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Chapter 1721 Eastern Treaty Organization (First update, please subscribe)
The new year begins in absurdity and chaos.

Although turmoil and absurdity continue to occur, the result is fortunately that everything is under control.

While the world's attention is being drawn to the Kingdom of Light, the situation around the world is changing.

First, after Dubcek came to power in the Czech Republic, he quickly launched reforms. While adjusting some officials, he also mobilized some experts and scholars to draft Czechoslovakia's reform opinions. Although the opinions have not yet been released, it is well known that neighboring Hungary is the best model to follow. After all, in the past decade, Hungary's economy has developed rapidly, in sharp contrast to Czechoslovakia, where the economy has deteriorated.

This year, the Prague Spring began.

Just as spring was coming to Prague, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries was established with its headquarters in Kuwait City.

Meanwhile, in Saigon, when more than 1 North Vietnamese soldiers and guerrillas launched a massive attack on the night of January 30, the Tet Festival, more than half of the South Vietnamese soldiers and police were on leave.

Not only that, they also launched attacks on more than 100 South Vietnamese cities, towns and military bases at the same time, making it seem that all of South Vietnam was about to fall into the hands of North Vietnam. In Khe Sanh, more than 6000 American troops were surrounded by tens of thousands of North Vietnamese troops.

The world moves forward in this way, regardless of human will.

For many ordinary people, they don’t care about the changes in the world, but for Li Yian who is in the official residence, he has to face it all.

"…the greatest victory of the Tet Offensive was that Hanoi had a psychological victory over the Americans. After the Tet Offensive, the Americans no longer believed President Johnson's promise that 'victory was imminent'."

Flipping through the briefing in his hand, Li Yian frowned. While making this judgment, he thought of the series of impacts brought about by this offensive.

After the Tet Offensive, the United States rejected the request to send more troops to Saigon. At the same time, Johnson chose to give up the presidential election this year because of public opposition. When President Nixon took office the next year, he began to seriously consider how to end the war as soon as possible.

It was not a serious consideration. In fact, during the campaign, in view of the rising anti-war sentiment at home, Nixon promised voters that he would develop a secret plan to quickly end the war. Nixon's foreign policy priority was to end the Vietnam War.

and then?
Soon, this war will be over.

Nixon saved the United States from the "quagmire" of war, but he also caused the United States to completely fail in Vietnam.

Recalling the information he had read before, Li Yian's brows became more and more furrowed. In the next three years, the US military will withdraw from Saigon little by little, first stopping the reinforcement of troops, then withdrawing troops, and then announcing that it will not participate in the ground war.

As for the Saigonization of the war, it is not nonsense at all.

Without the support of the US military, the Saigon army would not have been able to hold out for long. As for the Paris Peace Accord, it was just a piece of waste paper and had no binding force at all.

Soon after the U.S. troops withdrew completely, Hanoi, as a signatory, launched a full-scale offensive. After just a few months, South Vietnam as a country was finished.

Recalling all this, Li Yian stood up silently, then paced in the study, and finally stood by the window. As usual, he looked out the window and began to think.

After thinking for a long time, he walked back to his desk and took out another report, which was a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - recommendations on strengthening the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.

The report was jointly drafted by the military, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Official Residence Office, and the proposal was first formed two years ago.

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization is a collective defense organization established in Siam 13 years ago, with its headquarters also in Bangkok. The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization has nine members - SEA, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, Siam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

After ETTO was founded, it quickly became insignificant because most of its member states contributed little to military affairs. The United States' membership in the organization provided a basis for its involvement in the Vietnam War, but the organization's own response protocols were vague.

Although when Western countries established ETTO, they intended to develop it into a Southeast Asian version of NATO, coordinating the armies of member states to achieve collective defense and form a Western Pacific defense system.

But unlike NATO, ETTO has not established an army under unified command. At most, it conducts joint military training, that's all.

In contrast, ASEAN member states have made a lot of progress in improving social and economic issues. These activities are supervised by the Information, Culture, Education and Labor Activities Committee of the SEA International Development Agency within this framework.

In fact, over the past twelve years, SEA has strengthened the economic, social and cultural development of its member states through ASEAN, and enhanced their international prestige, influence and status.

However, Li Yian’s goal was not just that. As early as when he joined ASEAN, Li Yian, knowing his future fate, formulated the strategy of "Tian replacing Qi".

It is to replace the influence of the United States in ASEAN and eventually turn this platform built by the United States into its own platform.

The purpose of the United States and Australia joining this organization was to obtain a suitable reason to participate in the Vietnam War.

After they withdraw from Saigon, they can withdraw from the organization, and France and Britain will also withdraw one after another. After all, they are not willing to bear any responsibilities in Southeast Asia.

In this case, SEA will become the leader of the organization. At that time, it can adjust the organization according to its own wishes, such as establishing the ASEAN Group Army and establishing a real collective security system, which is military, as well as economic, social and other aspects of integration.

ET...will eventually evolve into an organization similar to the European Union. Of course, unlike the European Union, there is a leader in this organization, and the others are just a bunch of younger brothers waving flags and cheering.

“Isn’t it too early to integrate now?”

Flipping through the report in his hand, Li Yian frowned and said to himself:
"The best time would be a few years from now, when the United States is conducting strategic contraction,"

The United States' strategic contraction, also known as the "withdrawal from Asia," was not just about withdrawing troops from Vietnam. According to the plan at the time, the United States would even withdraw troops from Siam, South Korea and other countries.

To put it bluntly, the United States wanted to avoid the possibility of being involved in war again through this non-engagement policy. This was just a plan during the Nixon era, and it was eventually implemented in Vietnam.

But during the Carter era, the Carter administration began to implement this plan seriously, which scared the Koreans.

For this reason, South Korea launched a massive retention campaign.

Although, in the end, the United States did not withdraw from South Korea, this strategic retreat of the United States was its own opportunity.

Just grab this opportunity and replace it.

"Eastern Alliance..."

His fingers tapped lightly on the document, and Li Yian repeatedly calculated the chances of replacing him in his mind.

"The chances are still very high. It will be enough if the Americans can see the threat of war."

As long as Americans can see the threat of war, they will definitely leave Asia.

As long as the United States leaves Asia, this place will belong to SEA. As for ETAA, which was created by the Americans, it will become a tool in their hands.

What is more important is that a circle of friends will be formed - a circle of friends covering politics, military, economy and other aspects. And the person who makes the decision in this circle of friends is SE.

"The person in charge of the Western Pacific!"

Of course, if you want to be a painter, you must pay a price, and it is not just about helping your younger brothers.

Just like the emergency military assistance provided to South Korea before, and the straightforward threat of force, they are all there to tell potential brothers - even without the United States, SEA will protect you.

This protection is not only given to ASEAN members, but also to some potential members, such as Saigon.

From the perspective of strategic interests, Saigon must be preserved. Only by preserving Saigon can the Soviet Union's threat to the mainland be avoided.

After all, Cam Ranh Bay being in one's own hands or the hands of one's allies and being in the hands of the Soviet Union are two completely different concepts.

An aircraft taking off from Cam Ranh Bay only needs to fly more than 1000 km to threaten Chang'an. The real threat must be taken into consideration.

Therefore, Saigon must be preserved at all costs, or in other words, Saigon must be retaken at the appropriate time, just like helping Siam to restore, and helping South Vietnam to restore in Saigon. Of course, it is not the so-called president who is restored, but the emperor... After all, Tianfu and Tianci are his sons, and this is also the promise he made to Nam Phuong, although she died of a heart attack a few years ago, but a promise is a promise.

Li Yian's brows furrowed more and more as he repeatedly deduced in his mind how the situation in the region would change in the next few years.

As the United States shrinks, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region will undergo earth-shaking changes. How to seize this favorable opportunity and further expand one's influence is something that must be planned in advance.

What is more important is how to reconcile the conflicts with the Soviet Union in the process of expanding influence.

As he thought about it, he cast his eyes on the report in his hand. After pondering for a long time, Li Yian said to himself:
"It looks like it's time to visit the Soviet Union!"

Now the Soviet Union is the key to the future. We must reach a consensus with the Soviet Union to some extent, otherwise, violent conflict in a few years will be inevitable, and it is also time to develop a new cooperative relationship with the Soviet Union.

But what kind of gift should we prepare for the Medal Emperor when we go to the Soviet Union?

"Should we give him a medal?"

Li Yian couldn't help but complain:
"In that case, the medal would be too cheap..."

(End of this chapter)