1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3693

As long as the other party is willing to ask for benefits, Qian Tiandun basically does not have to worry about his offer being rejected. Because both parties are very clear that the purchase rebates given by Hai Han come from the order itself. The greater the value of the order, the greater the rebate given in proportion.

What Qian Tiandun cared about was another thing, which was how much influence Galar, the governor of Basra, could have on the Ottoman Empire's arms procurement arrangements.

Galar did not take the initiative to explain this, and Qian Tiandun was not in a position to ask about such a sensitive topic, so he could only introduce to him the many equipment he brought.

Hai Han now has a wide range of weapons and equipment for export, with models covering a wide range of prices, from high to low, to meet the budgetary needs of different customers. Customers with sufficient budgets can even customize them according to their needs.

Of course, the price is directly linked to the performance. There is no good product at a cheap price, and a good product is not cheap. If the Ottomans want to purchase weapons and equipment with better performance, they will eventually have to pay real money.

Galar was overwhelmed by the many weapons and equipment Qian Tiandun showed him. For example, there were more than a dozen models of rifles to choose from.

In terms of performance alone, many of the models are better than the Ottoman army's current equipment. The richness of Hai Han's supply is indeed much better than that of Portugal, the middleman.

But Galar found it difficult to decide which level to choose. After all, he was an archon rather than a military expert, and he also had to consider Constantinople's acceptance of such expenses.

Qian Tiandun did not urge him, but reminded him intentionally or unintentionally that many countries were currently ordering weapons and equipment from Hai Han, and the production capacity was limited, so they could only deliver according to the order sequence. If the Ottoman Empire could not place an order as soon as possible, the delivery date might be forced to be postponed, and it was possible that it might even be postponed to one or two years later.

This made Galar think of another possibility, and he immediately asked, "Are there other buyers in the Persian Gulf region who would like to purchase arms from your country?"

Qian Tiandun nodded and said, "Of course there are. Some are under negotiation, and some have already placed orders. But due to the buyers' requirements, I cannot reveal the specific situation to you. The only thing that is certain is that buyers who have placed orders will receive delivery before your country."

Qian Tiandun knew what Galar wanted to ask, but he deliberately did not mention the name of Persia. As for whether Persia bought it or not, and how much it bought, you can just guess.

The conflict between the Ottoman Empire and Persia has a long history, and the conflict in geography, religion, culture and other fields has led to irreconcilable relations between the two sides. Military confrontation and arms race are the norm between the two countries. If one side learns that the other side is secretly purchasing arms from other countries, it will undoubtedly arouse high vigilance.

In the past, the Portuguese provided military assistance to the Ottoman Empire, while the Persians received assistance from the British. However, the emergence of Hai Han, a major supplier in the Persian Gulf, may break this delicate balance.

Sure enough, Galar's face changed slightly when he heard this. If Hai Han provided these powerful weapons to Persia, the Persians would most likely use them against the Ottoman Empire.

Of course, Qian Tiandun might be deliberately creating tension, but Galar didn't dare to bet on this probability. The Hai Han people were an international arms supplier that was not controlled by the Ottoman Empire. There seemed to be no reason for them not to sell weapons to Persia. More importantly, the weapons and equipment sold by the Portuguese seemed to come from Hai Han. Once Hai Han cooperated with the Ottoman Empire's opponents, even the Portuguese supply channels might be affected, which would really shake the army's combat effectiveness.

After the equipment display, Galar took the initiative to ask Qian Tiandun for a detailed quotation catalog and related information, claiming that he would report to Constantinople as soon as possible about the cooperation opportunities that Hai Han brought to the Ottoman Empire.

This basically achieved the purpose of Qian Tiandun's visit to Basra, but Constantinople is far away from Basra. It would take at least two or three months for the Ottoman Empire's top leaders to respond. Qian Tiandun did not have so much time to wait in Basra.

After confirming the intention of cooperation, Qian Tiandun prepared to lead his troops to leave Basra and continue his next journey.

However, there was a small episode before he left. A batch of Hai Han goods that he entrusted to Khalid Trading Company for sale were sold out in just two days, and there were also local buyers who wanted to place additional orders. This also verified the sales prospects of Hai Han goods in the Ottoman Empire, and corresponding arrangements could be made in the future.

Qian Tiandun and his party left Basra by boat and met up with a large force that had arrived from the port of Kuwait at the estuary, and then continued sailing eastward along the northern coast of the Persian Gulf.

The area from the mouth of the two rivers to the Strait of Hormuz on the north coast of the Persian Gulf belongs to Persia. However, the number of ports on the coastline of Persia seems to be far less than that in the southern part of the Gulf.

The accompanying Portuguese guide explained that the long-term war between Persia and the Ottoman Empire destroyed many seaports in the region, causing Persia to concentrate its resources in the Strait of Hormuz, far away from the battlefield, and use Bandar Abbas as the center of its maritime trade.

However, Qian Tiandun believed that even if the area had not been affected by the war, the port operations in this area would not have changed much. After all, there were no natural harbors with superior conditions along the way, and there were almost no natural conditions for building a large port.

Lacking a large port, the level of shipbuilding and other related industries was naturally not very high. The fact that Persian merchants were able to sail across the sea and engage in trade activities in East Asia was already an extraordinary achievement.

Gao Qiaonan also expressed his doubts: "Sir, the maritime trade in the Persian Gulf is not prosperous. If we want to operate a port here for a long time, will it be difficult to continue?"

Qian Tiandun said: "My opinion is exactly the opposite. The lack of large ports in the Persian Gulf means that we will face less competitive pressure in the future, and it will be easier to concentrate the commercial resources of this region in our hands."

"The only problem is that this place is too far away from our territory. I'm afraid it will take a long time to complete the preliminary construction. Immigration and infrastructure are the problems we have to deal with next!"

After walking along the coast of the Persian Gulf, Qian Tiandun was more and more certain that Khasab, the place he had chosen at the beginning, was the best solution. However, it was not yet known whether Li Yuande and Dong Shangyi, who were sent to contact the Xihu tribe, had obtained the development rights of Khasab.