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Chapter 1081 National Prosperity Plan (rd update, please subscribe)

What is real help?
Li Yian, who was holding a cigar, took a puff and began to think seriously, as if he was really thinking about how to help those developing countries.

This enthusiasm is sincere and unreserved.

After thinking for a long time, Li Yian said slowly:
"As the saying goes, 'It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish!' We need to work on both talent training and equipment construction to help them build an industrial system, at least a preliminary industrial system."

Is this... still you?

Li Guoren was really a little skeptical. As an old friend, he knew you well. Your greatest characteristic was... he was a typical imperialist, or Darwinist. It sounded a bit too unbelievable that he mentioned such help now.

Because of his close personal relationship with you, he often speaks directly and without any taboos. At this time, Li Guoren has already doubted your intentions.

You must have good intentions!

I know him!

He never does anything without a benefit - helping foreigners?

is it possible?
There is either a conspiracy or a trap, that's for sure!

"Sir, this doesn't seem to be of any benefit to us. After all, the purpose of our loan is to open up the market and export industrial products."

Hearing Li Guoren's question, Li Yian said:

"I know, but it won't hinder us! Not only will it not hinder us, but to a certain extent, it will help our industrial product exports."

After a slight pause, Li Yian asked.

"Guo Ren, you know fertilizer, right?"

"Uh……"

Li Guoren simply chose to remain silent.

"Chemical fertilizers were introduced to Tangshan in the 20s, but until the late s, only a few people had the habit of using them. The annual import volume was no more than a few hundred thousand tons. However, compared with the s, the usage has increased several times. This is true for Tangshan and other countries. In backward areas, the use of industrial products is lagging behind. What we need is to help them establish consumption habits."

“Spending habits?”

Li Guoren was a little dreamy. If Zuo Xiaohan was here, he would definitely understand Li Yian's thoughts.

"Yes, it is the consumption habits, and the establishment of this consumption habit is related to the basic industrial system we helped them build."

After taking a puff of cigarette, Li Yian looked a little proud, and he continued:

"Guoren, now Nanyang is also a major equipment industry country. Ten years ago, all industrial equipment had to be imported, but now? We are able to produce large-scale cutting-edge industrial equipment. In terms of industrial equipment, we are both a buyer and a seller. But, take a closer look, how many large-scale industrial equipment have we sold in the past few years?"

"Sir, large industrial equipment is expensive. Only a few countries can afford it, such as Tangshan. However, Tangshan prefers to introduce Soviet equipment."

Li Guoren added:

“So large industrial equipment is more susceptible to political influence.”

"politics!"

Li Yi'an said:
"It will affect a lot of things, but - what if we give them a reason they can't refuse?"

"Why can't you refuse?"

"Yes, just like I said before - help them build a basic industrial system. For those politicians who are determined to make their country rich and strong, will they refuse?"

Li Yian waved the cigar between his fingers and said:

"How should I put it? We in Nanyang are indeed a major equipment industry country. We can manufacture everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, and swims in the water. Moreover, the technological level of our equipment industry is not much different from that of Western countries. This is not bragging, it is a well-known fact!"

In fact, this is exactly what Li Yian is most proud of. Nanyang’s industrial development path is somewhat similar to that of Dongda. Dongda has received all-round help from the Soviet Union. During the First Five-Year Plan, 3133 Soviet experts participated in 156 aid projects at Dongda, covering all sectors of Dongda’s industry. They were involved in talent training, equipment construction, industrial standards, etc. It was with this kind of hands-on help that Dongda was able to establish an industrial system in a short period of time.

And what about Nanyang?

Relying on more than 40,000 German, Italian and Japanese experts and scholars, as well as machines dismantled from Germany, Japan, Italy and other countries, and industrial equipment imported from the United States, an industrial system was established. Unlike the thousands of Soviet experts in Tangshan, these intellectual talents from Nanyang basically stayed in Nanyang in the end, and they had long become a part of Nanyang.

In addition to these experts and engineers, Nanyang even introduced a large number of skilled workers from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. Thanks to this, Nanyang actually "transferred" the German industrial system, at least part of its industrial system.

After years of digestion and absorption, Nanyang has leapt to the forefront of Western countries in terms of industrial scale, product quality and technological content.

Therefore, Li Yian dared to brag about this because it was true. "But what? On the other hand, Nanyang is not a traditional industrial country, so the export of our products is subject to certain restrictions, which cannot be compensated by putting a traditional German brand on it."

There are many German brands in Southeast Asia, such as BMW and Zeiss, which have been around for at least a hundred years. The reason why Li Yian wants to "inherit" these German brands is not because he worships foreign things, but to facilitate exports.

In another world, why has Shanghai Automobile of Dongda always been the No. 1 in Dongda’s automobile export industry? It is because the “MG” and “Roewe” it acquired are traditional British brands. Although they are not sold well in Dongda, they are very popular in Europe.

That’s brand recognition.

Compared to a brand new brand with no recognition, people are more willing to trust old brands, and this is also the reason why Nanyang products are so popular, as they have high brand recognition.

"After all, ordinary consumers are limited by their cognition. They will recognize the German brand in Nanyang, but it is not so easy for national official projects. They understand that Nanyang is Nanyang and Germany is Germany. So, how should we break the circle?"

"loan."

Li Guoren said directly.

“For now, this is the best approach.”

Li Yian nodded.

“This is indeed a good way, but we cannot rely solely on loans. Loans are just paving the way. In the end, we still have to rely on the market…”

Li Yian, who already had a plan in mind, continued:

"Although our technology level is not low, it is still unrealistic to compete with traditional industrial powers such as the United States and Britain in high-end equipment. However, we can consider another market - the market for mid- and low-end equipment,"

"Low- to mid-range equipment?"

"It cannot be called low-end or mid-range equipment, but rather small and medium-sized equipment. Only large countries can afford large equipment, and one set of large equipment can be used to buy five or ten sets of small and medium-sized equipment. For developing countries with limited funds, it is very wise to choose such equipment."

After thinking about it, Li Yian added:

“Of course, we can’t just sell low-end and mid-range equipment, which will lower the quality of ‘Made in Nanyang’. After all, the business card of Nanyang has always been ‘good quality at reasonable prices’. So, we can’t just present ourselves as a provider of low-end and mid-range equipment, because if we do, people will look down on us and give us a low-end impression, which will even affect the product image we have been working hard to create.”

In building the product image, Li Yian can be said to have spared no effort, from acquiring a large number of German, French and British brands to strictly controlling quality, to abandoning low-end clothing and transferring them to Malaya, Surabaya, Mindanao, Kyushu and even the Taiwan Islands. His purpose is to ensure that Nanyang manufacturing appears in front of the world with the image of high-end products. The image that has been established with great difficulty will naturally not be easily broken.

“Why not just present yourself as a provider of mid- to low-end equipment?”

Li Guoren said with a confused look on his face:
"What image is that?"

Li Yian took a puff of his cigar and said slowly while exhaling smoke:

"My idea is not mature yet. I think we should not simply sell equipment, but solutions."

"Solution?"

Li Guoren immediately became interested. This word was relatively new to this era.

“Yes, that’s the solution.”

Li Yian said,

"Let me put it this way. Apart from the United States and Western European countries, most of the world is a developing country. For developing countries, if they want to develop, they must establish a basic industrial system. They not only lack equipment manufacturing capabilities, but also lack system integration capabilities. They are not good at analyzing their own needs, or in other words, they don't understand how to develop their own industry. They are often greedy and are influenced by European and American manufacturers to buy a large number of high-end equipment that they don't need. After buying it, they find that they are limited by technology and other reasons and cannot form their own industrial production capacity. What we have to do is exactly the opposite. We have to tailor it to the actual situation of developing countries and provide them with relatively cheap but low-tech equipment that is suitable for them. No!"

Li Yian emphasized his tone and said:
"Instead of providing equipment, we are providing a solution. What is this solution? It is not a solution for industrial equipment, but... a solution for national industrialization. It helps them systematically plan a basic industrial system solution. To be precise, it allows them to implement the basic industrialization of the country with very little money. It should be called a national prosperity plan!"

A plan to make the country strong!

When he said these words, Li Yian was also a little excited. When will a country launch a special national prosperity plan to help another country?
This is something that is tailor-made for developing countries. Just copy this template and you will surely become rich and powerful.

Don’t even think that just this plan alone could make you a great man in this world!

"National Prosperity Plan!"

Li Guoren was surprised, thought for a while, and said
"Sir, your suggestion is very good. It can really help. But... Sir, don't you worry that the apprentice will starve to death if you teach him?"

Because the two have a close relationship, Li Guoren always speaks his mind. As soon as he said this, Li Yian, who was holding a cigar, looked at him and said.

"Guo Ren, you still don't understand industry, industrial production technology... and you don't understand business either."

When leaving the official residence, Li Guoren could not help but look forward to the upcoming meeting with Hassan and others. It was not because of anything else, but simply because being able to help a country get rid of poverty and ignorance was such a noble thing, even if it was written in a diary or memoirs, it was worthy of a special mention.

(End of this chapter)