Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 826 Business experience

Among the princes, the Duke of Wright’s realm was the most outstanding. A Zhonghai city with a population of 270,000 appeared in the sky. The performance of all princes was a big step behind the other princes, which can be called outstanding.

Ranked second is the construction of the Seventh Prince, Duke of Hawaii, Li Sixuan (excluding Pearl Harbor on Oahu). Today, the main island of Hawaii has a population of close to 200,000. It has traditional cane sugar and cattle-raising advantages, plus transit shipping. Industry, supporting the economic lifeline of this East Pacific Islands.

  Li Siyuan knows;

The queen mother has always felt guilty for this seventh brother, and she did not give less money in private. The Hawaii Island can have the current situation, and the original good foundation and abundant financial support are indispensable key factors.

  The other princes have nothing to say. The main cities in the duchy have a population of more than 100,000, and the population of 40,000 and 50,000 are small, which is obviously a lot worse than Zhonghai City.

  A city must have its own advantages in core industries in order to retain people. Zhonghai City has already handed over its model assignments. It’s all about others. The key is to look at it carefully.

  As for the princes, Li Siyuan didn’t say much about it, so as not to cause unnecessary disputes.

Among the princes, the tenth brother Li Sixi, Duke of Cebu, is the strongest. Li Sixi, Duke of Cebu, has just turned 18 this year and is studying engineering at Imperial University. He and several young princes are still a few miles away from the feudal clan. Years and days.

His territory, Cebu Island, was the place where the Spanish first landed more than 300 years ago. It has a long history of development and has a large number of Spanish castles, churches and manors. The island has a total population of more than 770,000 people, and the main city of Cebu has a population of more than 30. Wan, famous for its world-class beautiful beaches, is a beautiful place called a paradise on earth.

  If it develops, its future potential is far greater than that of other duchy territories.

  It can be seen from this that the current sage’s preference for the old ten is far better than other princes.

  Of course, this does not include Li Siyuan, Duke of Shangri-La. His territory has a population of more than 4.3 million people, with an area of ​​880,000 square kilometers, and its population, size and economic strength far surpass that of the country and the Ryukyu Kingdom.

  After inspection

  Li Siyuan is very interested in the West Asia region, and specifically asked about the situation. Viscount Humen knows how to treasure it and gave a detailed introduction.

The current situation in West Asia and North Africa is complicated. The Ottoman Empire has the largest power and covers the widest area. However, this decadent empire has long since fallen. The territory is infiltrated by powerful countries such as Britain, Germany, Russia, and France like a sieve. The contradiction is prominent, and the traditional tribal forces are entrenched in one side, and they are beyond reach in the remote area of ​​Istanbul.

  The most fierce competition among the powers is that the Kingdom of Iran, Britain, Germany and Tsarist Russia support their respective agents. Turkic, Kurdish, Arab, and Persian ethnic conflicts in the Middle East are complex, and it is a mess that is constantly cutting and chaotic.

  It is precisely this kind of chaos that has nurtured abundant soil for armed smuggling in Somalia.

  With the influence of the Viscount Humen and the Somali State, it is extremely difficult to reach the current situation, and it is difficult to go further.

   Therefore, he strongly requested that the empire can invest some resources in West Asia and exert important influence.

  Li Siyuan did not make any further explicit statements regarding the demands made by Li Yong on behalf of Somalia.

This involves the empire’s foreign policy and strategic layout. You can participate in the competition if you have money and guns. The British have a wide range of interests in the Middle East, and their tentacles extend to all aspects. This is because the important geographical location of the Middle East is determined by it. An important part of global strategy.

  The Middle East is located at the confluence of three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. It connects the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Since ancient times, it has been a transportation hub between the East and the West. It is a land of “two oceans, three continents and five seas”, and its strategic location is extremely important.

  Now the Ottoman Empire is in decline. There are many ethnic groups in the region, and the history, religion, and cultural traditions are very different. It can be said that they are incompatible with each other. Coupled with the intervention of political and military forces outside the region, the situation has been turbulent for many years.

  In order to open the black sea to the south, Tsarist Russia took advantage of the decline of the Ottoman Empire to expand aggressively into the Ottoman Empire and regions such as Iraq and Iran, and signed a number of unequal treaties through imposing wars and threats. This is an existence that cannot be ignored.

This area is the traditional sphere of influence of the British. It not only controlled the British Egyptian colony, but also penetrated its influence into Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Palestine and other regions of the Ottoman Empire. Oman and the Kingdom of Iran also have important influence.

  If you want to engage in threes and fours here, you have to ask the British whether they can agree or not.

  The French have important influence in Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and other regions. Italy infiltrated Libya, Citi State controlled Liberia, and the Ottoman Empire and its surrounding vast territories were infiltrated like a sieve by the powers of various countries.

As a new force in the rise of the Western Pacific, the core interests of the Ocean Empire are still in Australia and the Western Pacific region. The most important task at present is to develop the economy and strengthen the country. The potential biggest adversary is the victor of the Russo-Japanese War, rather than participating. In the game of forces in West Asia.

"Sir Li, your request on behalf of the State of Somalia can be submitted to the cabinet through proper channels, but I don't think there will be any response. The biggest task of the State of Somalia is to develop the economy, not to expand abroad." Li Siyuan thought for a moment and continued. Said

  "The situation in the Middle East is very complicated. Perhaps it belongs to a certain Arab tribe in the Ottoman Empire, with the support of the British or Italians behind it, and maybe there are Germans or other people.

  This kind of chaos is actually not easy to mix up, so as not to eat the lamb and cause a commotion.

  You have to take a bite of your meal, and it makes sense to do things.

  Somali State is located in the Horn of Africa. After years of development, the Chinese population of the empire has gained a firm foothold. The next step is to thoroughly digest this land and firmly control it.

In the empire’s African strategy, the next step is to digest Madagascar.

as far as I know;

  The imperial diplomatic department is conducting secret negotiations with the French, trying to incorporate the French colony of Madagascar into the territory through the exchange of interests or the purchase of land.

  If the plan can be realized, then in the next 10 to 15 years, the empire’s African policy will focus on the complete digestion of Madagascar, and will not have the energy to take care of other things.

  In addition, you have a number in your mind. The French want Mogadishu and surrounding areas in Somalia, covering an area of ​​more than 300,000 square kilometers, in order to realize the African colonization strategy planned by France.

  This matter is under negotiation, and it is estimated that it will become apparent soon. "

  Mogadishu and surrounding areas?

Viscount Li Yong nodded thoughtfully. Even though he has been operating in Somalia for more than 20 years, he only went to Mogadishu twice, so he didn't know much about it.

  There is an oasis larger than Djibouti, with precious freshwater river resources, and it has nurtured hundreds of thousands of black indigenous nomadic tribes.

  After being included in the Somali State, after a series of changes and suppressions over the years, the local black indigenous population dropped sharply to less than 50,000, and they were driven to remote arid areas.

  The farmland and pasture reclaimed in the fertile areas near the river are mostly immigrants of Chinese descent. The total number is about 200,000, and more than 70% live in cities and towns around Mogadishu.

These Chinese immigrants own large tracts of land, no matter whether they are planted or grazing, they are relatively wealthy. Each family has hundreds of sheep and a dozen cattle. Foreign money.

  Except for the oasis that the river passes through, Mogadishu is a vast expanse of deserts, barren mountains and Gobi deserts. There are neither minerals nor an environment suitable for human survival. The yellow sands are endless and the natural environment is extremely harsh.

  The only advantage is that the area is large enough, and the boundless desert is so desperate.

  Compared to Madagascar, which is rich in flora and fauna and has an excellent natural environment, this desert area in Somalia is not even worse.

  Why do French people value this barren land in Somalia with Mogadishu as the center?

  This has to mention the African strategy of the British and the French. The "Two Cs Strategy" of the British colonization of Africa is to establish a colonial area extending from Egypt to South Africa in the north, and running across the entire African continent from south to north.

   If the British and French colonial strategies in Africa are compared to a "ten", the British are the "1" from north to south, and the French are the "one" on the "ten".

The French are fond of North Africa. Its African colony starts from Algeria, divides its neighboring Tunisia, Libya and other places into spheres of influence, and turns Morocco into its own subject state, and then extends to Central and East Africa, and finally eastward. Arrived in the Horn of East Africa, headed by Mogadishu.

The Somali State in the hands of the Ocean Empire occupies the entire Horn of East Africa, surrounding the Ethiopian plateau and presents a clear "7" shape. The French thought is to get a vertical "7" shape, which is headed by Mogadishu. The Horn of East Africa region, thus fulfilling the strategic dream of African colonization.

  The total area of ​​a vertical column under the "7" shape in Somalia is about 500,000 square kilometers. What the French want is 3/5 of it, which is about 300,000 square kilometers.

The essence of the entire Somalia State is in the north, which is a horizontal line above the "7" shape. It starts from Xi'an in Jibuti area and extends northward, including the central and western parts of Eritrea, with a total area of ​​more than 240,000 square meters. kilometer.

Eritrea is divided into eastern, central and western sections. The Red Sea coast is 1,200 kilometers long. The eastern section is about 360 kilometers long along the coastline. There are three major cities distributed along the Red Sea coast. They are Humen, Ed and Assab, all of which are the important regional towns of the state.

  The central part of Eritrea is about 400 kilometers outside of Humen Pass, and there are many new towns. It is a new territory acquired by Somalia after Italy’s defeat in the Ethiopian war.

  Located on the plateau on the Red Sea coast, it has a pleasant climate and is suitable for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. It is an emerging economic growth zone in Somalia.

This prosperous area is densely populated and economically developed. Whether the British, French, Italians or Germans are coveted, it is a pity that a fortress on the Great Hanish Island in the Red Sea has interrupted their dreams, sober. Return to reality.

  It’s better to be honest if you don’t have the ability to lay down the fortress in the sky, and to break through the Humen fortress, which is defended by various soldiers.

  "His Royal Highness, do you really want to exchange Mogadishu for the French colony of Madagascar? After all, there are more than 200,000 Chinese immigrants there. A sudden change may not be appropriate!" Viscount Li Yong said worriedly.

  Li Siyuan nodded when he heard the words, and seemed to agree with this statement; “This is just a plan negotiated, and no one knows what kind of agreement will be reached before the final result comes out.

  But one thing is certain, the French are not stupid, and they would rather not change without sufficient benefits.

  And we don’t have much chips in Africa, and it’s a relatively stalemate on the Indo-China Peninsula issue. This is a well-known thing.

   During the negotiation, the French proposed to want the Kaohsiung area, which is also one of the two parties’ discussions.

  In any case, we must come up with a heavyweight bargaining chip that fascinates the French. Perhaps waiting for the current Russo-Japanese War to decide the victory or defeat will be more beneficial to this secret negotiation.

  As for Chinese immigrants, don’t worry, there will definitely be proper arrangements.

  In the Mogadishu area, it is unquestionable that Chinese forces occupy an absolute dominant position. Even if the French come, it is impossible to change the local social demographic structure.

  Everything is under discussion, and the conclusion has not been finalized. The senior government will definitely make appropriate arrangements, so there is no need to worry about it. "

   "Thank you for your doubts, Your Majesty, I can't thank you enough." Li Yong arched his hands.

"Sir Li, you are a legendary character. You have left a strong mark in the history of the development of Somalia. There is no need to be too modest." Li Siyuan responded with an expression and joyful look. He stood up and walked out. , Said while walking;

  "I came to take a look this time, and the results are very satisfying. The work of the Somali company has a positive and positive significance, and the courage to play an exemplary role in the construction of the Royal Navy is commendable.

  The seventh war mobilization has been carried out in Saudi Arabia. Millions of soldiers are on their way to the Far East. They only carry enough food rations for the road, and more food supplies depend on you.

  Fusang has strongly protested this several times..."

  Speaking of which

Li Siyuan stopped, with a scornful smile on the corners of his lips, and said helplessly; "We can only express regret for these little devils who fear power but do not have morals, and feel relieved to do what you should do. You are professional in this, aren't you?"

   "Indeed, Your Highness, we are businessmen who regard credibility as their life." Viscount Li Yong answered knowingly.

  Now that you have confidence, you can let it go.

  These old Tsarist Russians only need to stutter. They are not picky about food. The flour delivered by the Somali company is always stronger than the brown bread mixed with chaff and sawdust.

  Somali companies purchased a large amount of aged grain from the imperial reserve. The cheaper the better. After being processed into flour, it will be transported to the north, which is several times higher than the best grain price, which will make huge profits.

  Food is really worthless, but the freight is expensive!

As the only and most important material supplier in the Czarist Russian Far East War, Li Yong has now begun to plan to increase prices, with a price increase of at least 40%. How can he make money back from the three destroyers donated to the empire? On the sheep.

  He did this to prevent trouble before it happened. If he wants to set an example in the future, it is possible to donate two more destroyers. The money will definitely not be paid by himself, and it will naturally fall on Lao Maozi.

  Even if the war is over, as long as the Trans-Siberian Railway is not opened for one day, the large number of troops accumulated by the Tsarist Empire in the Far East will depend on the supplies of Somali companies. This lucrative business will still be available for several years.

  (End of this chapter)