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Without oil, cars could not be driven, and warships could not be driven, which was an absolute fatal blow to the British Empire. However, apart from the many oil fields in Dutch Indonesia and the United States, the British Empire has not yet found oil fields in the territory or colonies of the British Empire that can be fully controlled. Since the discovery of amazing oil fields in the Middle East, there must be many oil fields, even super oil fields, in the British colonies that occupy a large part of the Middle East. This is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for the British Empire.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Cabinet must take this matter seriously, and we will do our best to organize experts to go to the Middle East in search of oil. As for the conflict between the French and China, if the British Empire intervenes, what will be the impact on us? Will there be another tragic war? What are the consequences of failure? Prime Minister Arthur Belfour asked. He had to think all of this through, and if he had just ended the Boer War and was caught in another war, then he probably wouldn't want to stay in this position any longer!

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, we can first join forces with France to put pressure on China. If the Chinese know each other and give up some of the benefits, then everyone can develop together. But if the Chinese do not agree, then we can only use force! Lord Lansdowne, the Foreign Secretary, said. Obviously, he knew that the Chinese would certainly not agree to such conditions, and in his opinion, the French were simply whimsical. China has cost so much to take the Kingdom. And it will give the Kingdom a rent of 100 million Chinese dollars a year, how can it be easy to give up those interests.

Prime Minister Arthur Belfour nodded, if he could get huge benefits without using his sword, it would be great. However, there is no free lunch in the world, and it is almost impossible to get so many benefits from the greedy Chinese!

"An order can be given to the ambassador to China to express our displeasure to China on behalf of the United Kingdom. No matter what. The Kingdom of Najd is a French colony, and the Chinese's support for the Saudi family's subversion of the Kingdom of Najd has affected peace in the Middle East and posed a great threat to our allies and us. If necessary. You can bring in the U.S. ambassador to China and the Russian ambassador to China. In any case, we are all members of the Entente now, and we should work together! Prime Minister Arthur Belfour reminded.

"Yes, Your Excellency Prime Minister, I will explain it!" Lord Landsdownne, the Foreign Secretary, said. However, no matter how you look at it, the means they take. It's not destined to have any effect.

"Diplomatic efforts need to continue, but at the same time, militarily prepared. From now on, the British Empire's armies in India, Australia, and the Middle East and North Africa. Be ready for battle. Once the Chinese resolutely do not back down, then we must be ready for war with the Chinese. I don't want the army to be unready by then! Prime Minister Arthur Belfour said sternly. Since France cannot be abandoned, then. Britain had to bite the bullet and have a good fight with the Chinese. The more well prepared, the smaller the cost to the British Empire.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister. The Navy will be ready. However, it is impossible for the main naval forces to go to India to compete with the Chinese for sea supremacy, and we can only guarantee the safety of shipping routes in the Mediterranean Sea at most. And, after the fleet leaves the British soil, we will be in serious danger from Germany, and the Reich must be prepared for this! Lord Chancellor John Fisher reminded. The Royal Navy of the British Empire was now able to threaten the Chinese Navy's new battleships, with only six Dreadnought-class battleships, and the French's four 'Guba-class' battleships were okay. However, if he entered the Indian Ocean and fought with the Chinese, he really did not have much confidence.

"The Germans will not try to go to war with the British Empire at this time, we are not ready, and the Germans are not ready! When there is no certainty of victory, Wilhelm II will not act rashly. In addition, I believe that Germany is also very interested in oil in the Middle East. If you don't know, China and Germany will clash because of this! Prime Minister Arthur Belfour said with a smile. It would be great if it really could be as he imagined. Even among the allies, there will be conflicts for their own interests. Not to mention that between China and Germany, Gen is not a real ally.

"Your Excellency, the Army will be as ready for battle as possible. However, if you want to win against the Chinese in the Middle East, it is very difficult. The army must undergo a new round of military expansion and draw more troops from the colonies! Field Marshal Neville Powers Sir Chamberlain said. Although the British population is not large, the vast colonies have a very rich population and can provide a large number of soldiers for the British. And those colonial people, even if they die on the battlefield, Britain will not care, anyway, it is not the Chinese who die.

"Can the Ministry of Finance prepare a special fund for this operation?" Prime Minister Arthur Belfour asked.

"We have just ended the Boer War, and the Ministry of Finance has no extra funds, and our gains in South Africa will not be effective until at least next year. However, we can ask the major banks and industrial and commercial investors to sponsor the Imperial Team. They can't forget the oil fields in the Middle East! Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Thomson Ridge said.

"Okay, then do it. If those guys want oil from the Middle East, they have to pay a sufficient price! Prime Minister Arthur Belfour said. Britain's foreign expansion was almost always driven by these industrial and commercial capitalists, who needed vast markets and resources, so in many cases, they had to pay for the government's foreign wars.

China's discovery of staggering super-oil fields in the Middle East has also attracted Germany's attention. However, Germany's attitude is a bit more complicated. Germany lacks almost everything but coal. In terms of oil, it is even more barren. Almost all of the oil consumed by Germany is imported from abroad. Because of the closer relationship between Germany and China, and the relatively early development of gas engine technology in Germany, the number of cars used in Germany is more than in the United Kingdom. In 1900, there were already more than 20,000 cars in Germany, and this number is also growing wildly. In addition, the warships of the navy have also been replaced with oil-fired boilers, and Germany's oil consumption is also rising year by year. Whether we can get a safe and stable oil supply channel is very important for Germany. At present, only Romanian oil fields are able to meet these conditions. However, Romania's oil production is too small, and last year's oil production was only 300,000 tons, which is far from meeting Germany's needs, and Germany still needs to import a large amount of oil from the United States, Russia, and the Netherlands.

China has found super oil fields in the Middle East, which Germany is very envious. Although China has also paid a huge price for this, everyone in Germany believes that Germany needs to share its own piece of the cake. Otherwise, wouldn't Germany's efforts over the years to contain Britain be in vain? Wilhelm II also frequently summoned important ministers of the government and the military to discuss countermeasures to see what means could be used to make China willingly cede some of its interests, and at the same time, not to damage the friendship between China and Germany.

Now that the Central Powers and the Entente were in the midst of a fierce confrontation, it was too late for Germany to take hold. Therefore, not only China cannot do without Germany, but Germany is also inseparable from China!

However, Germany also knows that it will not be so easy to want China to share its benefits. However, they also had to do so for the sake of Germany.

On July 29, 1902, the British, French, American, and Russian ambassadors to China appeared at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally protest against China's efforts to help the Saud family overthrow French colonial rule in the Kingdom of Najd. Because France is the country concerned, the French ambassador to China, Pierre, became the dominant party this time.

"Your Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom of Najd has always been a colony of France, and the interests enjoyed by France in the Kingdom of Najd are sacred and inviolable. China's actions in the Kingdom of Najd have already seriously affected the interests of France and caused great harm to France! The French government officially notified China to immediately stop providing assistance to the Saudi family, withdraw its troops stationed in the Middle East, and at the same time, compensate France for its losses in the Middle East! Pierre, the French ambassador to China, shouted arrogantly in front of Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang.

There was an elusive smile on the corner of the mouth of Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang, who seemed to have completely ignored the accusations made by the French ambassador to China, Pierre. As for the French, together with the other member states of the Entente, to come to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to exert pressure, he had already expected it. However, he does not believe that will make China back down. The China of today is no longer the China of the past. Three years ago, China was able to endure to the end in the face of the five great powers and win the war. After three years of recuperation, China has begun to digest the benefits of the war. China is now far more powerful than it was three years ago, and naturally no longer needs to fear the threat of the Entente. At the same time, China has made so many efforts and paid such a huge price for the Middle East, how can it be intimidated by the Entente and then give in?