Finally, at the end of November 1775, Chu Bai signed a trade agreement with the Kingdom of Spain on behalf of the Tang Republic, which was officially named the "Tangxi Madrid Trade Agreement". Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 infoThe agreement stipulates a series of rules for trade between the two sides, and is the most complex trade agreement signed in the history of Spain, not only the tariffs of almost all common categories of trade goods are specifically stipulated, but even how to operate under different conditions have detailed explanations, and the entire agreement is more than 200 pages, which is extremely rare in the eyes of people in this era.

However, considering the 15 years of trade negotiations that the People's Republic of China has conducted in order to join the WTO, the trade negotiations have not been very difficult.

On the surface, the Madrid Agreement has more restrictions on the Tang Republic, such as restricting Datang merchant ships from only going to the ports of the three New Spanish colonies, and not going to the Spanish mainland for trade, and only allowing 50 Datang merchant ships to trade each year, but from a practical point of view, this restriction is actually equivalent to no for Datang. It was unlikely that the Tang would send more than fifty merchant ships to trade with Spain, and each Tang merchant ship was huge enough to meet the trade needs of the Tang Dynasty.

As for the issue of trade between the three ports, although there are some restrictions, the bilateral trade is still in its infancy, and it is unlikely that it will be expanded to many ports at once, and the three ports involve three major regions, Mexico, Peru and Chile all have the output that Datang needs.

There is also the five-year revision of the Madrid Agreement, and during the five-year implementation period, if Datang finds any problems, then there will be a chance to change it after five years. This is also an important backhand.

Originally, the Spaniards hoped to add such clauses as anti-piracy and anti-smuggling on bilateral routes to the agreement, but Datang was obviously unwilling to directly cut off the smuggling port of Vallarta, and Chu Bai cited the reason that the Tang government needed to consider it. This provision was not included in the agreement. The Madrid Agreement will inevitably hurt the interests of Vallarta's smugglers, some of whom may become regular traders and pay Spanish export duties from Alpulco, while others may continue to do illegal business, although the colonial government is likely to take more drastic measures, such as sending troops to Puerto Vallarta and strictly restricting and combating smuggling.

In short, as long as the merchant ship arrives in Datang. The tax and port authorities don't care where the ship came from or whether the tax is paid at the port of departure, because those customs duties have nothing to do with the Tang Republic. As long as the commercial tax paid to Datang at the Port of Long Beach, these merchants were allowed to do business in Los Angeles.

Of course, the Madrid Agreement also includes some more important annexes, some of which are major trade contracts between the government and the government, and the typical representative is the army of the Kingdom of Spain to the Tang North Industries Group. Buy 1,000 rifles for each of the two types of export rifles. 50 bronze smoothbore guns of the SC1774 type.

The Spanish side didn't want to purchase so much at first, but Chu Bai showed the bottom line on the occasion, and the purchase amount was not enough, so Datang thought that the risk was too great, so it would not be exported to Spain, and Spain had to pay for it. Carlos III paid out of his own pocket to buy the weapons for his royal guard. Of course, the complacent king thought that after getting this batch of Tang muskets. His craftsmen were able to imitate it.

Of course, His Majesty the King and his courtiers were even more satisfied by the Tang Dynasty's agreement to export a series of technical machinery to Spain. These include the typical results of the industrial revolution, such as the Watt steam engine and the Jenny spinning machine. In order to obtain these industrial machinery and their related manufacturing technology, Carlos III had to agree that the purchase of the above goods in large quantities, and the Tang merchant ships transporting the above mechanical products were not included in the normal trade quota ships.

These devices are so expensive that His Majesty has a headache to deal with them. It was a few ministers who took the king's affection for the king, and the machines could increase the productivity of many industries in Spain, and even if they were sold, they would make a fortune for the royal family.

Although the sale to Spain will greatly increase Spain's national strength, but it will take some time for Spain to apply these technologies to industry, and Datang itself has more efficient mechanical products, even if Spain's spinning exports increase, it will not be able to compete with domestic products with higher production efficiency in Datang's homeland. As for things like the Watt steam engine, Datang is not uncommon, the navy is tired of playing with reciprocating steam engines, and the next step is to develop steam turbines and gas turbines, Datang has achieved basic electrification, and many machinery are electric.

And the sale of these machines to Spain, the Tang people still have wilting intentions. The machines of the first industrial revolution, such as the Watt steam engine and the Jenny spinning machine, have now been invented by the British and are being used in their own factories. By the end of the 18th century at the latest, these things would spread to European countries, and although the British issued a ban on the export of machines, they did not last long, and the smuggling of machines abroad occurred from time to time. The money from the sale of the machine, if Datang does not make money, the British will also make it. Moreover, handing over these things to Spain, Britain's main competitor, and enhancing Spain's industrial capacity and national strength, will further expand Spain's ambitions, make European competition and conflict more intense, and will also erode Britain's competitive advantage, making the European powers fight more fiercely.

In fact, Datang not only plans to sell the machine to Spain, but also to other European powers, such as France, Prussia, Austria, Portugal, and even to the United States in the future, which of course depends on the extent of the competition with the United States.

The value of industrial exports is huge, especially mechanical products, and Datang can choose to hold these slightly more advanced products, for fear that others will learn them. But even so, Datang's various products will not be marketed around the world because of the lack of competition, after all, although Datang's production efficiency is high, but the goods produced are limited, and there are already high trade barriers between countries, unless there is a war, it is difficult to break through.

By taking advantage of the trade in some industrial products such as exporting machinery, Datang can brutally plunder the funds of various countries, so as to better support the technological progress and industrial development of the country. Liang Zhenhai, Minister of Industry, is a person who actively advocates the export of some low-tech machinery to foreign countries, and he believes that many domestic industrial enterprises will not be able to eat enough only by relying on Datang's own needs, and if there are no orders, no funds, and simply relying on the government's blood supplement, it is impossible for enterprises to develop, and Datang's industry will not be really strong. Empty technology, no product, or the same as nothing.

Now Datang is mastering the third-generation technology, selling the first-generation products, and engaging in the research and development of the fourth-generation, Liang Zhenhai believes that it is the most suitable route. Datang's industrial development is fundamentally not how to cherish oneself like a broom, but to accelerate development and progress, and become bigger and stronger.

Even so, the Cabinet finally approved the sale of some of the industrial machinery that was already available at this time, such as the Jenny engine and the Watt steam engine, which were invented in the sixties of the eighteenth century (Watt made three major improvements to the steam engine, which was not finalized until 1790, but the first patent was applied for in 1769). At best, Datang can only be regarded as a great promotion of existing technologies, and does not subjectively promote the progress of the world's top industrial standards, let alone give other countries' industries a competitive advantage over Datang industries.

Carlos III also wanted to buy a steamship made by the Tang Dynasty, even if it was not a warship, not a merchant ship with a huge tonnage, even a small ship of hundreds of tons, but the Tang people were resolute and did not let go. The real invention of the steamship was in 1807, and Datang never wanted other countries except its own accident to have the capacity of steamboats, which would weaken Datang's huge advantage in the shipping industry. Of course, it is not ruled out that after the Spaniards got the Watt steam engine, they would study it as a ship power, but even if there is a precedent of the Tang people, they do not understand the principle, and the performance of the first generation of the Watt steam engine itself is insufficient, even if they build a steamboat, I am afraid it will be difficult to reach the level of the Tang Dynasty. The steam engine used for ships at this time in Datang is a multi-expansion reciprocating steam engine, and the next step is the steam turbine.

In addition to the purchase of technical machines, Spain has also obtained permission from the Republic of Datang to send 20 students to Datang every year, these students shoulder the responsibility of learning Datang's advanced science and culture on the one hand, and on the other hand, studying and living in Datang can also make them more aware of this country that suddenly appeared, and these students are all spies to some extent. Spain is now full of interest in the Tang Republic and needs people who really understand the country.

However, the Tang people also have their own coping. Twenty international students will be divided into separate classes because of language problems, and separate teaching can selectively teach them the less advanced knowledge of the era, in case the Spanish students who have learned too much will lead the intellectual revolution after returning to their home countries, thus promoting the development of science and technology in general. As for the actions of Spanish students, there will be people in the shadows to watch them from carrying out any conspiracy or doing anything out of the ordinary.

Two Datang merchant ships traded in Madrid, and Datang goods were sought after by all classes of Spain for a while, and Spain quickly selected twenty foreign students, who were basically the children of small nobles or merchants, with some education before, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years old, and in early December 1775, they did not have time to spend Christmas with their families, so they embarked on the road to Datang. (To be continued.) )