1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 592 The New Adjustment of the East India Company

October 7, Batavia, Governor's Palace.

"Your Excellency, I think the free trade policy proposed by Hanzhou is beneficial to our East India Company." Fred Upton, the senior commercial counselor of the Dutch East India Company, is solemnly presenting to Batavia Governor Cornelis van der Lin reported on the bilateral free trade agreement discussed and signed with Qi.

"Although the tax and fees we collect for Hanzhou goods entering Batavia are 10,000+ dong per year, the amount of various industrial products smuggled by the Chinese in the city will be twice that of the goods imported from the port. You must know that there are many passages to enter Batavia, and even the neighboring Kingdoms of Mataland and Banten entered Batavia by smuggling goods from Hanzhou, earning in vain what should belong to us. Benefit."

"In addition, the collection of taxes and fees on Hanzhou commodities has indirectly pushed up the consumer prices of the people under our jurisdiction. Some company employees complained a lot about this. They don't even buy their own production and daily necessities from the company's channels. Instead, go through the channels of those smuggling merchants to buy goods. Of course, there are many Hanzhou people who deliberately do this to indulge all merchants who smuggle their goods."

"Mr. Upton, you mean that imposing tariffs on Hanzhou goods will push up the consumption prices of our colonial officials and people. Is that so?" Governor Durling asked.

"Yes, Governor." Upton continued: "At present, almost all the daily production and daily necessities used by our colonial government come from Hanzhou. Except for ships, artillery, muskets, and a small amount of daily necessities are from Hanzhou. Outside of Europe, we can purchase most of the things we need in Hanzhou. In fact, in this way, it also indirectly saves a lot of operating costs for our East India Company.”

"Similarly, we have monopolized most of the commodity distribution channels in the East Indies by taking advantage of the company's superior maritime transportation capabilities. The income obtained by reselling Hanzhou commodities and various kingdoms in the East Indies is currently second only to the spice business In addition, Hanzhou's sugar, honey wine, cloisonne, steel bars, dyeing agents and other commodities were also highly recognized by the market after they were shipped back to Europe, which created a lot of income for us."

"Oh, by the way, cotton cloth and sailing cloth from Hanzhou have also begun to slowly pour into our market, becoming our largest source after India. Moreover, the quality of their cotton cloth is obviously better than that of India, and there are many varieties of designs and colors. We have reason to believe that the Hanzhou people must have introduced many excellent weavers and embroidery workers from the chaotic Ming Dynasty. Therefore, their cotton spinning industry developed so rapidly."

"We continue to impose tariffs on Hanzhou goods, which will prevent the people of the various colonial strongholds and trading stations under the East India Company from enjoying cheap goods from Hanzhou. The smuggling trade will become more and more rampant, and eventually Let our East India Company lose more markets and contacts. You must know that those natives are more thirsty for Hanzhou's goods, which may prompt them to directly contact Hanzhou and weaken our East India Company's influence on them and control."

"Therefore, I think that in Batavia, Kupang, Ocussi, Palembang (now Palembang, Indonesia), Ambon and other strongholds and trading stations in the East Indies, the implementation of tax exemption for Hanzhou goods At the same time, we will take advantage of our powerful maritime transportation capabilities and numerous commercial channels to firmly control the entire East Indies market and turn Hanzhou into an export place for our cheap goods."

"How much profit did we realize through the entrepot trade of Hanzhou commodities in the first half of the year?" Governor Delin asked.

"As of the end of June, we have made a profit of about 65 dong through the entrepot trade of Hanzhou commodities, including the European market." Upton said with a smile: "It is expected to exceed 100 million dong for the whole year, so it should not be a problem .”

"All this shows that our business interests with Hanzhou have been deeply integrated. Gentlemen, look at the glass in this room, the clock on the desk, our clothes, leather shoes, and even our The mead, canned food, granulated sugar equipped on countless merchant ships, as well as the dried fish, candles, and grain and oil consumed by ordinary people are all produced in Hanzhou.” Governor De Lin stood up and looked around the conference room. Colonial officials, and then pointed to the furnishings in the house, "Part of the production and living materials that were once only enjoyed by Europe, now in our East Indies, we can also enjoy the convenience and benefits brought by these commodities at a very low price."

"Hanzhou is producing a variety of industrial products. With the blank market in this region, it has rapidly accumulated and developed its own manufacturing industry. Although we can rely on the commodities they produce, we can use our maritime transportation advantages and trade channels to earn enough profits to satisfy local investors and supporters in Europe. However, I see a trace of hidden worries in it. The worries of the previous governor, Mr. Daiman, I really feel at this moment arrive."

"The concern of our East India Company, that is, on the edge of the East Indies, is the rapid rise of a powerful local power. It can manufacture any commodity that the countless people in the area need. In time, through the continuous expansion and accumulation of production, Hanzhou will definitely accumulate terrifying power. They will build more and more warships and build more armed forces, and then they will covet our entire East Indies, squeeze our sphere of influence, and even drive us out of this land A fertile archipelago."

"Your Excellency..." Upton's face turned pale. Wasn't he just discussing the free trade with Hanzhou?Why did he suddenly mention Hanzhou's threat again?

"Of course, Hanzhou is not only a real threat to our East India Company in the future, but also a powerful threat now." Governor Delin waved his hand at Upton and continued: "A few years ago, I I don't quite understand why Mr. Daiman is so persistent in suppressing and attacking Hanzhou. But now, I think he is right. Even though we can earn 100 million dong a year from the re-export of Hanzhou goods income, but this kind of life cannot last forever, because of the existence of Hanzhou."

"With the growth of Hanzhou's strength, they will eventually have friction with our East India Company. This should happen with a high probability. Gentlemen, although after the last war, according to the signed peace agreement, we excluded Hanzhou Outside the East Indies. But their development is extremely rapid, far beyond our estimates. A few months ago, our admiral reported to me that the Hanzhou people built a huge warship, a A gigantic ship comparable to the flagship of the Spanish fleet, the Santiago."

"Why did they build this powerful warship? Hehe..., it shouldn't be a big toy for their young king." Governor Delin looked at the colonial officials present, shook his head and said: " According to our conservative estimate, Hanzhou has at least ten professional warships, and there are as many as dozens of armed merchant ships. Gentlemen, if you think about it, if we break out of war with Hanzhou again, they will send Are all the ships hiding in unknown ports to avoid a decisive battle with our navy?"

"No, they won't hide again. When the next war breaks out, the Hanzhou people will bravely sail their many ships to Batavia, Kupang, Ambon... and take the initiative to fight us at sea. .In the East India Islands, they have an incomparable supplementary advantage. Ships are lost, and new supplies can be easily obtained from Hanzhou mainland. In addition, they also have a population advantage. And our East India Company, any loss, It needs to be replenished from Europe, tens of thousands of miles away. In this regard, we are at an absolute disadvantage."

Rear Admiral Grigoris Kopet, Commander of the Batavia Navy, could not help but show a knowing smile on his face when he heard Governor Derling's words.If the East India Company wants to continue to operate and develop continuously, it must take active measures to deal with the real threat of Hanzhou.If they all think like Fred Upton as a businessman and only think about making money, sooner or later the East India Company will be put in danger.

"Tell me about your countermeasures, Major General Kopet, and let the gentlemen here have a psychological transformation process." Governor Delin smiled and looked at Major General Gregory Kopet.

"Your Excellency, gentlemen present here." Major General Copet said, "We have to admit that with the current strength of our East India Company, it is not enough to completely defeat Hanzhou. In addition, they also have a de facto ally. Yes, that is the official of the Ming Dynasty, Nicholas (Zheng Zhilong’s Christian name). Although they did not openly form an alliance against our East India Company, they have formed a tacit understanding in some matters, and they have limited cooperation .In this case, we need to change our thinking and use another way to attack them and weaken them."

"You may all know that a huge scuffle is taking place in the territory of the Ming Dynasty. The Tatar regime, which entered the heart of the mainland from the northeast, is now gradually swallowing up all the resistance forces in the Ming Dynasty. It seems that it is going to completely overthrow the Ming Dynasty. A new dynasty. The official forces of Hanzhou and Nicholas seem to be trying their best to maintain the dilapidated regime of the Ming Dynasty, trying to unite to resist the attack of the Tatars."

"According to all the information we have received from the Ming Dynasty, it is not difficult for us to see that the Tatar regime clearly has the upper hand. It has already occupied more than half of the Ming Kingdom's territory, and there is a high probability that it will seize the national power. Therefore, whether it is to weaken Hanzhou As well as Nicholas, or to expand the economic interests of our East India Company on the mainland, we all need to contact that Tatar regime."

"We can support the Tatar regime to the greatest extent, provide them with artillery, muskets, and military supplies they need, and help them defeat various resistance forces on the mainland. In this way, our East India Company can not only obtain the power of a new continental power Favorability can also indirectly hit officials Han Zhou and Nicholas."

"Since we can't defeat our current opponents, why don't we try to find the enemy's enemies? Once the Tatar regime occupies the territory of the original Ming Dynasty and establishes a new powerful dynasty, it will certainly not tolerate those hostile forces that once opposed it. .And we only invest in it in the early stage, and the returns we get will be extremely rich, no matter in terms of geopolitics or economic interests."

(End of this chapter)