The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 754 Exchange of Interests
After the welcome reception.

The second game starts here with Liu Tao.

The second scene was not outside, but in his courtyard.

In Tingniaowu, the hot pot has been set up and the drinks have been prepared.

This time, they don’t have that many people. There are only a few people in the American delegation, and there are only a few people here from Liu Tao.

There are only ten people on both sides.

In this occasion, everyone talks about whatever comes to mind.

After drinking for more than thirty minutes, everyone started to get down to business.

What they talk about here is not just whispering, nor is it just talking about the surface, but about real and substantial things.

"Liu, you can't export your weapons and equipment like before. You know, it's not appropriate to do so! Many people are dissatisfied now and are putting pressure on us to take measures against you!" Cheney said seriously, "You know, we are different from you in the country. We have opponents, and the Democrats are watching us closely!"

The United States is ruled by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, which take turns in governing. The two parties are rivals, and the elections of both parties are also known as the "battle between the donkey and the elephant."

The two parties each represent a group of people and have different focuses in governing, but in essence they are both elite rule.

Liu Tao did not doubt the truthfulness of what Cheney said, because such voices had never ceased.

To be precise, this voice has been heard ever since the Americans suffered heavy losses in Operations Prairie Fire and El Dorado Canyon.

The international arms market is currently dominated by three major players. Other countries such as France, Britain, and Germany occupy some market share, but are far inferior to the three major players.

The three major powers are in a three-way competition, each with its own characteristics and its own territory.

The Soviet Union's arms exports were mainly to the socialist camp and countries that the Soviet Union was trying to win over. Soviet weapons were not too expensive, but they all came with attached political and economic conditions, especially the attached political conditions, which often made people feel uncomfortable.

It can be said that even if one is not from the socialist camp, once one purchases weapons and equipment from the Soviet Union, one often needs to become a younger brother of the Soviet Union, listen to the Soviet Union, support the Soviet Union, and then change the system internally.

As for economic conditions, they are secondary.

The United States exports its arms mainly to NATO countries, Japan, South Korea, and its military and paramilitary allies. These countries are either relatively wealthy or located in important geographical locations. U.S. weapons are often very expensive, and there are also many additional political and economic conditions, especially economic conditions.

For example, financial jurisdiction needs to be opened up, certain oil fields need to be handed over to American companies, or American companies need to be allowed to enter the market and compete.

It’s not like the United States hasn’t done this before, providing military loans to other countries, asking them to import American weapons and equipment, and then gaining benefits from the attached political and economic conditions.

The export of weapons and equipment in China is purely commercial trade. Whoever places an order will be exported as long as they follow the rules. This is mainly in third world countries, and the Middle East is an important customer.

In the past, third world countries basically only had the choice of the United States or the Soviet Union, but now there is a third option, and payment for weapons is often flexible and changeable.

For example, an agricultural country can export grain and fruit as debt repayment. If a country is rich in mineral resources but unable to develop them on its own, it can cooperate to develop the minerals and even build roads and bridges for this purpose. The first highway and the first railway in some countries were built in this way.

"Liu, we are friends. You can't continue doing this. We are under a lot of pressure now." On the other side, a middle-aged white man in his forties said, "Of course, if you have any conditions, you can raise them. These are all negotiable." Liu Tao knew this middle-aged white man. He later became famous and was the future head of the Bush family.

The Bush family was already a large family in the United States. Its original head was a manufacturing tycoon, and the mistress of the family at that time came from a financial giant.

Coupled with the ability of the current head of the Bush family, it can be said that the Bush family's industries now cover oil, banking, military-industrial enterprises and even sports.

It can be said that their business covers most countries and regions in the world.

The origin of the Bush family should be Samuel Bush. Samuel initially ran a steel manufacturing business, but soon discovered the bright prospects of the oil industry with his keen eyesight, and quickly established a cooperative relationship with the Rockefeller family's company, and then developed. After the end of World War I, Samuel became close friends with Wall Street financial tycoon Walker, and then their children were married.

When World War II broke out, Prescott Bush managed to get into the military industry, and the Bush family's wealth expanded rapidly. Later, Prescott established a personal relationship with Eisenhower, and he was successfully elected to the U.S. Senate in 1950.

In the United States, there has always been a revolving door between politics and business, with successful businessmen entering politics and retiring from politics to enter the business world.

The young Bush in front of us was later laughed at for having low IQ and low ability, but as the heir carefully cultivated by the Bush family and enjoying elite education, how could he be that kind of person? That kind of person could not support the Bush family at all.

In fact, the Bush family continued to grow stronger under George W. Bush.

People are never equal. They are unequal from birth!

For example, George W. Bush was very successful in the business world because he had the help of noble people behind him. The reason why these noble people helped him is naturally self-evident.

When Liu Tao heard him say this, he immediately smiled.

"First of all, you must not cause any obstacles in the development of the Mekong River, Chao Phraya River, and the Kra Canal," Liu Tao said slowly.

The Mekong River project and the Chao Phraya River project involve shipping, hydropower development, and water resource utilization. The Mekong River alone is enough for Yunnan Province to ship to the Mekong River. In the next ten years, the annual cargo throughput of Jinghong Port alone will reach 250 million tons, not to mention that there are 14 ports and docks along the entire Mekong River. These are huge benefits.

Besides, large hydropower stations can be built on the Mekong River, which can play a role in flood control, power generation, water diversion, irrigation, etc., which can affect all areas along the river.

What happened with the Mekong River project is the same as with the Chao Phraya River project.

The Kra Canal can greatly shorten the route through the Strait of Malacca, so that ships entering the Pacific Ocean or the Indian Ocean no longer need to pass through the Strait of Malacca and detour through Malaysia and Singapore. Instead, they can enter directly from the Andaman Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean, shortening the voyage by at least 1200 kilometers.

From the security perspective, it can be said that it plays a huge role.

Everyone knows that you can't put all your eggs in one basket.

Things like these that involve lifeblood cannot possibly be put all in one basket.

However, these projects have been criticized by some environmental organizations internationally, who believe that these projects will damage the environment.

As for whether there is any force behind the scenes pushing it forward, everyone knows it.

(End of this chapter)