Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2565 The Big Brother's Choice Is Truly Different (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Technical exchanges will be conducted under the premise of confidentiality.

It must be said that Andropov was very good at keeping secrets; he knew very well what was most important.

Whether he understands technical communication or not is another matter.

Technical exchange!
Almost every time Li Yi'an visited the Soviet Union, he hoped to conduct relevant technical exchanges with the Soviet Union.

He was acutely aware that while the Soviet Union was largely lagging behind the West in science and technology, it possessed unique strengths in many technological fields. After all, as the other side of the Cold War confrontation, it was able to confront the United States for a long period without falling behind.

They certainly possessed exceptional technical skills. And indeed, after the end of the Cold War, the United States conducted a large-scale effort to acquire talent and technology from the Soviet Union, systematically recruiting scientists and engineers from former Soviet research institutes, factories, and independent workshops. The focus was on missile and rocket designers, mathematicians, nuclear physicists, rocket engine engineers, aero-engine designers, aircraft designers, and bioengineers.

In other fields, the United States also obtained research services from Soviet research institutes at extremely low prices through collaborative research.

It can be said that the United States reaped a wave of "Soviet dividends" by introducing a large number of Soviet engineering and technical personnel and related technologies. As for the so-called US-led international capital swallowing up "Soviet state-owned enterprises", this is a false proposition, because the vast majority of Soviet enterprises had no value worth swallowing up at all.

On the one hand, apart from the military industry, the vast majority of Soviet civilian enterprises were in a state of technological and equipment backwardness. Even military enterprises were unable to maintain normal production after the dissolution of the Soviet Union due to the principle of division of labor and cooperation among the constituent republics.

Like the Il-76, its production lines were scattered across former republics such as Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Russia was unable to manufacture new aircraft for a time, and its exports were mostly refurbished second-hand planes. The production plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, went bankrupt.

As can be seen from the situation after the collapse of the Soviet Union, basically all the enterprises that survived became the private property of oligarchs, leaving no room for foreign capital to intervene.

In reality, the benefits of the collapse of the Soviet Union were never the so-called "Soviet enterprises," but rather Soviet technology. After all, technology was far more important than the enterprises themselves.

American companies achieved further development after the collapse of the Soviet Union by introducing talent and technology.

Knowing all this, Li Yi'an naturally hoped to promote his own development by introducing Soviet technology.

Although the SEA did import a considerable amount of technology from the Soviet Union under the impetus of high-level officials, most of the time, due to strict secrecy measures, the outside world had no idea what high-value technologies the Soviet Union possessed.

If these technologies are civilian technologies, they might be made public. But if they are military technologies, or related to them, then sorry, they must be kept secret not only from foreign countries, but also from our own country.

Therefore, this meant that the SEA could not obtain much technology from the Soviet Union.

The poor communication caused by this strict secrecy system had a far greater negative impact on the Soviet Union than on the SEA. After all, they kept even their own people in secret, and military technology could only be used for military purposes.

For this reason, the channels for technical exchanges with the SEA have always been in a state of semi-paralysis – there are not many technologies from the Soviet Union that can arouse the interest of the SEA.

This time, Yonghe Airlines' attempt to purchase giant transport aircraft gave the Soviet Union an opportunity.

Faced with such a request that was tantamount to spying on secrets, the Soviet Union did not refuse but agreed directly, or rather, showed their toys to the buyer.

This is to tell the other party – I have a good toy, now it's your turn to bid.

After the initial informal exchanges, the next step was to get official involved. Moscow indicated through official channels that this kind of business required official intervention, thus elevating it to the official level.

After officials from the Ministry of Trade and Industry met with officials from the Soviet Ministry of Trade, the latter made their direct request: to purchase 1400 mm oil pipelines and monitoring and control technology for the oil pipelines.

Ultimately, the Soviet Union's request was reported to Li Yi'an, who had mixed feelings upon receiving the report.

It wasn't because the Soviet Union coveted the technology of oil pipelines and transportation lines, even though SEA was a world leader in this field.

His feelings were complicated, entirely due to the Soviet Union's decision.

"Actually, they could exchange it for something more valuable."

After expressing this sentiment, Li Yi'an, while somewhat surprised by the early debut of the An-225 transport aircraft, also acknowledged that it was somewhat expected. The An-125, through a butterfly effect, was developed ahead of schedule and extensively used for airlifts to Ethiopia. The early debut of the An-225, in turn, is directly related to the space race, with the space shuttle and giant launch vehicles both being part of that competition. However, transporting them to the launch site proved to be a challenge for the leaders of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Aviation Industry.

Theoretically, air transport is the best option. However, even in a disassembled state, neither rockets nor space shuttles can be accommodated by existing transport aircraft. Therefore, the Antonov Design Bureau opted to attach the space equipment to the back of the aircraft.

Therefore, the An-225 was launched ahead of schedule, driven by the space race.

"Our space exploration also needs large aircraft like this!"

Knowing why Yonghe had purchased the An-225, Li Yi'an was well aware of what he would do to obtain it. "Actually, if the Soviet Union had made the request, I would even have agreed to export high-performance chips to them..."

Hearing his father say this, Li Yixuan simply smiled and said:
"Even if they got their hands on them, they couldn't manufacture them. With the development of electronic technology, the complexity of the technology itself limits the possibility of it being copied. If they want to get them, they can only do so through trade. Of course, they can also smuggle them, but some chips cannot be smuggled."

Nodding slightly, Li Yi'an said:

"Yes, so they need export permits, but now the Kremlin has made another choice..."

"Father, Moscow has always had an urgent need for modern oil equipment and has shown a strong interest in our machinery and technology," Kosygin emphasized during his visit to our country two years ago, stressing the importance of developing cooperation between our two countries in the energy sector.

Because of his past involvement in that meeting, Li Yixuan was very clear about what the Soviet Union wanted:
"For the Soviet Union, exporting oil and natural gas to Western European countries not only increased its foreign exchange earnings and strengthened its voice in the international energy landscape, but also objectively increased Europe's dependence on Soviet oil, thus achieving the goal of dividing the US-EU alliance."

The latter, in particular, has been using oil for years to increase its influence in Western Europe, gradually making Western defense and industry dependent on Soviet oil—a situation even more dangerous than a military threat. The practical need for foreign exchange and the political need to divide the Western alliance are precisely why they want to acquire the 1400mm pipeline and oil pipeline control technology.

It's perfectly normal for them to take this opportunity to make this request. As for the rest, at least on the surface, they don't seem to be more important than oil.

"Yes, it's not more important than oil. So what is most important? It seems that for the Soviet Union, oil was the most important thing. Can you imagine? Compared to everything else, they actually chose oil."

When Li Yi'an said these words, his tone was sarcastic, as if he were mocking the hostility of the Soviets.

"It was somewhat unexpected, yet also somewhat predictable."

Li Yi'an nodded at his son's words and said:

"After the war, with the relative depletion of the Baku oil field, a traditional oil-producing region, the Soviet Union's oil base gradually shifted eastward to western Siberia. Whether it was to transport oil to the European part of the country, the economic center, or to export it to European countries in exchange for foreign exchange and technology equipment, sufficiently cheap and efficient means of transportation were needed, and large-diameter pipeline transportation was the most economical option."

This is also why the United States tried every means to prevent the Soviet Union from obtaining large-diameter pipelines. Back then, we took advantage of this opportunity to exchange a large amount of technology by exporting large-diameter steel pipes and related technical equipment to them.

Thirteen years ago, with the Soviet Union's 40-inch steel pipe production capacity leaping from zero to 600,000 tons, the "Friendship" oil and gas pipeline to Europe was finally completed. Amidst shouts of "Hurrah!" from the Kremlin, news also emerged from Washington announcing the end of the embargo on Soviet steel pipes.

When this period of history was mentioned, Li Yi'an thought of the deceased. Of all the leaders he had met over the years, the one he regretted the most was the "Corn Emperor." At least, he really wanted to do what was best for the Soviet Union and to benefit ordinary people. Of course, he was also a man of faith!
It's a pity... In many ways, this world is a reverse selection process.

He sighed inwardly, and then continued:

The "Friendship Oil Pipeline," approved by Khrushchev, allowed Siberian oil to be transported all the way from the Urals to Western European countries.

The oil fields in Western Siberia are almost all flowing wells, with high reserves and high production.

The ensuing era of high oil prices allowed the Soviet economy to ride the wave of growth. Rising oil prices enabled the Soviet Union to rake in foreign exchange earnings from oil, filling its treasury and giving it the confidence to confront the United States.

The enormous wealth generated by oil exports, in turn, spurred the development of the Soviet oil and gas industry.

According to our intelligence, the Soviet Union could reap an enormous profit of 30 to 40 rubles after three years for every 1 ruble invested in Siberian oil and gas fields.

When his father mentioned this extremely high profit return, Li Yixuan said:

"Father, I remember you once said that it was the profits from oil that caused the Soviet Union to lose the motivation to reform its economic system, and also greatly improved the daily living standards of the Soviet people, further diminishing their sense of crisis, is that right?"

Having already discussed the Soviet Union's oil issue with his son, Li Yi'an nodded slightly and said:

"Yes, because oil is like a unique commodity, it's addictive too quickly. The massive extraction and export of oil brought supernormal profits that changed everything and completely transformed the Soviet economy."

In fact, Khrushchev didn't know at the time that the "Friendship Oil Pipeline" he laid wouldn't bring him friendship, and the thousands of kilometers of oil pipeline wouldn't be a road to wealth, but rather a shackle, slowly leading the Soviet Union to... the gallows!

Li Yi'an paused slightly, his expression becoming serious and solemn. After a moment of contemplation, he continued:

"The Friendship Oil Pipeline may have brought wealth to the Soviet Union, but it was precisely that... that led the Soviet Union to its doom! A sick body cannot survive in the competition between great powers!"

(End of this chapter)