The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 268: Reverse Colonization with Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Characteristics (Please vote, please subscribe)

Wu Wang Mansion, the scene of friendly consultations between British and Taiping Heavenly Kingdom diplomatic representatives.

Luo Yaoguo: "Minister Wen, we, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, are different from the Qing demons. We are willing to trade and interact with all foreign countries on the principle of equality and mutual benefit. However, any treaty that requires us to pay unilaterally is unacceptable and cannot be maintained in the long run. The Treaty of Nanjing is such a treaty that requires China to pay unilaterally and cannot be maintained."

Wen Xian: "Your Highness, the King of Wu, we are different from the Qing Dynasty. We have no ambition for China's territory. What we pursue in the Far East is only the interests of trade. China is a huge market with a vast territory and a large population. If we can open the market to Britain, it will definitely bring huge benefits to both of us."

Luo Yaoguo: "Minister Wen, you must understand this fact. Although China has a vast territory and a large population, the vast territory does not produce a lot of gold and silver that can be used as international hard currency. The large population has reached the upper limit of what China's land can bear. In fact, China does not have as much arable land as India. Because China has few plains, but too many mountains, plateaus, and deserts, and the northeast has not been developed due to the Qing Dynasty's ban policy. Therefore, the market that you British people expect to be several times larger than India does not exist. China has a population, but lacks the ability to pay."

Wen Xian: "Your Highness, King Wu, China has a huge amount of silver, a total of 30 to 40 billion taels. How can you say that China has no ability to pay?"

Luo Yaoguo: "Although there is a large amount of silver circulating in China, it is the accumulation of hundreds of years of participation in international trade, not produced in China. The outflow of millions of silver every year will inevitably cause serious deflation in China's domestic currency and a growing economic depression. In addition, apart from China, which major country in the world is practicing the silver standard? It seems that there is none? You, Britain, have long been on the gold standard. In fact, the value of silver is not supported by China's imports but by China's exports. The larger China's surplus, the more stable the value of silver, and the larger China's deficit, the lower the value of silver. At present, more than a dozen taels of silver can be exchanged for one tael of gold. If a large amount of silver flows out of China, then in the future perhaps more than a hundred taels of silver will be exchanged for one tael of gold. If Britain wants to export more goods to China, the best way is to restore the gold and silver composite standard and increase the value of silver! Instead of dumping a large amount of harmful opium into China, that will only make China fall into poverty more quickly."

Bonham: “China may be able to produce more high-value crops, such as cotton”

Luo Yaoguo: "If China wants to exchange enough cheap cash crops for Indian opium or British industrial products, it will inevitably reduce the production of food, which will mean that a large number of people will starve to death! Once such a situation occurs, no regime can maintain its rule. The Qing Dynasty cannot do this, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom cannot do this either."

Bonham: "Perhaps what China needs is good governance and necessary reforms. Britain has rich experience in this area and can provide advice and assistance to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

Luo Yaoguo: "What China needs is not moderate reform, but a turbulent revolution! However, the idea of ​​opening up the Chinese market and obtaining a huge trade surplus for a long time is completely unrealistic. This cannot be achieved through internal changes in China. For example, the reforms that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is currently promoting in accordance with the "Tianchao Tianmu System" will not create the market you want at all, because when the land is divided equally, the agricultural products that could have been sold to buy opium and British industrial products will become food for the poor. The changes caused by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can actually provide more population."

Bonham: "You may be right, but the British side will not think so. They will still actively seek partners to cooperate with. If you can't let them see the possibility of cooperation, they will look for others."

Luo Yaoguo: "Let them find it, their efforts are doomed to fail"

In Nanjing, inside the Prince of Wu's palace, negotiations are still going on.

Luo Yaoguo was still hiding in the shadows, while Wen Xian and Wade were given a desk and two chairs near the entrance of the lobby, where they could sit facing Luo Yaoguo. Wade also spread out a notebook, translating and taking notes at the same time.

Hong Xuanjiao, Wang Yan and Chen Chengrong sat on both sides of the lobby, each with their own desk and chair. The three of them took turns serving as Luo Yaoguo's Hakka translator.

In addition, several clerks from the Prince of Wu's Palace had placed tables and chairs on both sides of the lobby, and were writing furiously, recording the contents of the negotiations between the two parties verbatim.

Although the negotiations were conducted in a friendly atmosphere, they inevitably fell into a deadlock. It was not because Bonham and Wade wanted much benefit, but because they had to find a way to deal with London.

When faced with increasingly serious social conflicts at home, the masters of the London Parliament like to transfer the conflicts abroad, especially to a big, weak and seemingly fat country like China.

After the First Opium War tore off the mask of the Celestial Empire, their tone became louder and louder. They were very dissatisfied with the decline in Britain's trade surplus with China in recent years, and they were all eager to further open the door to the Chinese market.

If Bonham brought them an "equal" treaty, this British envoy would be criticized as a British traitor!

Bonham's backer, Viscount Palmerston, was also a well-known hardliner on foreign policy. He was responsible for invading China, dismantling the Vienna system and going to war with Russia. In addition, "opium houses" such as Jardine Matheson and Butterfield & Sullivan also spent a lot of pounds in the House of Commons, so the hardliners on China were very loud in the House of Commons. As for the friendly faction towards China, there were almost no such people.

"Your Highness," Wen Xian said with a frown, "You think that the efforts that are doomed to fail can win short-term political dividends for some people. And the consequences of failure are probably not borne by them, but by future generations! And we now need to reach an agreement that London can accept, even if it is impossible to fulfill."

His words were very clear, so obvious that even Wade didn't know whether to translate them.

"Thomas, translate as I said. We need achievements. Lord Palmerston also needs achievements."

Of course, Luo Yaoguo listened to every word he said.

He had already anticipated the difficulties faced by Wenxian and the stance of the British Parliament masters. Otherwise, he would not have placed Luo Xueyan in Shanghai as a buffer.

If he wants the British Parliament masters to vote seriously, his magic power as a "devil" is still not enough, at least not now. If he can "conjure" up the gold mines in South Africa and the Kimberley diamond mines in the future, there may still be some hope.

At this time, Wenxian's words had turned into Hakka.

Luo Yaoguo had no intention of continuing to argue with Wen Xian, but instead took out a plan he had planned long ago that would fool both parties.

Luo Yaoguo: "Minister Wen, diplomatic negotiations are usually quite long. It is unrealistic to expect to achieve the final result through one or several negotiations. This time you arrived in Tianjing and met with me, the military advisor in charge of the Heavenly Kingdom's foreign affairs, and reached a temporary agreement. You can also make breakthroughs in some aspects and maintain contact on the aspects that the two sides cannot reach an agreement on for the time being. This is a huge achievement!"

Wen Xian: "So, in what areas can we make breakthroughs?"

Luo Yaoguo: "First, we can establish consulates in each other's countries. Britain can establish a consulate in the location of my royal palace, which is currently Kunshan and will be Suzhou in the future. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom hopes to establish a consulate in Singapore, the capital of the Straits Settlements, to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese expatriates and merchants in the Southeast Asian region."

Wen Xian: "There is no problem with this. Diplomatic institutions should be established in both directions."

Luo Yaoguo: "Second, the two sides signed an agreement on free trade and labor export. British merchants and all goods except opium can freely enter and exit Suzhou, Songjiang and Taicang under the control of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Correspondingly, laborers and merchants in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's jurisdiction can also freely enter and exit the Straits Settlements. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom needs to guarantee the property and personal safety of British merchants in the controlled areas of Suzhou, Taicang and Songjiang. And the British side should also protect the property and personal safety of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's laborers and merchants in the Straits Settlements. Mr. Wen, if your Straits Settlements want to develop, you must introduce a large number of Chinese workers. I think this is good for you, right?"

Bonham: "It should be acceptable to London."

Luo Yaoguo: "Third, the two sides signed an agreement to protect missionaries. British missionaries can freely preach and open churches in Suzhou, Taicang and Songjiang controlled by the Wu Palace, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will give corresponding protection. And the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's God Worshipping Society missionaries can also preach and open churches in the Straits Settlements, and the British side should also give corresponding protection. Mr. Wen, can London accept this?"

Wenxian frowned, always feeling that this "angel" was digging a hole for him! But this one was indeed very fair! Why could the Church of England preach in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but the God Worshipping Society of China could not preach in the Straits Settlements?
"Yes!" He nodded. "I think London can accept it, but what about the Treaty of Nanjing?"

Luo Yaoguo: "We can discuss it slowly. When I open the Westernization Military Advisory Office in Suzhou, we will discuss it in detail."

(End of this chapter)