Chapter 401 Developing the Four Southern Ports

Regardless of the true thoughts of the viewers who watched this documentary short film, the executive committee’s goal of asking the publicity department to work overtime to edit this film has been achieved. Because there is no more intuitive channel for information dissemination, these viewers will

Add a lot of your own subjective opinions to the word-of-mouth, and add a lot of added fuel and jealousy. When the news spreads, the Haihan Militia will almost be mythologized into invincible heavenly soldiers and generals.

However, during the period when the Haihan militia went out, the work at the base camp did not stop. Haihan's jurisdiction was expanding to the outside at an alarming rate. In the first three months of this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs introduced immigrants from the mainland

A total of more than 6,500 people, including more than 3,300 immigrants introduced from Annan, plus other people who came to Sanya on their own through various channels, the population growth in the first quarter of 1629 had exceeded 10,000.

At present, the total population of the areas under the jurisdiction of the Executive Committee has exceeded 30,000, and three-quarters of them have obtained naturalized Haihan citizenship. Although the Executive Committee verbally acknowledges the existence and validity of dual citizenship, it has not done so.

It is doubtful that quite a number of people with naturalized citizenship have gradually abandoned their identity as "Ming Dynasty citizens". Especially the Li and Miao ethnic groups who came from mountainous areas and the foreign population from Annan have a very high degree of recognition of the new identity. For them,

It is said that Haihan is a powerful and trustworthy regime. As for the Ming Dynasty or other regimes - I'm sorry, the people have never experienced the benefits brought by these regimes, only endless taxes and labor.

.

For ordinary people, especially those refugees who came to Sanya because of famine and war, the social system under the Executive Committee that takes care of food, housing, birth, old age, sickness and death is simply a paradise. For some people, this place is not

The policy of allowing private individuals to buy and sell land is certainly a pity, but fortunately, under the governance of the Executive Committee, there is more than just living off the land. There are too many jobs that allow people to use labor in exchange for the necessary means of living.

As long as they obtain the native place of naturalized people, the people's living standards will not only be struggling on the line of survival. They can see the hope of improving their living standards from the old naturalized people who joined the Haihan system in the early days, and even some

Opportunity has evolved from a laborer who governs people to a laborer who governs people.

The southern part of Hainan Island, including Yazhou, has always been sparsely populated. In addition, the majority of the naturalized people recruited in the early stage came from poor backgrounds. These two conditions made it difficult for the Executive Committee to implement what was originally regarded as

The land policy, which was a major problem, did not encounter much resistance, and some external civil forces that tried to fight against the executive committee were uprooted by the militia with lightning speed before it took shape. But the only

The local government of the Ming Dynasty, which can support the landlord class, has now become the spokesperson of the Haihan Executive Committee. Naturally, it will not stand up to the Executive Committee, the most powerful landowner on the island.

It is precisely with the land policy of collective ownership as the basis that the executive committee can organize efficient agricultural production, thereby liberating more labor from the land and investing it in the manufacturing, commerce and service industries, allowing Sanya to advance

It has entered the atmosphere of modern industrial society for several years.

With the gradual putting into use of the Sanya Inland River Port, the maritime trade driven by the two ports of Sanya Port and Victory Port has become more and more prosperous. After nearly two years of implementation, the free port policy formulated by the Executive Committee for the Sanya region has

Attracting a large number of Ming Dynasty maritime merchants, the trading place gradually moved from Guangzhou on the mainland to Sanya. Not only can you buy various commodities from the West, but more importantly, the origin of Haihan commodities, there is far more room to choose from.

It is larger than Guangzhou, and can also be traded by barter. There are no high taxes and no bullying by foreigners in Sanya, which is much better than Manila and Batavia, where the foreigners call the shots.

The increasingly mature financial system of Haihan Bank has also provided great convenience for the development of maritime trade in Sanya. Maritime merchants with large trade volume can travel across the ocean with just a banknote issued by Haihan Bank.

I will no longer be worried about carrying boxes of gold and silver outside. Now, in addition to Guangzhou, branches of Haihan Bank have been opened in Huizhou, Chaozhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian, which can provide local merchants with universal deposits.

Interoperable financial services. More and more maritime merchants are becoming accustomed to using Haihan Bank's banknotes. Even among some businessmen with close relationships, freely transferable bearer Haihan Banknotes have initially become a currency.

Ability to pay.

This significance is much greater than the circulation vouchers used within the jurisdiction. The role of circulation vouchers is to allow the financial sector to control the local economic scale and price levels. It is a mandatory financial measure. And banknotes begin to have the ability to pay externally.

, and its reliability comes from users’ self-recognition, which means that Haihan Bank’s credit is enough to begin to absorb more funds from Daming and invest in the construction of Hainan Island. As for how to absorb more funds

, the operation of "Qiong Lianfa" over the past year has provided the best example.

At present, the capital invested by "Qiong Lianfa" in Sanya has far exceeded the principal of more than 100,000 yuan when it was established a year ago. The latest data provided by Schneider was 420,000 yuan, which covers more than 20

Investment projects include infrastructure, water conservancy, transportation, grain, spices, sericulture, shipbuilding, transportation, manufacturing and other fields. Among them, infrastructure, spices, transportation and other projects that have achieved quick results have begun to make considerable profits. Shareholders

All the worries at the beginning have long been forgotten. Now, whenever the Ministry of Commerce launches any new projects, "Qiong Lianfa" will subscribe first without hesitation. But in "Qiong Lianfa"

While "investment in China is still in its infancy, business leaders headed by Schneider are already planning new investment areas.

"These are Pipa crabs and drumsticks sent from Lingshui. They are said to be local specialties. You are in for a treat today." Tao Donglai greeted everyone: "Use your chopsticks and let's talk while eating!"

Pipa crab, also known as "Qiong beast crab", is a rare straight-moving crab. This strange-looking crab has a large body and fat meat and is delicious. Chicken leg snail is commonly known as "beauty leg" and its meat is fat and tender, but these two seafood

They are only produced in the Lingshui area, and this season happens to be the peak fishing season. Lingshui County is only separated from Tieliang Port by a bay, with a voyage of more than ten nautical miles. The local fishermen also know the area under Haihan in the south.

They are relatively wealthy, and since last year they have been transporting their catch to Tielusang Port and even Shengli Port for sale. Specialties such as Pipa crabs and drumstick snails will naturally not be missed.

Today's occasion was led by Tao Donglai, who brought together the executive committee and some heads of economic and trade units to hold an outdoor dinner party on the front deck of the "New World". The theme was to discuss the next investment direction, or

It would be more accurate to say the next steps for external expansion.

After everyone had eaten and drank for a while, Tao Donglai brought up the topic: "As you probably know, we have basically controlled the southern coastal areas of Hainan Island and are gradually controlling the waterways in and out of the Beibu Gulf. Our next main goal is

Obtain actual control of the sea area from Guangzhou to Hainan Island and south to the east of Indochina Peninsula. Considering the long coastline on the east coast of Indochina Peninsula, we have selected four new port areas in the south before this expedition.

As a springboard, we have fought the battle, and now what we need to consider is how to save time, effort and money to build these places. I hope everyone can brainstorm on this matter and come up with ideas together."

"Why don't we first consider developing near the Pearl River Estuary? We now have more than 50% of immigrants and 60% of maritime trade passing through the waters of the Pearl River Estuary, but we only have a small Wanshan Port there, and it is both military and civilian.

However, the actual protective effect is very limited. Although we defeated Liu Xiang at the end of last year, the defeat was only by Liu Xiang, and the 'Eighteen Zhi' has not been defeated by us. If they escape on the battlefield in Fujian, then 10,000

The garrison at Shanggang probably can't stop them at the Pearl River Estuary." Yue Zhiyun from the Ministry of Shipping first questioned Tao Donglai's view.

"The establishment of a large stronghold at the Pearl River Estuary, especially a stronghold with obvious military purposes, is a relatively sensitive matter for the Ming Dynasty. We must be more cautious." Tao Donglai explained: "Of course this is not the case.

It means that we will not do anything. In fact, the Guangdong Office has started to study the local situation this year to see if we can find a solution that can be recognized by the Ming Dynasty government so that we can build a larger seaport base near Hong Kong Island.

.Don’t worry, if there is any clue about this matter, the first non-military unit to receive the news will definitely be your shipyard."

The Executive Committee has long wanted to establish a large-scale military stronghold at the Pearl River Estuary. The emergence of Wanshan Port is more like a transitional measure. The development of Hong Kong Island with a larger area and better comprehensive conditions is the real goal of the Executive Committee.

The goal is to get involved. In order to achieve full control over the waters of the Pearl River Estuary, the navy will inevitably have to continue to expand its scale on the existing basis. This is why Tao Donglai said that the shipyard will be the first to get the news.

Military unit.

Ning Qi also added: "Whether it is the northern part of Hainan Island or the area near the Pearl River Estuary, the Ming Dynasty's reaction must be considered at this stage, and the methods should not be too radical. As you just said, our current main trade objects and immigrants

The source is still the Ming Dynasty, and the relationship with the Ming Dynasty must still be as peaceful as possible. It is easy to break up, but it is difficult to mend it again."

Gu Kai asked: "To develop the area on the Indochina Peninsula, the investment will be much greater than that of developing Hainan Island. Will we also introduce external shareholders as before?"

"The current idea of ​​the Ministry of Commerce is to copy the previous practice of establishing 'Qiong Lianfa' and set up a similar institution in Annan to invest in the development of the southern coastal areas of Indochina." Schneider explained: "However, in view of the actual situation in Annan,

There probably won’t be many true businessmen among the shareholders of this institution.”

Regardless of whether it is South Vietnam or North Vietnam, foreign trade has always been firmly controlled in the hands of a very small number of privileged classes. Therefore, the slightly powerful businessmen in Annan basically have official backgrounds, and those who have the financial resources to participate in the Hai Han development plan

, most of them will come from this group. The people here basically understand the situation in North Vietnam relatively well. Schneider does not need to speak too bluntly, everyone can understand the meaning.

"If Annan officials intervene, will there be trouble in the future?" This question raised by Gu Kai undoubtedly represents the thoughts of most people here.

Although the shareholders of "Qiong Lianfa" are inextricably connected with the Ming Dynasty government, they have no foundation in Hainan Island. How the investment projects of "Qiong Lianfa" in Hainan Island are actually operated, the shareholders basically

They can only obey the arrangements of Haihan, and their background will not be of any use here. But if development is carried out in a similar way in Annan, we have to take into account the official influence on specific project operations. After all,

Those places still belong to Annan territory in name, and a large amount of manpower and materials need to be obtained locally during the development period. If the two parties have different opinions, then Haihan's influence in this development agency may not be as strong as that of "Qiong Lianfa"

” level of control.

"I'm not that pessimistic." Schneider wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and then explained his point of view seriously: "If there is moderate official intervention, it will be greatly reduced in terms of the difficulty of obtaining manpower and materials, and at the same time, we will have more resources.

There are many opportunities to promote our financial system and values ​​​​to the Annan court. Don’t forget that when they extend their hands, they also leave room for us to reach in. If this opportunity requires us to sacrifice moderate interests in exchange for

If so, I think it is acceptable. After all, in the long run, we still have to find ways to keep Annan’s interests consistent with ours, so that the cooperative relationship can go further.”

"Of course, we must limit the extent of Annan's official involvement in the development project in the contract beforehand to ensure that our core interests will not be infringed. As for the formulation of the provisions, please rest assured that it will be decided by me and Gu Kai

The barrister drafted it himself, so there will never be any loopholes left for them to exploit." Schneider said and patted Gu Kai next to him on the back.

Gu Kai shrugged and said, "I must explain that I didn't know beforehand that this guy would drag me into trouble. I won't bear the blame!"

There was a burst of good-natured laughter from everyone, and Tao Donglai took up the topic and said: "Mr. Shi and I also had an argument about whether this method has more advantages than disadvantages or more disadvantages than advantages, but in the end I was convinced by him.

Because if we want to recruit local labor and prepare materials for development on our own, it will be no less difficult than repeating the process of developing Victory Port after we crossed over, but I think no one is willing to spend the same time now.

and energy to do the same thing again. With the influence of Annan officials, we can compress the time required to a quarter or even less of the expected time. Taking such a small risk for this, I think

It’s worth it.”

For a group of travelers like Haihan, there is no feasibility issue in developing the Indochina Peninsula, only the length of time. However, this seemingly unimportant factor is what the travelers value the most——

They chose to come to this time and space because they wanted to gain greater power and more benefits in their limited lives, and even be able to pass on their fame and wealth to future generations. However, time is the biggest obstacle that restricts their achievements.

Every time traveler wants to see the day when the Haihan regime stands in the east of the world before they grow old, and achieving this goal will require several years of struggle. If you can save time at every step of expanding your sphere of influence,

In a year and a half, they may still have the opportunity to see the rise of Haihan in their prime.

Establishing a stronghold in Indochina is a necessary springboard for Haihan's forces to move south to compete for prime waterway areas such as the Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait, and Lombok Strait in the future. After controlling these choke points, Haihan can free up his hands to slowly expand in the Indochina Peninsula.

Draw a sphere of influence in the South China Sea, thereby establishing its own maritime exclusive economic zone and controlling the only channel for east-west maritime trade. Of course, to achieve this goal, Haihan still has a lot of work to do, and even has to prepare for the outbreak of a large-scale

Preparation for war. Old Western maritime powers like the Netherlands and Spain will not consciously withdraw from the Far East because of the emergence of Haihan. The rise and fall of old and new forces in the region will inevitably be accompanied by the outbreak of war. Only force can decide

the final ownership of these areas.

The process of achieving this goal may take five years, or eight or ten years, but if there is an opportunity to shorten this process, then even if there are some risks, it is worth bearing. This is Tao Donglai's point of view,

If the introduction of Annan's official power in the development of the four southern ports can help shorten the construction process, it will be a very cost-effective solution for travelers who have precious time.

After Schneider and others took turns to analyze the pros and cons, no one questioned this general direction. After all, it is the common goal of everyone to realize the rise of Haihan as soon as possible, and it is also good to make some sacrifices and concessions in terms of interests for this.

Reasonable choice.

After the general direction is finalized, all that is left is to discuss various operational details. Haihan has previously developed three ports in the Annan area: Black Tu Port, Tushan Port and Yong'an Port. It has already developed ports located overseas.

A certain amount of experience has been accumulated. However, the concession area of ​​the four southern ports is significantly larger than that of the Tushan and Yongan ports, and the development zone designated by Cam Ranh Port even exceeds that of the Black Tu Port in the north, so operation will still be quite difficult.

After the business department finalizes the general framework, Haihan will send an envoy to Thang Long Province to submit a formal cooperation proposal to the Annan court. If everything goes well, construction projects at these four ports can begin in the first half of the year.
Chapter completed!