When it comes to the composition of the pattern of the world and the changing trend of the current situation, Chen Wenqiang can analyze and study even if he does not remember every historical event clearly, and according to the general context, he has a relatively good grasp of it. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

This is the benefit of people who have crossed over, every time he thinks of this, Chen Wenqiang sometimes can't help but feel a little proud.

That's why he dared to be tough on Macau and Portugal. This is not a momentary righteous indignation, but has a deeper consideration, and can get more long-term and generous benefits.

Even if they use each other, they must reflect the value of being used. If even the use is disdained by others, it is really sad.

Dare to be tough on Macao and Portugal, dare to ignore the governor and the imperial court, Chen Wenqiang's reputation as a powerful faction is becoming more and more deserved. In a sense, this is more valuable than the important ministers of the imperial court.

Under the feudal autocratic system, even the military ministers who were in the center could not escape the fact that "the king called the ministers to die, and the ministers had to die". While this is rare, the disenfranchisement is instantaneous. The local powerful factions were much more relaxed, especially in the southern provinces, where the Qing court's control was even weaker.

It is precisely based on this consideration that Chen Wenqiang shows his strength. Let's not talk about Hunan and Hubei provinces, which have a slightly weaker control, but only Guangdong, with the solid base of Qiongzhou, the power of the provincial police, and the help of Wu Luzhen, who has gradually mastered the army, Chen Wenqiang has surpassed the nominal governor and has become an unshakable existence in Guangdong.

This is not counting the social resources that Chen Wenqiang possessed in the constitutionalist faction, and even the collusion and ties between him and the Southwest Revolutionary Party in the hands of some foreigners.

In the eyes of the Germans, Chen Wenqiang was their most powerful agent in China's competition with Britain and France, and the greatest means of gaining a foothold on China's southern coast.

In the eyes of the Americans, Chen Wenqiang's anti-Japanese tendencies and strong behavior are commendable and worthy of vigorous support.

At that time, the United States faced threats from two fronts at the same time: Germany in the Atlantic and Japan in the Pacific. April 1907. For the first time, the U.S. Navy confirmed that in order to protect U.S. security, the U.S. needs a "two-ocean navy." In the near future, in view of the necessity of guarding against attacks from the European side, concentrating the fleet in the Atlantic Ocean is still the most effective defensive measure against Japan in order to prevent the fleet from being broken by each one; In the long term. When the fleet was expanded to a two-ocean standard (with thirty battleships) and sufficient coastal defenses were built along the Pacific coast, it would become desirable to divide the fleet in two and place it in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

As for the reasons for the outbreak of the US-Japan war, the Naval Military Academy also made a prediction that was very close to reality: Japan's China policy will change from gradual economic encroachment to open aggression, which requires the United States to take action in support of the "open door" policy.

The Naval Military Academy put forward two assumptions, one of which was that one or more countries would stop Japan in a war on the East Asian continent in order to prevent Japan's policy of dominating Asia. But the Japan-Britain alliance and the Russo-Japanese pact made it seem that the United States could not find such a country on the mainland.

More likely, Japan seeks to break with U.S. containment policies and secure trade while controlling the maritime flanks (troop lanes) of aggression on the Asian continent, which would require Japan to drive U.S. power out of the western Pacific by seizing the Philippines, Guam, and possibly Hawaii. The U.S. military will fight alone. Forced Japan to withdraw from Chinese mainland. The war would be fought primarily in the form of naval battles, in which the United States would gain naval supremacy, regain lost territory, and force Japan to surrender through a blockade.

However, Chen Wenqiang's increasingly close and comprehensive cooperation with Germany has made the United States not completely reject the first idea. Just imagine, if China's military strength is strengthened with the help of Germany, then Japan may be caught in a war on the East Asian continent, and even a short period of containment can buy time for the main US fleet to move from the Atlantic to the Pacific theater.

Yes, the US Navy staff officers recalculated and assessed the American-Japanese war. Initially. They thought it would take the battlefleet one hundred and twenty days to get from the Atlantic to the Philippines, but they found that in practice the voyage could be shortened to seventy-five days. It can be further shortened after the opening of the Panama Canal. In addition, an assessment of the ship's condition by Philippine base personnel found that the fleet could be put into combat as soon as it arrived at its destination without having to make the necessary repairs as previously anticipated.

That is, in these seventy-five days, if China can contain the Japanese army. Then Japan may not be able to mobilize enough troops to occupy the Philippines. In this case, it would be possible for the U.S. military to hold on to Manila and Subic Bay and wait for reinforcements from the Atlantic.

It is only with this possibility that the US side is of course still very cautious, but this does not prevent the US War Department from completing the permanent defense project of Subic Bay as soon as possible. Pearl Harbor will be built as a base for the U.S. Navy to hold and advance in the Pacific.

Chen Wenqiang's goodwill to the United States (the Guangdong Railway Project) satisfied the Americans, who were more focused on commercial interests, and believed that long-term and solid cooperation would be a very profitable thing.

Obviously, the German side has long had such a judgment, and after the United States also joined in, the cooperation with Chen Wenqiang was more positive.

"Dongsha Island has not yet been recovered from the Japanese, and it is very close to Taiwan, so it would be very unwise for your country to intervene in the dispute." Chen Wenqiang shook his head again and again at the proposal of the German consul in Guangzhou, Hans, and said: "If your country wants to have a transit port in the South China Sea, it can only be in Yazhou, and it cannot be called a military port or used alone. ”

Dongsha Island is geographically important, as it is the gateway to the southern part of the Taiwan Strait and is located in the South China Sea. Located in the center of the Guangdong River Estuary, Hainan Island, Luzon Island and Kaohsiung, it is the only way for ships to enter and exit the South China Sea through the Bass Strait, and controls the choke point of the Bass Strait.

Hans blinked his eyes and said, "As far as I know, the former governor Zhang Renjun has found the historical books and atlases as evidence, and after the arguments between Lord Chen and the Japanese consul, he has already believed that Dongsha Island is China's territory. Personnel have been dispatched to survey and the island will soon be recovered. ”

"It is true." Chen Wenqiang frankly admitted, saying: "At first, the Japanese consul in Guangzhou made strong arguments, saying that 'the island did not belong to Japan, and the other government had no intention of occupying it, but it should be regarded as an unclaimed desert island.'" Later, the "Records of Navigation Charts", "Records of the Gentle Distance of the National Dynasty" and the "Chronicles of China's River and Sea Dangers" compiled by the British Navy Chart Bureau testified, which strongly proved that the Dongsha Islands have always been China's territory. However, after the recovery, the island is located in an important and complex way, and if it is developed in cooperation with your country, it may be a lot of trouble. Well, it's better than that. Dongsha Island is developed by Guangdong Province alone, and you can hire your country's engineers and purchase your country's equipment for the construction of the island. In case of emergency, your ship may be allowed to dock. Of course, this article cannot be made public. ”

…………… (To be continued.) )