Beiyang reactionaries

"You can tell Japan that as long as Japan is willing to give up the southern part of Sakhalin Island, then we can give Japan 20 years of oil exploration and exploitation rights in Sakhalin Island. And we are willing to sign this statement, and even publicly support this statement. Of course If Japan has other requirements, our country can also agree appropriately."

"I'll tell you."

Wang Jingwei nodded.

If the Outer Northeast is a barren land with no one for thousands of miles, then Sakhalin Island is even more so.Sakhalin Island is very unsuitable for human habitation, and the current limited population is in the southern area of ​​Sakhalin Island.

And only by winning the southern region of Sakhalin Island can it directly threaten northern Japan and take the absolute initiative strategically.

Duan Xun didn't care about the 20-year oil exploration and exploitation rights in Sakhalin Island to Japan.Japan itself does not have oil fields, so whether it is oil exploitation, oil refining, or petrochemical industry, they are all at a very early stage.

Because they have no chance to practice at all.

So Japan has absolutely no technology in this area.Like exploring oil fields, the required machinery and equipment are imported from Germany.As for mining and refining, Japan has little experience, and its technology is far behind that of European and American countries.Even compared to China, it is a lot worse.Although China's strength in this area is not as good as that of Europe and the United States, after so many years of exploration, mining, oil refining, and transportation, China itself has many unique technologies.At present, China has been able to independently manufacture exploration equipment, mining equipment, and oil refining equipment.It's just not as good as Europe and the United States in technology.

So even if the exploration rights and mining rights of Sakhalin Island are handed over to Japan, I don’t know when it will be mined with Japanese technology.Moreover, the situation in Sakhalin Island is so bad, unless there is a large investment to change the local transportation and lay oil pipelines, how will it be transported after mining.Therefore, this 20-year exploration right and mining right are just empty promises.

"Don't take this matter too seriously. The Asian Joint Conference is being held now, and so many Asian countries and organizations are participating. Let Minister Wei get in touch with the leaders of Southeast Asian countries. Although they have good relations with Japan at present, they must We also hope to maintain a good relationship with us.”

"Yes."

Although many governments in Nanyang are puppet governments supported by Japan, most of them are leaders of national liberation movements in Nanyang countries.Japan did not support the Nanyang puppet government casually.

The people they were looking for were all representative figures.

Even if Japan fails in the future, it is estimated that the governments of the Southeast Asian countries will still be these people, or the political groups represented by these people.Dealing with them now is good for China to control Nanyang in the future.

One of the purposes of China and Japan's cooperation in establishing the Asia United Organization is to increase contacts with these leaders of the Nanyang National Liberation Movement.Now such a good opportunity, of course, cannot be let go.

"As for Britain and the United States?"

Although Duan Xun didn't care, he didn't want to fall out with Yingmei.

When this statement comes out, the British and American sides will inevitably have wild imaginations.They will worry that China really forms a military ally with Japan.This is not a good thing for Britain and the United States.No explanation, but some actions are needed to ease the relationship.So Duan Xun thought for a while and said, "I heard that there is a shortage of natural rubber in the UK?"

661

"I heard that there is a shortage of natural rubber in the UK?"

"Yes. At present, 95% of the world's natural rubber is produced in China and Southeast Asia. There is a little natural rubber in South America, but it is very rare. Since Japan and Britain went to war, Britain lost their colony in Nanyang, so they lost it completely. The supply of natural rubber has been reduced. In addition, the synthetic rubber industry in the UK is underdeveloped, but the UK needs a lot of rubber, so at present the UK is very short of natural rubber. According to the information we have received, natural rubber is among the materials requested by the UK and the US However, the United States is also extremely short of natural rubber. The natural rubber in the United States is not enough for its own use. The United States has a very strong synthetic rubber industry, but the American industry needs more rubber, so there is very little rubber that can support the United Kingdom. "

Yan Huiqing immediately introduced it to Duan Xun.

Natural rubber can no longer meet the needs of the world's industrial development, let alone the war years.During the war years, the industries of various countries will have great development, and the demand for rubber will also increase accordingly.Therefore, many countries began to develop synthetic rubber, hoping to use industrial methods to solve the shortage of natural rubber production.Human beings began to develop synthetic rubber half a century ago, but it has only been in the last thirty years that it has been actually used in human production.

The pioneer in this regard is Germany, including the Soviet Union, which has also developed well.The reason why Germany and the Soviet Union developed synthetic rubber was because they did not produce natural rubber and needed a large amount of imported natural rubber.However, during the First World War, compared with Britain and the United States, it was very difficult for Germany and the Soviet Union to obtain natural rubber, which also contributed to the determination of Germany and the Soviet Union to develop synthetic rubber.

Compared with Germany and the Soviet Union, the United States is not the country with the fastest development of synthetic rubber industry.However, relying on its strong industrial strength and astonishing industrial demand, the United States has the fastest development speed in the field of synthetic rubber.At present, the United States produces more than 60 tons of synthetic rubber a year, and it is estimated that it will soon exceed 70 tons. The output is already the first in the world.But also the United States has a strong industry with an astonishing industrial scale, and it needs a lot of rubber.Therefore, despite the fact that the synthetic rubber industry in the United States is so developed, the United States itself is not enough.

Especially after the war broke out, the natural rubber imported by the United States decreased rapidly.At present, the world's natural rubber is basically in the hands of China and Japan.China itself is a big producer of natural rubber, and Chinese merchants in Nanyang own a large amount of natural rubber, so China currently holds 80% of the world's natural rubber.Since the outbreak of the war, the natural rubber of Chinese merchants in Nanyang has also been purchased and sold by the Chinese government.After Japan occupied Nanyang, it integrated many small natural rubber farms and vigorously developed natural rubber plantations.Including the confiscation of natural rubber plantations of many European and American merchants and local indigenous merchants.However, most of the natural rubber plantations in the Nanyang region are in the hands of Chinese businessmen, so although Japan has worked hard, it has only mastered about 15%, but it is already quite a lot.It can fully meet the needs of Japan, and there are still leftovers that can be sold.

Because of the cooperation with Germany and Italy, China's natural rubber has been exported to Europe in large quantities in recent years.After the war broke out, Germany's demand for natural rubber was even greater.Therefore, most of China's natural rubber is exported to Europe every year, reducing exports to the United States.Therefore, at present, the United States relies more on synthetic rubber, and the only way to buy natural rubber is to buy it at a high price.

Because of this, the United Kingdom hopes that the United States will support natural rubber, but the United States itself does not have enough, so support is limited.

"What is the situation in our country?"

Duan Xun is the chairman of the Supreme Council.

There are too many things to deal with every day.Although natural rubber is a strategic material and is very important, it is impossible for Duan Xun to fully understand the current development of China's rubber industry.So I immediately asked Yan Huiqing.

"my country's natural rubber output has begun to stabilize, with an average annual output of about 42 tons. Unless my country increases the planting area of ​​natural rubber, the output will not increase much. The output of natural rubber controlled by Chinese businessmen in Nanyang is about 110 million tons. We currently control about 150 million tons of natural rubber. But most of these natural rubbers are sold, and about 20 tons of natural rubber are used in China every year. The remaining insufficient sectors are replaced by synthetic rubber.”

Yan Huiqing is very familiar with these data.

As the prime minister of the cabinet, Dai Kan will preside over the overall work of the cabinet.Yan Huiqing is the executive vice premier, responsible for China's overall economic situation.Because of this, even though Yan Huiqing is not a member of the Supreme Council, he will also participate in the ordinary meetings of the Supreme Council.

Because the Supreme Council often needs to hear about the situation of the Chinese economy.

"How about synthetic rubber production?"

"Last year, my country's synthetic rubber output was 17 tons, and this year it should exceed 20 tons. The domestic demand for rubber is around 40 tons."

"40 tons? Have you done the demand for rubber in my country in the future?"

"Since the outbreak of the war, my country's demand for rubber has also increased sharply. According to an analysis by the Economic and Development Commission, according to the current situation, my country's rubber demand will reach 50 tons within three years."

"Ah."

Rubber is an indispensable thing in modern industry.

The automobile industry, aircraft manufacturing, shipbuilding industry, as well as medical and health care, electrical communication, commodity storage, and mining industries are all inseparable from rubber.At present, the largest rubber market in the world is the United States, which consumes about 100 million tons of rubber a year.Because the demand is so high, the synthetic rubber industry in the United States is so developed, but the United States still lacks natural rubber, and the gap is very large every year.

The following countries are Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom.

The same is true in China. With the expansion of industrial scale, China's demand for rubber is also increasing.It is precisely because of the war that promotes the demand for rubber that after the war broke out, the price of natural rubber has risen by 6 times compared to before the war.

Those natural rubber merchants in Nanyang, after the outbreak of the war, their net worth doubled.Three years after the outbreak of World War II, a large number of wealthy people with net worth of more than tens of millions of pounds came out of Nanyang.Some former billionaires have now become billionaires.

This is war.

After a war, I don't know how many people went bankrupt and how many people died.But there will also be a lot of people who will make a lot of money.

"Vigorously develop the synthetic rubber industry."

Duan Xun thought for a while, and said to Yan Huiqing: "Natural rubber is important, and synthetic rubber is also important. With the rapid development of industry in the future, the output of natural rubber will not be able to satisfy. At that time, synthetic rubber will definitely become the most important supplement. In this way, in some must Use natural rubber in some places where it can be replaced. Use synthetic rubber in places that can be replaced. Make great efforts to develop our synthetic rubber industry, and set up some research institutes to specialize in the study of synthetic rubber. The saved natural rubber will be sold to earn money. money."

China's synthetic rubber industry comes from German technology.

It should be said that most of China's industrial technology comes from Germany and the United States.Although the current synthetic rubber is not as good as natural rubber, it can still be used in many places.Such as the automobile industry, the tires used can completely use synthetic rubber.Although it is not as good as natural rubber, it can also be used, which is enough.

"Yes."

"Vice Chairman Wang, following Yosuke Matsuoka's statement, Britain and the United States will inevitably try to contact us to see what we are going to do. At that time, don't talk about this topic in too much detail. But you can talk to the UK Talk about exporting materials. As long as the UK has money, we can provide the UK with urgently needed materials such as natural rubber and bristles. I think as long as we have such an attitude, the UK should understand what it means.”

"it is good."

Wang Jingwei nodded.

That's what diplomacy is sometimes like.

Don't need to be too clear, give some signals, understand it naturally.China is willing to sell a large amount of important materials to the UK. As long as the UK is not a fool, it will understand what China means.Especially when you contact the front and back, you will be able to understand what China wants to express.

"America's side, America's side..."

Duan Xun asked Dai Kan directly: "Vice Chairman Dai, what do you think the United States should do better?"

"The United Kingdom is different from the United States. The United Kingdom is currently mired in the quagmire of war, and everything is for the victory of the war. What they need now is materials, even arms, and industrial products. But the United States is completely different from them. War After the outbreak, not only my country but also the United States benefited. In the past two years, the import and export volume of the United States has increased significantly because it exported a large number of industrial products. In terms of import and export trade, the United States has grown faster than my country. The profit is also higher than that of our country. At present, the United States has really come out of the Great Depression, with abundant funds in its hands, and the scale of industry has expanded rapidly. The "Lease Act" of the United States also appeared under such circumstances."