The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 1111 Chaos and Change

Colorful flags are flying and gongs and drums are beating!
The huge dock has long been turned into a closed dock. Even if reconnaissance satellites and reconnaissance aircraft fly over the sky, they cannot detect any useful intelligence.

This huge dock is specifically used to build the Type 003 aircraft carrier!
At this time, the groundbreaking ceremony site was already crowded with people, and there were thousands of people attending the ceremony!
Soon, it was 9 o'clock in the morning, an auspicious time for breaking ground.

The groundbreaking ceremony officially began. The first thing that started was the leader’s speech, and then several technical workers used CNC cutting machines to cut several steel plates, welded them together, and completed the group assembly, which marked the beginning of the construction of the aircraft carrier.

This is just a small module on an aircraft carrier, but a tall building starts from the ground, and an aircraft carrier is made up of countless such small modules.

Moreover, compared with the Type 002 aircraft carrier, the special steel used in the Type 003 aircraft carrier is better!
Construction has begun now, and the next step is to wait until it is launched in 2007 and delivered to the navy in 2010.

The next day, North Korea sent a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, formally expelling two inspectors from the organization.

The North Korean nuclear issue is evolving in a direction that no one wants to see.

For this purpose, Liu Tao rushed back to the capital to attend a relevant meeting.

In fact, everyone’s attitude in this regard is very clear, that is, nuclear weapons only need to be possessed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The original intention of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is to prevent nuclear proliferation, promote nuclear disarmament and promote international cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has a total of 11 provisions, the main contents of which are: nuclear-weapon states shall not transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices directly or indirectly to any non-nuclear-weapon state, and shall not help non-nuclear-weapon states to manufacture nuclear weapons; non-nuclear-weapon states guarantee not to develop, accept or seek to acquire nuclear weapons; stop the nuclear arms race and promote nuclear disarmament; place peaceful nuclear facilities under the international safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency and provide technical cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

So far, there are 187 parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty!
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are also parties to this treaty.

China has very complicated feelings towards North Korea, because the two sides once fought side by side and have a life-and-death friendship. Similarly, China also made great efforts in the reconstruction of the Korean War.

According to historical records, after the armistice, a total of 10 divisions of the Volunteer Army's railway corps in Korea were involved in the reconstruction work, repairing, improving and building 282 bridges, repairing 19 lines, extending them by more than 6000 meters, 34 stations, 37 water supply facilities and 21 tunnels.

The engineering corps of the Volunteer Army focused on the construction of major North Korean cities such as Pyongyang, Hamhung, and Wonsan. In Pyongyang alone, they built more than 20 square meters of various buildings, including the Cabinet Office, hospitals, and universities.

By the end of 1957, the volunteer army units had helped the Korean people build 27394 houses, 283 schools, 432 public buildings, and other small factories and brick and tile factories.

In addition, in 1954, North Korea suffered a drought that had not been seen in a century, and tens of millions of North Koreans were short of food. The officers and soldiers of the Volunteer Army saved 700 million kilograms of food and donated more than 10 pieces of clothing and supplies to the North Korean people to help them survive the famine that year.

When the troops withdrew, the Volunteer Army handed over the barracks, camping equipment, a large amount of supplies and equipment, various ammunition and complete sets of medical equipment to the Korean People's Army free of charge. The pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks raised by each unit, the grain and vegetables produced by themselves, and the surplus coal and horse grass were all donated to the Korean troops that took over the defense.

But in fact, North Korea has always followed the Soviet Union, and even now, North Korea is closer to Russia.

Support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is beyond doubt.

Especially if other nuclear-armed countries emerge in the surrounding areas, it will be most disadvantageous to China.

Whether it is aimed at maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia or maintaining China's own good surrounding environment, we should insist on promoting the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, which is also in the common interests of all parties concerned.

But how to deal with this matter requires skills. After all, the little brother next door is poor but not poor in spirit. It is a sovereign country. If you take a tough attitude, he will choose a tougher attitude.

At this time, the United States is stepping up its deployment of troops in Europe.

According to the plan, the US military will mobilize six aircraft carrier battle groups to be deployed in the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. The navy will launch 600 cruise missiles to attack important targets of the Iraqi army. At the same time, carrier-based aircraft will take off to escort the bomber formation, seize air superiority, and paralyze the Iraqi army's command system, radar system and many other military targets in the first wave of air strikes.

The time was initially set on March 3, and the operation was code-named "decapitation operation" and "deterrence" operation, which would achieve a "quick victory" through large-scale air strikes and ground offensives.

而地面部队，则是由美国出动35万美军、英国出动4.5万英军、澳大利亚出动1万澳军、日本出动3万陆军自卫队、韩国出动1.5万韩军组成45万地面联合部队。

Together with the air force and the mobilized navy, the total strength of the joint force exceeds 10.

This kind of large-scale military mobilization cannot be concealed from the major military powers, after all, there are reconnaissance satellites in space.

As more and more intelligence gathered, Liu Tao became more and more certain that the United States was going to attack Iraq.

I have to say that George Walker is really a man with strong martial virtues. Americans also have a strong martial spirit. They are eager to attack Iraq before they even conquer Afghanistan.

But now, the strength of the Iraqi army is no less than during the Gulf War, or even stronger.

Moreover, with advance preparations and the disposal of bribed generals, it is impossible for the joint forces to march straight in and take over Iraq without any effort.

Arab countries are also increasingly dissatisfied with the United States, believing that the United States is undermining peace and stability in the Middle East and accusing the United States of such hegemonic behavior.

As the situation became increasingly tense, oil prices continued to rise. On the last day of 2002, international crude oil prices exceeded $35 per barrel and never fell again.

As oil prices rise, the impact is felt around the world.

People in Europe and the United States have found that money has become worthless, or that commodity prices have become more expensive, and have generally increased. Even refueling cars is much more expensive than usual, and natural gas used at home has also become more expensive.

Socks, shoes, clothes, etc. have all become more expensive.

Even the price of air tickets has increased.

Even in China, people have discovered that filling up the tank with gas costs a little more than usual, which means the prices of agricultural products, fruits, etc. remain relatively stable overall, and this is because the government is working behind the scenes to stabilize prices.

In the Middle East, people have not noticed that gas prices have increased, but the prices of other commodities are rising.

If I had to sum up 2002 in one word, it would probably be chaos or change!

(End of this chapter)