The influence of the British Foreign Minister's shuttle diplomacy in the European countries was not small. The Balkans continued to show a state of division, and it was about to split into more than a dozen small countries. The United Kingdom clearly expressed their support for the Osman Empire to stabilize the situation.
While the Osman Empire maintained its pro-British stance, it extended an invitation to China, one of the sources of the earthquake, to invite Chinese Foreign Minister Li Xin to visit the Osman Empire. In this world, only England and China could openly express their support for the integrity of the Osman Empire.
In Constantinople, the Prime Minister of the Osman Empire, Ahmet? Midhart Pasha personally received Li Xin. After the meeting, Ahmet? Midhart Pasha held Li Xin's hand tightly and said seriously, "Your Excellency, I am very grateful after reading the telegram from ten days ago!"
"What we have discussed with the British is that when the British propose this plan at the international conference, we will express our support for the British plan," Li Xin told the Osman Empire about the consensus reached between China and the British. Midhat Pasha emphasized.
Recently, there have been many telegrams seeking confirmation from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China's Foreign Minister Li Xin. Although he realized that China's diplomatic experience was relatively shallow, and the British made a fool out of it. However, the result of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' discussion was that there was no room for regret. If he wanted to make Russia and England behave, he would have to rely on China's strength. However, not offending Russia or the United Kingdom was not a goal that could be achieved by humans. Unless China closed its doors and cut off all exchanges with other countries in the world, as long as it dealt with the world, it would inevitably have all kinds of conflicts and frictions with other countries on this Earth that was full of contradictions.
Li Xin knew that the British had made a fool out of him because they were desperate. However, Li Xin's displeasure was also very strong after being played like this. However, this could only be settled after finding the British. The Osman Empire was obviously looking for the wrong target.
The convening of an international conference meant that the great powers had to reach an agreement at the negotiating table. As long as the Great Powers could come to a unanimous decision that was beneficial to the Osman Empire, the Osman Empire would truly be at peace. Li Xin's words made the Empire think of Ahmet. Midhat Pasha was overjoyed. If this conference could be held, at least two countries would support the Osman Empire. This was a great thing for the Osman Empire.
The biggest problem, Ahmet Bedouin, had been identified. Midhart Pasha then brought up the second matter, which was about the trade imbalance between the two countries. Ahmet? Midhart Pasha said frankly, "My country has imported too many goods from your country, and now it has reached the point where we have to borrow money. Therefore, we hope that your country can make some adjustments in this regard. I'm already under too much pressure. I hope Mr. Foreign Minister can help me in this regard. "
Li Xin smiled and said, "If your country is willing to let my country station troops in Basra …"
"Absolutely not!" Without waiting for Li Xin to finish. Ahmet? Midhart Pasha immediately rejected the suggestion.
This was an answer that Li Xin had already considered. He said, "How about this, your country can extend our lease of Kuwait for at least 30 years. We can pay 30 years of rent to your country in one go. In addition, our country has discovered an oil field near Basra and is in the process of constructing it. When the extracted oil is shipped to our country, we can pay your country RMB for each barrel of oil. Your country can use RMB to trade directly with our country, and all the problems can be solved. "
Ahmet? Midhart Pasha considered Li Xin's proposal. The first two were easy to deal with. The desert area of Kuwait really did not have any important value. The only thing that could be considered important was probably the geographical location. The British controlled India and had great influence in southern Persia. If China wanted a foothold in the Persian Gulf against the British, it could only choose Kuwait.
The principle of the Great Powers being unanimous was a very terrible thing. When the Great Powers unanimously reached a decision that was beneficial to the Osman Empire, the Osman Empire would naturally benefit greatly from it. But once a Great Power obtained benefits from the Osman Empire that exceeded the bottom line, other Great Powers would swoop down from the sky like vultures smelling rotten meat, demanding that the Osman Empire "treat other countries fairly." This was the reason why the Osman Empire firmly refused to allow China to obtain a concession in the Basra area. The appearance of a China concession meant that there would soon be concessions from many countries in the Basra area.
"Since your country buys so many goods from our country, we will also buy a lot of oil from your country. Then why do we trade between our two countries in pounds? Don't you think this suggestion is outrageous? "Li Xin immediately expressed a completely different point of view.
"My country is in great need of British pounds now." The most trustworthy currency in Europe was the British pound. Ahmet Pasha was not prepared to make any concessions in this regard.
Li Xin was not easily frightened. He found a compromise. "We can pay the 30 years' rent in pounds in one lump sum. But in the oil trade, we insist on trading in yuan. This does not involve any transactions with a third country. I think the most appropriate choice for trade between our two countries is the currency between our two countries. "
"No, we still need pounds." The Prime Minister had no intention of backing down.
"Then how about this. For the oil trade, 95% will be paid in yuan and 5% in pounds." Li Xin made another concession.
Ahmet Pasha this time? Midhart, on the other hand, thought for a while and said, "30% in renminbi and 70% in pounds."
"90% in yuan and 10% in pounds." Li Xin began to bargain.
After three days of discussion, Li Xin and Ahmet Pasha finally agreed. Finally, Midhat Pasha proved to be a solution. When Basra's oil began to be exported to China, China paid 50% in yuan and 50% in pounds in the first year. From the second year onwards, the proportion of payments in pounds would be reduced by 5% and the proportion of payments in yuan would be increased by 5%. Until the proportion of payments in yuan reached 80% and the proportion of payments in pounds reduced to 20%.
After the agreement was reached, Li Xin was overjoyed. Ahmet? Midhart, on the other hand, was very unhappy. No matter how much China recognized and cherished their own currency, the Osman Empire undoubtedly regarded this as an alliance. Unlike other countries, China's yuan was, in a sense, "paper silver." In theory, the yuan and silver were linked, but that was only in theory. There was no way for yuan to be directly exchanged for silver, not to mention the current mainstream model of the world's currency, which was linked to gold.
The reason why the British pound was so good was that it could be exchanged for gold and silver at the British bank. In recent years, the Russia Industrial Exhibition relied on the sale of land. The United Kingdom survived the economic crisis because of the money from selling land. However, China had no other collateral other than a large number of goods, so the currency represented by those exquisite pieces of paper was very limited. At the very least, his international credibility was very limited. If it wasn't for the fact that the Osman Empire really had something to ask of China, the Empire's Prime Minister Ahmet? Midhart Pasha would never agree to such a condition.
In order to balance his mind, Ahmet? Midhart Pasha asked China to give the Osman Empire an additional 50 locomotives and 400 railway carriages. Li Xin smiled and said, "Please pay the deposit in RMB."
To such a jest, Ahmet? Finally, Midhart Pasha smiled bitterly. When China helped the Osman Empire build a railway network, the upper echelons of the Osman Empire realized that they had underestimated the people's need for travel. If they had to travel back and forth for half a month, people would choose to avoid it if they could. If the same round-trip time was reduced to two days, the railway transport would immediately face a large number of passengers. The Osman Empire didn't have the ability to produce train locomotives, nor the ability to produce train carriage chassis. What the Osman Empire could do was to produce wooden carriages on the chassis according to the drawings. And it must be noted that even the railway carriages shipped from China were much cheaper than the ones produced in the Osman Empire.
After listening to Li Xin's joke, Ahmet was a little surprised. Midhart Pasha had found another reason to accept RMB. Regardless of whether other countries refused to accept RMB, at least the people of China would not refuse.
After leaving the Osman Empire with rich diplomatic results, Li Xin transmitted the results by wireless telegram to China, and he went straight to Berlin. The person who received Li Xin in Berlin was Chancellor Bismarck. No matter what the world thought of Chancellor Bismarck, Li Xin didn't think Bismarck was a Chancellor who "only knew iron and blood."
China's Emperor Vézé was also a very iron-blooded leader, but this didn't mean that Vézé used force to solve everything. The country's achievements in culture, education, science and technology, and people's livelihood were far greater than Vézé's military achievements. The systematic establishment of a nationwide food system did not rely on bayonets, but technology and hard work.
The same was true for Chancellor Bismarck. Before he became famous for war, he was considered a very good diplomat in Europe. After the Franco-Prussian War, the Chancellor used diplomatic means to the limit. In the past, European diplomats gathered in London and Paris, but after the Franco-Prussian War, France suffered a heavy blow. Now the usual destinations for European diplomats were London and Berlin.
King Vézé's administration also had a strong military-like style. China's urban architecture pursued efficiency, and the appearance was a bit monotonous. But the wide streets and neatly planned living areas did show the atmosphere. It wasn't Li Xin's first time in Berlin. The Berlin of 1885 finally made Li Xin feel like it was starting to break away from the urban-rural fringe.
The reason for looking down on Berlin was that the streets were too narrow and crooked. The houses on both sides of the street had a European style, but it didn't have the strong industrial feel of China. Berlin, on the other hand, was a little better. At least the main street was widened.
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