Datong Street, no one knows where this road name comes from, but it certainly does not refer to Datong in Shanxi, but the meaning of "Datong in the world", located in Datong Street, the "Wanhui Pavilion" This is a club under the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a place for ambassadors and diplomats to gather, it seems to be open to all diplomats, it seems that there are no secrets, but in fact, most of the time, secret diplomacy is here, reached privately, so that in the eyes of ambassadors of various countries, here is even equal to the small Ministry of Foreign Affairs to some extent, Here they collude privately, reach an agreement, and then engage in an official form, if they can't reach an agreement...... Well, it's just an after-dinner meeting!

As before, there was no one else in this small smoking room, and there was not only one smoking room in the National Assembly Pavilion, as before, after afternoon tea, Li Ziyuan and the American ambassador Pu Anchen came to this smoking room together, Li Ziyuan took out a cigar from the cigarette case and handed it to Pu Anchen, but Pu Anchen did not light the fire immediately, what he said was completely unexpected by Li Ziyuan. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

"The current situation, you know, if our two countries continue to stalemate like this, then it is very likely that something regrettable will happen between our two countries!"

When the cigar was lit on the match, the cigarette butt made a slight sizzling sound, enjoying the aroma of the cigar, Li Ziyuan squinted and pouted and asked:

"Regrettably? Maybe, but who knows? Maybe it will be a good thing! ”

Strength!

This is the foundation of state-to-state exchanges, and the reason why Li Ziyuan was able to make such words was precisely because he had strength, to be precise, China possessed a power that the United States could not reach! This is the fundamental backing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Putting the cigarette in his mouth, Pu Anchen lit the fire with a match, and in the face of this indifferent attitude, he frowned and said as he puffed out the cigarette.

"War is never a good thing, and I believe that there is another choice between us and you than war."

Faced with Pu Anchen's words, Li Ziyuan swallowed the words in his heart. Based on past experience, he knew under what circumstances a diplomat would say such a thing. This means that there is a good chance that the other side will make some concessions.

"You have to understand that no one would choose war if they had a choice, but we wouldn't mind using war to protect our interests if we were forced to do so, would we? I believe that no country will ignore the interests of its diaspora! ”

In the face of Li Ziyuan's words, Pu Anchen silently took a puff on his cigar, and then nodded.

"I think, that's right!"

Li Ziyuan pouted, a smile appeared on his face, he knew that the other party was ready to give in.

"But as diplomats, we have to understand that anything can be traded, and of course we can solve problems between countries through appropriate deals, without violating our principles and at the expense of national interests. What do you think? ”

"Well, indeed, that's the beauty of the art of diplomacy."

Holding the cigar between his fingers, after agreeing, Li Ziyuan shook his head again,

"But you also mentioned that we can solve problems between countries through appropriate deals, without violating principles and at the expense of national interests. However, we must clearly see that the interests of overseas Chinese are one of the basic interests of the country! ”

"Well, what if it's the higher interest?"

Faced with Li Ziyuan's answer, Pu Anchen asked rhetorically.

"Where is the higher interest?"

"Yes!"

Nodding, Pu Anchen looked at Li Ziyuan and replied,

"I believe that above the diaspora, we can reach some consensus elsewhere, and of course, this consensus will help solve the problems between us now!"

What does that mean?

Li Ziyuan stared at the other party, his face did not show the slightest abnormality, as a diplomat, any strange expression may affect the negotiation, although this is not a formal negotiation, but when he received this invitation, he knew that everything was developing in a good direction,

Of course, this has to do with the situation in the United States, just a month ago, on February 4, Abraham? After Lincoln was elected president of the United States, the six southern slave states of the United States, namely South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana, jointly established government in Richmond and declared their secession from the Union. Davis was elected as the first president. Based on the current intelligence, it is very likely that Texas will join the list, and now that these states have seceded from the United States and controlled the navy, army, ports and customs within the territory, it means that the United States is on the verge of division.

It is precisely for this reason that he believes that after a long stalemate, the United States is bound to make concessions today, but now Li Ziyuan is curious about where the other side will make concessions, because they obviously do not want to make concessions on the issue of overseas Chinese, and exchange interests elsewhere.

"Hmmm......"

The hand holding the cigar shook it, and Li Ziyuan said.

"It's a possibility, but you have to understand that it's extremely unlikely, and it's impossible for us to make concessions on real issues."

Finally, he took a puff of cigarette and extinguished his cigar in the ashtray, Pu Anchen looked at Li Ziyuan and said.

"We are willing to return the concession to China!"

Concession!

Pu Anchen's words made Li Ziyuan stunned, and he looked at the other party in surprise! His eyes were full of surprise, and although it violated the basic common sense of a diplomat, he was attracted to the suggestion.

Concession!

In the past three years, China has been trying to recover the concessions, but they have not achieved practical results, and how to recover the concessions has always been the most important task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But Britain has always refused to negotiate on this, how can a breakthrough be made on this issue in such a situation?

It is precisely because of this that the recovery of the concession has become a merit that Li Ziyuan attaches great importance to!

But after a moment, he sneered.

"If I'm not mistaken, you don't have a concession!"

Yes, nominally the United States did not have a concession in China, because they gave it to the British and turned it into a so-called public concession!

"Indeed, but as we all know, it is only nominal,"

The reason why the United States gave up the concession after obtaining the concession and transferred the concession to the British was because the US Congress did not agree to the United States to obtain the concession overseas, so it had to transfer the concession to the British for management.

"Now we still have de facto control over a portion of the Public Concession, at least we still have some power to share with the former American Concession. As the ambassador of the United States, according to the authority given to me by the President, I have the right to annul the treaty signed with the Manchus and return the concession to China, so that you can make substantial progress on the concession issue and thus force the British to make concessions on the concession! ”

In the face of such a suggestion, even Li Ziyuan, who had no intention of making concessions on the issue of the diaspora, took a deep breath, and he used his smoking skills to think about the pros and cons in his mind.

It is a basic diplomatic rule that everything between countries can be traded except for absolute interests. The interests of the diaspora are important, but for the state, all the state needs to seek is justice, and as long as this can be guaranteed, then there can be a certain degree of flexibility in the very problem.

What is the essence of diplomacy?

Undoubtedly it is negotiation, and negotiation is fundamentally transaction-based.

And this deal is undoubtedly extremely beneficial for China - the United States can be used as a breakthrough to force Britain to agree to the return of the concession, and thus guarantee the country's rights and interests.

This deal is acceptable!

After Pu Anchen made this suggestion, he has been watching Li Ziyuan, and a very important reason why he thought of this deal is that he hopes to break through the current deadlock in this way, so as to fundamentally solve the current problems between China and the United States, and avoid setting up a strong enemy when the United States is in chaos.

Of course, such concessions have nothing to lose to the United States -- the United States has nothing to lose; after all, for the United States, both overseas colonies and concessions run counter to the spirit of the founding of the United States, and this is also the reason why the United States gave up its concessions in China in the first place.

Although he had already agreed to this deal in his heart, facing Pu Anchen's gaze, the corners of Li Ziyuan's lips raised slightly.

"No!"

What the?

Pu Anchen looked at each other in surprise, wasn't this exactly what they hoped for? Didn't they hope to break through the immediate diplomatic dilemma, the real diplomatic dilemma of the concession?

Faced with Pu Anchen's surprise. Shaking his head, Li Ziyuan sneered.

"Perhaps, giving up, for China, may help us break through the current predicament, but we all know very well that in fact you are not giving anything!"

Sneering and pointing out the biggest problem in Pu Anchen's suggestion, Li Ziyuan said.

"In this transaction, we will pay a substantial sacrifice, but the sacrifice is very large, even involving our bottom line! Ambassador Anson Pu! ”

Li Ziyuan's answer made Chief Pu Anchen breathe a sigh of relief, although the other party seemed to reject this suggestion, Pu Anchen saw hope in his words - the other party had actually made concessions!

Pay!

That's the most critical issue, and at least now Anson has proven that China is not refusing to trade, refusing to trade on the issue of diaspora, as long as they can get a good enough return!

Pu Anchen, who had already tested the other party's bottom line, said to Li Ziyuan after a moment of silence.

"So we're going to have another phase of negotiation now, what do you think?"

Another stage?

His brows jumped, what did he mean by that?

"Your Excellency Shangshu, we all know very well that since the founding of the Chinese Empire, your desire for overseas colonies has never stopped......

"Ambassador ......"

Before Li Ziyuan could speak, Pu Anchen interrupted him.

"Your Excellency Shangshu, please listen to me finish speaking!"

All right!

Let you finish!

Li Ziyuan said secretly in his heart, see what else you can say.

"This kind of foreign colonization, as a country of immigrants, the United States is understandable, because Chinese has a population of 400 million, although China is very large, but your population is too large, which makes your people have to live a poor life in barren land, and because of this, colonies are more important to China than any other country......"

This is the reason why countries develop overseas colonies, not only to open up markets, but more importantly, because all countries have a large surplus population, and they need to export the surplus population to the colonies, so as to reduce the pressure on the homeland, otherwise the territory is likely to fall into war.

Through the study of China, Pu Anchen knew very well that the war that led to the fall of the Manchus and the establishment of the Chinese Empire a few years ago was not so much a riot set off by a group of cult believers as a kind of release under population pressure, and the Chinese Empire established in this release naturally did not want them to be "released" one day in the future, so they made another choice - large-scale immigration overseas, so as to fundamentally solve the population problem at home.

But the will to emigrate is not enough, so they need colonies, and they have set their sights on Africa, which has been neglected by European countries, which is undoubtedly a far-sighted and far-sighted choice.

"So you need colonies!"

Taking a deep breath, Pu Anchen stared at Li Ziyuan and said.

"The United States fully understands your wishes, just as the United States proposed the "Americas of the Americans" in those years, and we believe that Asia belongs to China, and the United States believes that it is undoubtedly ......inappropriate for the Philippines, the Dutch East India, and even the British-controlled Lower Burma to be controlled by European countries."

Is this a curse?

Almost instinctively, Li Ziyuan thought of such a word, why did China bypass them and point to Africa, isn't it precisely to avoid intensifying contradictions with the great powers?

"Humph......"

Sneering, Li Ziyuan said.

"Americana America" is perhaps more appropriately described as "Americana Americans"! ”

When Li Ziyuan said this, Pu Anchen said with a smile.

"Americans are also Americans, Your Excellency Shangshu, just as the Chinese are Asians, as the guardians of East Asian civilization, can you accept that Asia is controlled by European countries?"

Just when Li Ziyuan was about to answer with a sneer, Pu Anchen suddenly changed his words.

"Of course, the United States can support your country's proposal of 'Asians Asia' now, but we don't think this is the right time, well, but as a friend, we hope to be able to reach a consensus with China on another issue! ”

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