paying such a high price. No matter what the Swedish newspaper says, we can't stop it. They cooked up sensational stories in order to increase the sale of their newspapers. We, China, already have the United Kingdom as our enemy. What's the point of continuing the war with Russia? "
The purpose of Russia's attention was to determine whether China had any plans to form a military alliance with Russia's neighboring countries. Since Li Xin clearly told China that there was no such plan, Russia could only believe it for the time being.
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