Soon, the Chinese government sent a team of engineers to Samoa, the Mariana Islands and other places to conduct field surveys to find suitable Pacific islands for military bases. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

This move affected the larger international situation, especially the British, they also did not want China to station troops in the Central Pacific, they were forced to admit that Germany sold Samoa and other colonies to China, and they were promised by China not to station troops in the region, China used the threat of the United States as an excuse to station troops, so that the British had to intervene, but they did not want to give up their interests in China, let alone be dragged into a military confrontation or even war between China and the United States.

So the British continued to negotiate with China, and China expressed its hope that the League of Nations would impose economic sanctions on the United States in exchange for China's temporary refusal to establish military bases in the Pacific, but the British refused, saying that they would no longer build military bases in the Pacific, which was China's guarantee to Britain that China's militarization in the Pacific was a challenge to the British Empire.

"We hope that your country will understand that we are seeking to establish military bases in the Pacific region only to defend our national security, not to target the British Empire. Unless the Americans also give up militarization in the Pacific region, it is very reasonable and necessary for China to establish military bases in the Pacific region. ”

Gu Weijun explained to the British without humility or arrogance.

Chamberlain, Britain's newly appointed foreign minister, pondered for a long time before he made a major decision.

"Do you mean that as long as the United States abandons the military base in Hawaii, your country will not seek to establish a military base in the Pacific?" Can I understand that. ”

Gu Weijun was silent for a moment, and then nodded solemnly: "That's right, this is my country's attitude, and it is also a solemn commitment, we want the demilitarization of the Pacific region more than your country." ”

Chamberlain nodded, he felt that if there was no military force in the Pacific region, it would be most beneficial to the British Empire, so that New Zealand and other South Pacific colonies would be completely safe.

But there is a question: "What about Hawaii's sovereignty?" If the U.S. abandons its presence in Hawaii, will your country recognize that the U.S. will continue to rule Hawaii? ”

Hawaii is not a U.S. territory, not yet an official state of the United States, but it is a territory under U.S. rule, an overseas territory, and has a higher status than the Philippines.

Gu Weijun thought for a while and shook his head: "I'm sorry." We insist on the self-determination of the people of Hawaii and the right of the people of Hawaii to choose to govern themselves. ”

National self-determination is a self-boasting civilization of Europeans after the European War, and under the principle of national self-determination, the League of Nations supported Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and other small countries to become national states.

But Chamberlain had another set of explanations, the colonialist interpretation: "We do not believe that the people of Hawaii have the capacity to rule themselves, and it would be irresponsible to let them build their own nation now, and to push them into chaos." ”

Gu Weijun sneered: "Eighty percent of Hawaii's population is Japanese and Chinese, if the Japanese are in Japan, the Chinese can manage themselves well in China, then what reason is there to suspect that they can't manage themselves well in Hawaii." ”

Chamberlain's face was slightly red, and he understood that what he had just said was somewhat racist, and that it was the explanation that Europeans used to give to the idealists who opposed colonialism at home in colonies such as Africa. If the African tribes in Africa who have never managed their own history can be justified, then what about India, as an ancient civilization, and Vietnam under the rule of the French, these countries are obviously not inferior to the peoples who cannot establish stable regimes on their own.

"What about the Philippines? Your country's current possession of the Philippines is not only not recognized by the United States, but also by the League of Nations. ”

Chamberlain said.

After the Chinese navy occupied Manila, although it did not conduct military operations elsewhere, but after defeating the American army, it was easy for them to annex here, the United States colonized the Philippines, if the Chinese annexed here, it would be one step closer to the British Straits Settlements, isolating the threat of China from their sphere of influence, and now it has become a big foreign policy of Britain.

Gu Weijun is very sincere: "China has no ambitions for Philippine territory, we are just going to investigate the Manila incident. But it is also unacceptable for the United States to colonize a place a day's journey from Chinese territory. Our attitude is the same as always, and since the great norms of the nation itself apply to the countries of Europe, they should also apply to the countries of Asia. ”

Gu Weijun's attitude is very clear, it is still national self-determination, let the Filipinos stand up, as for this Du Li Philippines, how to deal with relations with China, how to deal with relations with the United States, theoretically is their own internal affairs, and others have no right to blame.

Chamberlain is a little big-headed, but at the same time a little relieved, the Chinese are still a relatively peaceful nation in the end, although they have a strong force, they do not intend to use this power to blindly challenge the world order, at present, it seems that they only want to make some adjustments to the order, and it is not the entire world order, only concentrated in Asia, or even only in East Asia east of Malacca, which is still acceptable to the British Empire.

As for the Americans, they will have to make a little sacrifice, or they will go to war with China.

Whatever it was, Chamberlain felt that there was no harm to the British Empire, and even that the latter was the most beneficial thing for the British Empire.

Chamberlain said that they are willing to convey China's attitude to the United States, hoping that the United States will accept it rationally.

However, Chamberlain demanded that the affairs of the Philippines and Hawaii must be supervised by the major powers under the framework of the League of Nations, that is, if the United States made concessions and allowed the two places to have national self-determination, then Britain, France, Italy and other countries would act as overseers to supervise the referendums of these countries.

"Of course, our country very much welcomes the positive role played by the League of Nations, and we have always insisted on handling international affairs as a member of the League of Nations."

Gu Weijun knows very well the bottom line of the Chinese government, it does not care about the sovereignty of Hawaii and the Philippines at all, and the purpose is only to squeeze out the American power, once the Philippines becomes independent, with the economic strength of the local Chinese, with the support of China, it will be easy to obtain political status in the Philippines and replace the Americans in the past.

Hawaii is ruled by both the Japanese and the Chinese, and they don't even need the approval of the local natives, who are less than half as many as the two countries combined.

Therefore, to let these two places stand is actually tantamount to accepting China's actual control.

As for whether this can be achieved, it depends on the wisdom of the Americans.

Gu Weijun shook hands with Chamberlain very graciously: "I hope that the United States can make concessions with China for the sake of peace and restore peace in the Pacific region." ”

Looking at Gu Weijun's back as he walked out, Chamberlain of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sighed in his heart: "Is this a mutual concession?" (To be continued.) )