Chapter 308 The Most Sincere State-to-State Aid in History
Chapter 308 The Most Sincere State-to-State Aid in History
On October 1868, 10 (August 15, the seventh year of the Tongzhi reign), Bismarck, the representative of Prussia, and Shao Quanzhong, the imperial commissioner and plenipotentiary of the Qing Dynasty, signed the Treaty of Berlin between Qing and Prussia at the Berlin City Palace.
The two sides formed an alliance and carried out all-round cooperation in politics, economy, military and technology.
The two sides upgraded their diplomatic relations to the ambassadorial level. Prussia established an embassy in Dongjiaominxiang, Beijing, and the Qing Dynasty established an embassy in Berlin. Shao Quanzhong appointed Wu Ziyi, the minister of the Zongli Yamen, as the first Qing Dynasty's ambassador to Prussia.
Wu Ziyi became the first ambassador sent abroad by the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty had not even sent an ambassador to Britain. Of course, Shao Quanzhong himself joined the Windsor royal family and could directly cooperate with Britain, replacing the identity of the ambassador.
The Qing market was fully open to Prussia. Within the territory of the Qing, including the vassal states, Prussia had investment priority second only to Britain. All commercial investments that did not conflict with Britain would be approved unconditionally and were not subject to any restrictions on shareholding ratios. Tax incentives were implemented similarly to those in Britain.
The Qing Dynasty established the Annan Special Economic Zone. Prussian investments in Annan were tax-free, and Prussian nobles had the right to reclaim wasteland in Annan.
The Qing Dynasty leased Hanoi and Haiphong Port in Annam to Prussia, allowing Prussia to station troops there for a period of 25 years at a rent of one mark.
Prussia sent 200 scholars to teach in universities planned to be built in various provinces of the Qing Dynasty, 1,000 teachers to teach in Western-style primary and secondary schools established in various provinces of the Qing Dynasty, and 2,000 senior technicians to teach in technical schools established across the Qing Dynasty.
The Berlin Military Academy sent a military advisory group consisting of fifty teachers to serve as instructors at the Baoding Army Officers School.
The Qingpu United Mining Company, a joint venture between the Wen Group and Prussia, was established to develop the Halong open-pit anthracite mine in Guangning, Annan, and the Shilu high-quality iron mine in Qiongzhou Prefecture, giving priority to meeting Prussia's military needs.
The Qing-Pu Military-Industrial Consortium was established as a joint venture between Krupp, Ren's Arms Company and Wen's Arms Company, and the Mauser brothers were appointed as senior directors.
A joint arsenal was established near the coal mine in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, Annam, to produce Mauser bolt-action rifles and Krupp breech-loading artillery.
The Shilu Iron and Steel Plant was built at Shilukengkou to produce Krupp artillery steel, which was a secret of Prussia.
Prussia sent a sufficient number of experts to establish the Qing-Prussian Joint Weapons Research and Development Center in Hailing, focusing on the application of tungsten in high-speed steel and tin in war food storage, as well as the pre-technology and process requirements for double-row magazine bolt-action rifles, Mauser pistols, and rapid-fire cannons drawn by Shao Quanzhong himself.
The Qingpu Manufacturing Consortium was established in Hailing to develop and produce various latest machine tools.
The Qing-Prussian shipbuilding consortium was established. Zhenjiang Shipyard and Prussian Vulcan jointly established Zhanjiang Shipyard to produce large-tonnage steam-clad warships and develop pure steam-clad warships without sails.
Prussia provided technical experts, and the Qing Dynasty promised to invest 8 million taels of silver every year, and both sides shared the research results. Prussia was allowed to send experts to conduct detailed actual measurements and replicas of all ironclad ships of the Nanyang Navy.
An agricultural technology consortium was established in Hailing, with Prussia providing chemical experts to focus on the development of fertilizer technology, and both sides shared the results.
The two sides also signed a secret agreement, in which Shao Quanzhong promised that within three years, the Qing Dynasty would be responsible for sending troops to find an opportunity to expel French forces from the six southern provinces of Annam and hand them over to Prussia for free.
Prussia also enjoyed tax exemption for investment in the six southern provinces of Annam. Cam Ranh Bay was leased to Prussia as an anchorage for the Prussian Far East Fleet.
The French Concession was expelled from Shanghai and the city was handed over to Prussia for use.
In the event of a possible military conflict between Prussia and France in the future, the Qing Dynasty will provide military support, including directly dispatching the Nanyang Navy and its various fleets, the army, mercenaries, and the troops of vassal states.
The signing of the Berlin Treaty and the Berlin Secret Treaty gave Prussia its first overseas colonies, which were given to it for free by the Qing Dynasty. Prussia received free funds to develop its navy, and it only needed to provide experts.
A huge market with a population of 400 million is open to Prussia. In the future, Prussia's economic situation will improve by leaps and bounds, and huge amounts of funds will continue to flow into Prussia as military expenses for its hegemony.
The Qing Dynasty voluntarily became a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country, which was a clear act of treason.
Prussia also received strong support from the Nanyang Fleet and the Huai Army, which had brilliant international records. Especially with the support of the world's third largest fleet, the shortcomings of the Prussian Navy were immediately made up, and its confidence was greatly boosted.
Shao Quanzhong's full sincerity won high praise from William I, who awarded Shao Quanzhong the Blue Max Medal on the spot and named him Count of Heidelberg.
Shao Quanzhong was not moved by this at all. He had almost no place to hang his medals, and Heidelberg could not be moved to the Qing Dynasty. He did not care about that little bit of tax revenue at all.
William I expressed his deep apologies, saying that Prussia's territory was too small now and he would definitely give Shao Quanzhong a higher official position in the future.
Of course, Prussia was not getting a free lunch, and an unprecedented and sincere international aid immediately began.
At the order of William I, the Vulcan Shipyard and Krupp Arms Company immediately selected personnel, dismantled equipment, and sent two-thirds of the personnel and the existing complete mechanical equipment to the Far East.
A large number of brand new machine tool factories were demolished and moved directly to Hailing.
At the same time, various relevant professors, scholars, experts, technicians, and teachers began to gather on a large scale.
This was the most sincere and practical aid from country to country unprecedented in history. Of course, it actually happened later, but Shao Quanzhong didn't know about it.
Prussia will send all three of its existing ironclad ships and escort transport ships to transport a large number of personnel and mechanical equipment to the Far East.
The Nanyang Fleet was split again to form a temporary escort fleet led by Deng Shichang, with the Zhiyuan as the flagship, to assist in the escort of the Prussian transport fleet. Three battalions of the Guards Brigade accompanied the ship for escort.
Only the flagship, two Johnson-class cruisers, five auxiliary ships for transporting supplies, and a battalion of 1,500 guards were left to escort Shao Quanzhong. Shao Quanzhong's visiting team finally lost a lot of weight and became a normal-sized visiting fleet.
Since Shao Quanzhong changed his mind temporarily while in London and fully cooperated with Prussia, he no longer had to deliver Maxwell's handwritten letter. Bismarck would go to Munich in person to help Shao Quanzhong with this matter.
Prussia dismantled the equipment and gathered people, and it took several months to complete the task.
Shao Quanzhong had a tight schedule, so he left Wu Ziyi as his full-power agent in Berlin to negotiate with the Prussians. He also left Deng Shichang's fleet in the port of Hamburg, and returned to London on October 10 with only three warships and five auxiliary supply ships.
He was passing through London and was preparing to visit the United States next. He specifically asked not to receive her formally, but to visit Rong Hui in a private capacity and in casual clothes.
As soon as she arrived at Luo Weilin's house, Rong Hui received a pile of telegrams. "Brother Shao, what trouble have you gotten yourself into again? Why are there so many telegrams coming to you all at once?"
(End of this chapter)