1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3768

The two-day military exercise came to a successful conclusion. Qian Tiandun took the initiative to ask Shi Diwen what he thought of the performance of the special operations division's fleet in the military exercise.

When Qian Tiandun began to form this force thirty years ago, he had already realized that Hai Han's future expansion would inevitably be mainly based in coastal areas. Therefore, from then on, amphibious combat capability was defined as one of the force's signature skills.

The fleet under the command of this special force has never been too large, and its combat function is mainly troop deployment, but it has rich actual combat experience in participating in various military operations in various parts of East Asia, which is better than the East China Sea Fleet that has come from afar.

Moreover, the special operations division fleet has been stationed in the Indian Ocean for some time and is more familiar with the local sea conditions.

Of course, from the outside world's perspective, the East China Sea Fleet visiting the Indian Ocean and the Special Warfare Division stationed in Hamban Port are one and the same, and it is impossible to tell the difference between the two. Only a very small number of spectators who are familiar with the Haihan military system can overlook the very eye-catching Zhoushan and notice that the East China Sea Fleet is indeed slightly inferior to the Special Warfare Division in this military exercise.

However, Shi Diwen frankly admitted the shortcomings of the East China Sea Fleet and praised Qian Tiandun for his good training and cultivating such an elite maritime force.

Qian Tiandun said: "If we can deploy 50,000 troops in the Indian Ocean... no, as long as we can have 30,000, our progress in advancing the Maritime Silk Road westwards can be at least twice as fast as it is now!"

Shi Diwen could certainly understand the implication in Qian Tiandun's words, which was actually testing the possibility of further expanding the special operations division.

The Special Operations Division currently has a strength of more than 15,000 troops, which is already overstaffed. It is also the largest division-level unit in the Hai Han Army.

If it is to carry out combat missions, the existing organization of the special operations division is enough to defeat an enemy ten times its size. There are only a handful of countries in the world that are capable of organizing a battle of this scale, so it is not an exaggeration to call the special operations division an invincible division.

But now, in addition to fighting against foreign enemies expanding their territory, the special operations division also has to perform the task of guarding the local area. The areas under its jurisdiction are extremely scattered, and troops must be stationed separately. This has long exceeded the capabilities of the division-level forces.

Under such circumstances, Qian Tiandun's proposal to further expand the establishment was actually a reasonable response. Of course, to take this step, he must first win enough supporters in the Executive Committee.

Shi Diwen responded, "Old Qian, you want to double the size of the special operations division, which means the country will have to support one more special operations division. The related military expenditure is not a small amount!"

Qian Tiandun smiled and said, "If it's a small amount, I will choose to bear it myself, so why bother the Executive Committee?"

In the final analysis, money is the root of all problems. Even if the Executive Committee turns a blind eye to the business practices of overseas garrisons to reduce the financial pressure of overseas garrisons, the economic income obtained by the special warfare division from its jurisdiction is still difficult to achieve Qian Tiandun's goal of expanding the army.

Shi Diwen said, "My suggestion is to submit a detailed plan to the Executive Committee in your name. It should clearly state where the garrison will be maintained in the Indian Ocean, the scale, whether it is for garrison or expansion, and the arrangement of the command system and operational authority. On this basis, it won't be too abrupt to propose the request to expand the establishment."

Shi Diwen's guidance was actually an indirect expression of his attitude. As long as Qian Tiandun followed the formal procedures and submitted the application, he would provide the necessary support.

Shi Diwen continued, "It's only a matter of time before a new region is established on the western front. Perhaps you should focus on promoting this matter first. By then, the Executive Committee will surely introduce a series of support policies for the new region, and your troops can also complete the expansion in a logical manner."

After Hai Han establishes an administrative region in the Indian Ocean, the corresponding garrison force will be upgraded accordingly, and expansion will be a matter of course. By then, the Indian Ocean Fleet will be established, and the Glorious-class battleships that Qian Tiandun has been dreaming of will be allocated more quickly.

Qian Tiandun certainly understood what was said, but politics was not his forte, so he simply asked directly: "What do you need me to do now?" Shi Diwen said: "You need to come up with more things that can attract the attention of the Executive Committee, such as political achievements, military exploits, or other things that can make the Executive Committee realize that it is urgent to establish an administrative region."

Qian Tiandun said meaningfully: "I think the feedback you submit to the Executive Committee after completing this trip should have a great impact on the relevant resolutions."

Shi Diwen did not deny this and nodded slightly to show his agreement.

Qian Tiandun then asked, "Is there anything in the Indian Ocean that the East China Sea Region needs?"

Qian Tiandun asked very directly, because he could feel that Shi Diwen's trip, in addition to investigation, had some other purposes that were not suitable to be announced.

Seeing Qian Tiandun's explicit statement, Shi Diwen stopped being secretive and said in a deep voice, "I hope to assign some officers to serve in the Special Warfare Division to learn from the friendly forces' military experience and advanced tactics."

Qian Tiandun nodded and said, "That's no problem. I can arrange it."

Shi Diwen went on to say: "The Indian Ocean trade routes must also ensure the East China Sea region's share."

Qian Tiandun said: "Then we can jointly set up a joint-stock shipping company, specializing in shipping in the Indian Ocean region, so that you and I can rest assured."

Shi Diwen said: "Then it's a deal!"

Hai Han now wants to build a Maritime Silk Road connecting the East and the West, and the Indian Ocean region is the middle section that accounts for more than one-third of the total. Its development prospects are self-evident.

Qian Tiandun's special operations division and the Sing Tao region located in the Strait of Malacca will definitely be the first to benefit in the future and become the main beneficiaries of this route.

As for those from outside the region who want to get a piece of the pie, they can only show their strengths.

For example, Guangdong's Fu Ruifeng has gained Qian Tiandun's trust through Li Yuande's efforts in the past two years and has begun to profit from the Indian Ocean trade.

If Shi Diwen wants to open a shipping company and engage in sea transportation in a private capacity, there will certainly be no problem, but he may not be able to participate in certain business resources controlled by the special warfare division.

For example, the gems produced in Ceylon or the oil to be produced in the Persian Gulf in the future are not areas that ordinary people can reach. One must have Qian Tiandun's approval to obtain the corresponding qualifications.

And it is these lucrative fields that Shi Diwen is interested in. Only by cooperating with Qian Tiandun can the capital under the control of the Shi family be guaranteed to enter these fields.

Through such cooperation, Qian Tiandun can also obtain a stable sales market in the East China Sea region.

The most important thing is that this kind of cooperation can gain Shi Diwen's firm support in the Executive Committee.