I want to be emperor

Chapter 865 European Free Trade Program
In the Imperial Economic Conference held in August 36 of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue, after hearing the export report, praised various industrial departments, the Department of Civil Affairs of the Ministry of Rites and Education, the Army and Navy, and overseas local governments for their achievements in the export trade of the Great Chu Empire. contribution.

Exports in the first two quarters of this year continued to maintain high-speed growth, which is inseparable from the mutual cooperation of various departments.

It is hoped that various departments will increase cooperation in the future, especially the relevant departments of international trade will further maintain cooperation with the Department of Civil Affairs, overseas local government offices and the military, establish an efficient communication mechanism, and effectively guarantee the export of the empire.

The reason why the military is included in the export business meeting... that is because the export of goods these days does not mean that your products are good and the price is cheap so that you can seize the market...

You won't be able to get your goods across without an army leading the way...let alone sell them into your target market area.

Specifically, it can be seen that European countries have almost completely stopped trade actions to the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the West Pacific... Even the global trade of the Spaniards has now stopped.

why?
Because their army can no longer guarantee the smooth entry of their goods into these areas, they can only adopt new trade models.

To be precise, it is the new international trade model established under the leadership of the Great Chu Empire in the past 20 years.

What is the pattern of international trade on Earth today, especially between the West and the East?There are three main lines.

The first is to rely on the Egyptian region of the Ottoman Empire for transit, mainly covering the Mediterranean coast, especially Greece, Italy and other regions. The overall scale is actually not too large. After all, land transportation is required in the middle, and the cost is relatively high. Unfortunately, it was difficult for the merchants of the Ottoman Empire to pry open the local European market on a large scale.

However, this trade route is completely controlled by the Ottoman Empire, so the Ottoman Empire can still get a lot of benefits from it... Otherwise, why do you think the Ottoman Empire made such a big concession in the market and leased land?It is because the Great Chu Empire has brought them huge benefits!
By the way, because of the good cooperative relationship with the Great Chu Empire, many slave traders in the Ottoman Empire have also seized a large number of European slave traders' business.

Because the slave traders of the Ottoman Empire can smoothly enter the eastern coast of Africa under the control of the Great Chu Empire, and obtain a large number of African slaves by trading with local tribes or directly catching them. native prisoners of war.

The slave traders of the Ottoman Empire, with sufficient supplies, transported a large number of slaves to the Ottoman Empire, and even acted as wholesalers, transporting a large number of slaves obtained from the east coast of Africa to the west coast of Africa, and then reselling them to European slave traders .

The business is huge and the profits are huge!

It goes without saying that the slave traders of the Ottoman Empire now almost control more than half of the current supply of slaves in the world.

The second international trade route between the East and the West is carried out through the South African port completely controlled by the Great Chu Empire. The specific trade model is that the merchants of the Great Chu Empire purchase various industrial products from the local area, including cloth, weapons, kitchen utensils, agricultural tools, Daily hardware, porcelain, silk, tea, sugar and other products, and special products such as spices were purchased from the Spice Islands and the Malay Peninsula in the overseas territories of the empire.

These local commodities and commodities from overseas territories, colonies, etc. are transported to South Africa, and then sold to businessmen from various countries in Europe... and these European businessmen actually have no private businessmen, and they are all companies with monopoly rights. , such as the East India Companies of various countries... In order to earn high profits, the dignitaries of various countries have strictly restricted merchant ships going to South Africa for trade, and only allowed them to have the only company in their country that has a trade license for South Africa, that is, the East India Companies of various countries or In recent years, newly established monopoly enterprises in the name of so-called South African companies.

The merchants of the Great Chu Empire sold their goods in South Africa to these countries' monopoly trade companies, and the trade monopoly companies of each country then transported the goods to their respective countries...

The traditional program of the age of great voyages is naturally indispensable in the middle: pirates. Since the Great Chu Empire occupied and opened up the South African port as the main trading port for Europe, the number of ships traveling to and from the west coast of Africa has increased rapidly. As for the contemporary West Coast of Africa replacing the Caribbean Sea as the most dangerous sea... Pirates are almost everywhere.

The reason why it is so chaotic and dangerous is because not only real pirates, but also trading companies and even navies of various countries will more or less end up participating in it!
Robbery and being robbed are the traditions of the European Age of Discovery.

In addition to merchant ships from European countries coming to South Africa to purchase, the Great Chu Empire also sent ships from the Western Trading Company to European countries for trade. However, the high-level empire's strategy for Europe has not yet been clarified, and the Western Trading Company has not stimulated the European countries too much for the time being. Therefore, the number of ships sent out is relatively small, and they are mainly peaceful trade, and no large-scale colonial activities have been carried out for the time being.

However, many people in the empire think that this is only temporary... Because according to the overseas expansion path of the Great Chu Empire, the two armed trading companies, Western Trading Company or Eastern Trading Company, are basically allowed to go there first, mainly to find out the sea conditions along the way, Local hydrology, power composition, etc., and then find a way to find a few places to stay... After completing these preparations, it is basically time for the regular army to enter the field.

Once the regular army kills them, it will be a large area of ​​siege, directly controlling the entire area.

Before that, the Great Chu Empire did this in Southeast Asia, Fusang, India, West Asia Peninsula and Africa, and even in North America before.

The details may be different, but the core idea is basically the same.

Because of the convenience of sea transportation, the current scale of trade with Europe via South Africa is still relatively large, and it is an important channel for the Great Chu Empire's trade with Europe, accounting for more than 60.00%.

In addition, the third route passes through the transit trade of Jinshan in North America. This trade route is mainly monopolized by the Spaniards.

After all, the Spaniards are currently in Mexico, America. When the Great Chu Empire relied on Jinshan City as a transit trade post, it was mainly to trade with the Spaniards.

By the way, the transit trade in this place is also a compensation for the Spaniards losing the source of goods from the East after the Great Chu Empire purchased the Luzon Islands... You have to let the Spaniards have a stable place and channel to purchase goods from the empire. .

Jinshan Port took on such a task... In fact, this was also the main task of opening Jinshan Port back then. As for the discovery of gold mines here later, and the discovery of large plains in the inland areas for immigration and development, that was all later. .

Jinshan Port was first a transit trade port, and later developed into a port city for immigrants.

Through the above three trade routes, plus some fragmented small trade routes, such as the land route controlled by Russia, the Great Chu Empire imported a large amount of goods to Europe every year.

After all, the population in Europe is also relatively large. Although the contemporary European region has been devastated by the 30-year war before, the population loss is relatively large. However, with the end of the 30-year war, the population of the European region, mainly Western Europe and Central Europe, has increased. The speed is faster.

Up to the 36th year of Chengshun, that is, 1670 AD, the Thirty Years War has ended for 30 years, and the population has recovered quite a lot. The current Western and Central European regions are probably the British Isles, Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden has a population of about 22 million.

Then there are countries in Europe such as the Italian Peninsula, the Greek region, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and half-European and half-Asian Russia.

These all add up to more than 1 million people.

This population is much larger than that of the Indian Peninsula, and the consumption power of the European region is also stronger than that of the Indian Peninsula...Although the Indian Peninsula also has a population of hundreds of millions.

It's just that in the past ten years, the local indigenous princes have been too warlike, fighting every three days. Frequent wars will naturally affect the local population to a certain extent. Therefore, it is estimated that there are no more than [-] million people in the local area.

Let’s take the population of 90.00 million as an example. The problem is that India is playing with the caste system, and more than [-]% of them are the bottom class with little consumption power...not the untouchables. In fact, the proportion of the untouchables in India is not large.

India's caste system is very special. It is not a pyramid structure in most societies, but an oval structure... Brahmins and Kshatriyas occupy a very small part of the population, while Vaishyas and Sudras occupy a very small part. The one with the largest population occupies the vast majority of the population, and the untouchable class accounts for about 20.00%.

Thus formed a very stable oval social structure.

Why do you say it is very stable?
Because apart from the untouchables, people from several other classes can squeeze down, even the Sudras who occupy the largest population and are poor at the same time, they can also squeeze the untouchables...to obtain a comparative sense of happiness.

And the worst untouchables who ever lived were unable to resist because of their small population and did not have any means of production or ability!
This is a social structure where everyone is happy except the untouchables, but the untouchables cannot resist... very stable.

Well, seeing this, do you think it is similar to the elliptical social structure in the United States?

Yes, the two are actually the same thing...

Not to mention these, but overall, the consumption power of the population in India is much worse than that in Europe...

Therefore, taking the entire European market and fully developing it has always made the merchants of the empire never forget... To paraphrase an old saying, if every European buys a product worth one Chu yuan, that is more than 1 million Chu yuan!
Whenever I think of these words, the merchants in Chu State can't help drooling...

This is also after this international trade and economic conference, Luo Zhixue has received many suggestions from the domestic business circles, to establish an empire and enter Europe as soon as possible, so as to further develop the European market, bring more jobs to domestic industries, and further improve the domestic industry. economic level and increase people's income.

What is said on the surface is grandiose, one job is left, and one income of the people is left.

But Luo Zhixue knew very well that there was no ordinary worker who was qualified to make suggestions to the higher-ups of the empire... It is estimated that few people really cared about the life and death of ordinary domestic workers.

Luo Zhixue, who has the soul of future generations, has experienced the information explosion, and clearly understands the nature of capitalism, knows them too well...doesn't he just want to make more money!
It is rare and common to start wars for money, this is the case in the original time and space, but it is more common in the Great Chu Empire.

Luo Zhixue did not express any objection to their actions, and Luo Zhixue also knew that many of the reasons these people said were true reasons.

After all, the increase in overseas exports can indeed bring more jobs to the country, further increase the income of the people, and ultimately improve the living standards of the people.

Therefore, from this perspective, the bureaucrats of the empire, the capitalist class and ordinary people in the middle and lower classes have the same interests in further developing the European market.

Although in the final distribution of benefits, most of the benefits will be taken away by the bureaucracy and the capitalist class, only a small part will fall to the middle and lower levels.

But how to put it, something is better than nothing, isn't it!
In Luo Zhixue's view, this kind of thing that can integrate the interests of almost all groups is a good thing that benefits the country and the people, and it needs strong support.

Therefore, within a few days after the meeting ended, Luo Zhixue summoned personnel from the relevant administrative agencies to discuss the benefits of further developing the European market.

Going to Europe to sell goods in person, and how much the current wholesale sales model will promote the industry and commerce of the empire.

The answer given by the industry and commerce department is that if the empire personally controls the trade of European countries, sells the goods directly to the port cities of various countries, and then supports local agents of diversity, then the shipment volume in the European region can increase by at least five times. !
The five times the shipments given by the industry and commerce department... Such an optimistic estimate made many people unable to sit still.

Immediately afterwards, many industry associations in the country heard that the top management of the empire was discussing the development of the European market, and they all expressed their enthusiasm. bag!
The Tea Association once again made it clear that once the empire enters Europe and develops the local market in depth, the Tea Association is willing to donate 500 million Chu Yuan military expenses... All cash donations, no discounts!

Soon the Porcelain Association also joined in the fun, and various companies in their association were willing to raise 100 million Chu Yuan donations to improve the living conditions of overseas troops.

As for the real big players, the Textile Industry Committee did not make a unified statement, but many large textile enterprises during the period have successively expressed their willingness to donate... This is much more than other small associations, at least 800 million Chu yuan donations.

In the end, Luo Zhixue did the math... Nima, the enthusiasm of all walks of life for entering Europe is too great, and the donations to be made alone are as huge as 300 million Chu Yuan.

The generals of the military were stunned, and then stared at these so-called donations, unable to walk...

Twenty-three million Chu Yuan is enough for the military to buy a lot of new equipment... As for war expenses... Although the military generals shout that war is expensive every day, in fact, the so-called marching into Europe will not cost much on the military How many.

Relying on the strong strength of the navy, you can control the route on the west coast of Africa without spending a few dollars, and then just build a port in Europe... Even the army does not need to be transferred from other places, and the African garrison is directly used, mainly in South Africa. That's enough.

After all, the Chu army did not mean to really reach Europe and wipe out all the European countries... It is just to open up a new route and set up an outpost. It is expected that the scale of the war will be very small, and it may even be won without a fight... No All natives have the courage to resist the king of the Great Chu Empire.

The higher the level of civilization and the more they understand the strength of Chu, the less courageous they are... On the contrary, the native Africans and Native Americans who are still in the state of primitive people are more courageous to resist the Chu army because they are ignorant and fearless. .

Those who dare to attack the Chu army overseas are basically these two types of people.

As for those countries with a certain degree of civilization, such as Ottomans, Persia, and European countries, people will walk around when they see the Chu army... they will not provoke the Chu army at all.

So this time, if we really enter Europe, open up routes, and establish front-line strongholds, there may not be a real war. The military expenditure is likely to be the cost of sea transportation and the cost of building some outposts... It is estimated that hundreds of thousands will do. .

Even if the European natives on the opposite side don't have eyesight, they will fight casually at that time, attack the port and then launch a landing operation or something, and consume more coal and ammunition... to kill several million Chu Yuan.

Even more optimistic, without the military doing it themselves, it can be done by the Western Trading Company alone...the company’s armed forces of the Western Trading Company have thousands of people, the equipment is also quite good, and the strength of the armed merchant ships can be lifted. Fight the navies of European countries!
This means that out of the more than 2000 million donations, the military can earn at least one thousand and tens of thousands of dollars... For this reason, the army quickly stated that it is the army's unspecified responsibility to open up European routes and maintain the interests of the empire in Europe. There are more than 1 regular troops in Africa and more than 3 Indian servants, ready to serve the empire at any time.

The navy also couldn't wait to find Luo Zhixue, saying that the African Fleet of the Imperial Navy could fight for the Empire at any time and expand the territory for His Majesty!
As for the guards, they also said euphemistically that the guards still have a temporary mixed battalion in Africa. It’s not interesting to fight against the aborigines every day, and they won’t get much credit... If possible, the guards This temporary mixed battalion can be sent to Europe to give these soldiers a qualification, so that they can be promoted after returning to China... Otherwise, there will be no credit, and this mixed battalion is really difficult to arrange after returning to China!

When the guards go overseas, they are gold-plated to make military exploits. It is natural that the military exploits are not obtained...

Luo Zhixue took a look, good guy, the business community and the military are more than one wanting to fight Europe.

Since that's the case, he didn't stop it... It's still the same sentence, anyway, it can expand exports, increase employment, and increase income, so why not do it?

Best of all, empires cost nothing
Donations from the business community to let the army go to war to seize the market, this operation is very common in the Great Chu Empire, but it used to be overseas, the scale of the war was relatively small, and the impact was not great!
Especially those tea merchants or arms merchants who spend money in three days to ask the army to help them pry open an overseas market!

In the end, Luo Zhixue formally finalized the 'European Free Trade Plan' in a new round of imperial strategic meetings before the Mid-Autumn Festival, and assigned a number of ministers to be responsible for preliminary discussions on relevant plan content and preliminary preparations.

After the news spread to the outside world, on the Jinling City Stock Exchange, the stock prices of companies in many industries, especially those related to international trade, rose sharply.

The rise in stock prices of companies related to export trade has also driven up the stock prices of many other companies.

The financial circles in the empire are very optimistic about this European free trade plan!

And when the stocks of these companies are rising, in fact, the empire's European free trade plan has only one name, and there is not even a specific plan...let alone a plan to launch it.

Even if everything goes well, the country has made a decision now, but it will take several months to dispatch military supplies, and then pass the personnel, supplies and news to the African region responsible for the specific implementation of the mission.

The most optimistic estimate is that the time for dispatching troops will not be until the end of the year... After the war, and then the corresponding news will be sent back, it is estimated that they will have to go next summer.

There is no way, these days transoceanic communication can only rely on ships, it is so slow.

However, it is impossible for the business community to wait until next summer to organize the production of a large number of goods, and then set off to transport them to Europe. If this is the case, it is estimated that the first batch of expanded goods will arrive in Europe the next year.

If you really want to do this, the day lily is completely cold... After all, it is not your family that wants to eat this piece of fat in the European market, but countless domestic ones.

In order to eat the fattest European meat as soon as possible, as soon as the news of the European free trade plan was announced, many domestic companies engaged in international trade have already started to take action.

Fuqing Tea Company, the largest tea export trading company in China, has directly expanded the quantity of tea it purchases, and plans to expand several production lines to prepare for the rapid growth of the European tea market in the future.

In addition, a batch of tea was urgently collected, and more than 5000 tons of tea were shipped to South Africa. For this reason, a large cargo ship with tens of thousands of tons was hired...

This speed is faster than the preparation speed of the army!
Other export traders are also very fast. For a while, various export goods are quickly transshipped from various domestic ports, and then shipped to Africa and South Africa non-stop.

These are all for the first time to seize the European market and want to eat the first bite of the fattest fresh meat.

And these moves have also been passed on to domestic industry and even agriculture (tea, mulberry)... because they found that there is more demand for goods on the market.

Even Anhua Textile Co., Ltd., which is currently engaged in new-type cotton yarn and is still a high-end new-type cotton yarn, is the same. Several of their customers are asking whether they can increase the supply of new-type cotton yarn, because they have received a large number of orders for high-end cotton cloth for export .

In this regard, Wang Liqing comforted the customer while urging Songjiang No. [-] Machinery Company to deliver the equipment quickly...

In today's new cotton spinning market, export traders are waiting for new high-end cotton cloth, cotton cloth manufacturers are waiting for new high-end cotton yarn, and cotton yarn manufacturers are waiting for new cotton yarn equipment... Finally, the pressure is passed on to Hantian Machinery Co., Ltd. In the cooperative machinery company.

(End of this chapter)