At the behest of the Cabinet, Fan Li, head of Far East Foreign Affairs of the Chinese and American Foreign Ministries, officially launched the "Hermit Crab" program, and the entire Far East intelligence department entered a state of high operation. This initiative to flap the wings of the butterfly naturally shifted the attention of the people in charge of the country from the domestic agricultural summer harvest and the European war to Asia.

As for the issue of the historical nodes in the East, as early as more than ten years ago, after the Eastern Expeditionary Fleet set sail, it would cause some collisions in the middle of the crossing crowd from time to time. As the clock ticked into 1642, this head-to-head confrontation with history became more frequent. On Monday, July 28, after several informal discussions on Oriental topics, both the Diet and the Cabinet held formal discussions on key issues internally at the same time.

With the civil war in England on the verge of breaking out and the Thirty Years' War in Europe reaching its most critical stage, the atmosphere for the next attack on France is quietly brewing. Whether it is the Chinese Army or the Navy, the relevant military force projection plan has already made some preparations. As for the problem of approaching the historical node in the East, the popularity of the military more than ten years ago has decreased a lot, so that the latest version of the "Far East Military Action Plan", which was once "updated every year", was drawn up three years ago when Lu Xiangsheng, the governor of the Ming Dynasty, was killed in battle.

The Congressional Far East Research Group has not yet returned, but the summary report of the Songjin Campaign of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which has been analyzed in detail by the Military Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Defense for several months, has attracted widespread attention from the Congress.

Poor strategic deployment and logistical scheduling, sluggish intelligence response, virtually non-existent grass-roots organization of the army, and the will to fight like a tiger fearing the enemy from top to bottom, coupled with the absurd combat habit of being natural and indiscriminate with guns and artillery outside the firing range, made the Ming army, which had the armament of the local tyrants in the 17th century, achieve a result comparable to the original history.

Even though the traversal people were already familiar with the crux of the stubborn disease of military power in the late Ming Dynasty, it still caused some people to vomit hysterically. Because no one can accept a military armament that is quite gorgeous and beautiful in a year's munitions manufacturing capacity, it will be completely defeated by the Ming army in a few months.

The state came forward to take Hong Kong Island that year, but the Oriental Union Group has been shouting that it is losing money in the arms "tribute" transaction in the past few years. Even if the progressives wish that the liberals would make less money, they have to carefully consider whether this kind of generous arms export will continue to be of value in delaying the defeat of the Ming army.

Huamei's comprehensive national strength has been dramatically improved compared with more than ten years ago. However, whether to "re-orient" or "re-west" has become the focus of debate between the two houses of Congress.

The controversy continued from morning to noon, and finally the idea that the Far Eastern route, which was not yet rich, had the upper hand in sending guns and artillery to the Manchus in disguise. In the afternoon, the National Assembly voted by a very narrow majority to pass the "Temporary Limitation of Arms Exports from the East." The bill stipulates that in the next three years, under the circumstances of uncertainty, except for the recipients of the "Hermit Crab Program" designated by the National Security Council, the arms exports to the Ming Dynasty officials through Macao as an intermediary will be greatly reduced, and only the maintenance of bilateral trade relations will prevail, especially the reduction of heavy artillery weapons of mass destruction.

Then. The National Assembly passed a resolution by a narrow majority, asking the cabinet and the military to formulate a "National Defense Development Plan for 1643-1650" and to formally adjust and increase the proportion of the national defense budget from next year. The most important thing is to formally integrate military intervention in the Far East into the scope of the country's overall military strategy. The determination of this fundamental stance can be regarded as setting a phased tone for the "emphasis on the east and the west," which has been vacillating since the founding of the People's Republic of China 21 years ago.

It is said that after the promulgation of this resolution with a narrow majority, it was strongly criticized by some progressive legislators in private, on the grounds that the OUCC was suspected of trying to kidnap the state for its own personal gain under the banner of justice. Whether it is the semi-independent Temasyl Liberty Territory or the ongoing Luzon project, the future benefits of OUCC in the country's Far East layout are far more than a monopoly of the Far East route.

Naturally, some liberal lawmakers did not keep their mouths shut. Mocking these progressives is using the excuse of "caring about the burden of the country" to slander the OUCC group. Because before the establishment of the OUCC group, it was the Congress, which was controlled by the former state-owned faction, that first "drove out" the liberals to bear the operating costs of the Far East.

But everyone knows that, together with the future independence of Luzon, the content of military intervention in the East will be finalized. The biggest beneficiary is definitely the OUCC Group, which means that the colonization policy in South Africa that has been set in the past few years will have to change. Because from the very beginning, it was impossible for the country to abandon the main strategic direction of the Atlantic and European, since the core could not be relaxed. The military forces deployed in South Africa are not simply for the use of South Africa.

Once the country's overall military focus shifts eastward, much of South Africa's militarized expansion will have to be slowed or even suspended, which is undoubtedly the worst news for the Guoxing Group, which only recouped its costs last year and intends to expand deeper into the interior of South Africa. The cabinet under Prime Minister Oh Won Il, who led the expansion of overseas governorates. It is precisely in this matter that "double standards" cannot be pursued.

……

Although the summer night sky had just darkened, the clock showed that it was already 21 o'clock in the evening. At this time, the building located in the Navy headquarters on the West Side of Long Island was still lit in one office after another.

In almost every office of the Navy Headquarters, there are one or two naval officers who are immersed in copywriting, the sound of flipping papers and whispering occurs in every corner, and occasionally one or two young officers who come in and out will bring a few documents in and out.

In the office of the deputy commander of the Navy, a middle-aged admiral with the rank of admiral was standing in front of the window with his back to the door, quietly watching the night of the harbor in the distance.

The black shadow of a large, wide ship was leaning against the military dock in the port area, and its whole body was flashing with a chain-bead light. From a distance of several hundred meters, the night shift workers of the Beiyang Shipbuilding Group, which looks like small black spots, are still carrying out the final inspection and commissioning work for the light cruiser Mir, which is about to officially enter service after the end of sea trials.

Seeing the workers' working attitude day and night, Zhang Chunrui's slightly tired face finally showed a hint of relief. I took out a cigarette from my pocket, habitually lit it, and just took two or three puffs, I felt a slight strangeness in my chest.

An irrepressible loud cough wafted out of the office of the deputy commander of the Navy, and several young officers passing by looked at each other, but walked away quickly.

A little irritably, throwing the cigarette that had only smoked a few puffs into the ashtray, Zhang Chunrui loosened his collar and breathed in the cool breeze outside the window.

"General, the hurricane in Bermuda the day before yesterday damaged the logistics and maintenance spare parts warehouse at the local naval base, and it will take about a week to clean it up. The dry dock of the base also partially seeped into the water and was temporarily unusable. It is hoped that the command of the Navy will approve the transfer of supplies from the base in the homeland. ”

Colonel Katarina, director of the General Secretariat of the Navy Command, walked into the office and happened to see Zhang Chunrui coughing vigorously. While putting a copy of Wen Jiàn on the table, Caterina couldn't help but softly advise: "General, you should go home early and rest." ”

"Okay, please General Andrew arrange it next." Zhang Chunrui signed the document that needed to mobilize the transport ships and logistics supplies of the home fleet, and then waved his hand indifferently, "It's okay, Colonel Katarina, you should go home early." The kids should have been waiting for a long time. ”

"General......" Caterina saw that the other party had a little bad face, and her heart tightened, but when she saw the other party's expression was stern, she had to turn around and withdraw silently.

"Lao Zhang, aren't you going to get off work yet? Oh, it's Colonel Katerina, bring me a cup of herbal tea, thank you. ”

As he was talking, he saw Admiral Wang Tiezhu, the commander of the navy, striding in. He was still holding a copy of Wen Jiàn in his hand, and the expression on his face was even more excited.

"Coming back from the Ministry of Defense so soon?" Seeing the smug expression of his boss and old friend, Zhang Chunrui knew that the other party must have gained a lot from this trip.

"I chatted with Lao Wu and Lao Zheng for more than an hour, hoping that we could do our best to finalize the adjustment plan for the construction of the navy in the next eight years. Only gave us two months to prepare. Otherwise, we will not be able to catch up with next year's defense budget review. Wang Tiezhu sat opposite Zhang Chunrui, and gently put the text in his hand in front of the other party, "I will hold a formal discussion meeting tomorrow to establish a research group." At least make a list of your plans for next year. I have something to go out tomorrow, Lao Zhang, you preside over it, Sun Yang, Wen Tuo and Andrew must be there. ”

"What about the basic idea?" Zhang Chunrui knew that his old friend was going to take his baby grandson out to show off tomorrow. So he smiled and nodded.

"In fact, we have discussed the basic idea many times before, that is, to ensure that the main force of our fleet can conduct a large-scale war in two theaters of operations for half a year at the same time without affecting the existing maritime security deployment!" Wang Tiehammer gulped down the herbal tea sent by Katarina, pointed to the world chart on the wall, and his face was colorful, "You can see it as half a prototype of the global naval plan. Lao Zhang, everyone is in the navy, I have been thinking about this for so many years, but I have to start doing it! ”

"Hehe, the ...... of the global navy" Seeing Wang Tiezhu, who was a few years older than him, looking like a happy old child, Zhang Chunrui's heart also rose a little hot, "Then how much money does the Congress plan to spend to make our dreams come true?" The army should also have an adjustment plan, will it conflict with us in terms of budget? ”

"Lao Zheng and Lao Wu have promised that next year's national defense budget will be raised to 5.5% of GDP, and special national defense bonds will be issued. That is, the total amount of military spending will not be less than 12 million! It will be a full 2 million more than this year, and the big head will definitely be us! Wang Tiehammer said, and lowered his voice with a mysterious expression, "In the afternoon, Ren Changle also gave a guarantee to the Ministry of National Defense that the Oriental Union Group will prepare a 'Navy Club Fund' and provide another 300,000 yuan to the Navy every year. ”

"Ren Changle, they wish we could get the entire home fleet to the Far East...... With their group of big money bleeding, then we will not lack capital. Probably long ago clear about the thoughts of some people in China, Zhang Chunrui did not refuse this kind of "folk warm-heartedness".

"Alright, that's all for today." Seeing that the other party was confident, Wang Tiezhu stood up with a comfortable face, but the moment he turned around, he seemed to remember something again, "By the way, I heard that you have been coughing for the past few days?" Lao Zhang, although the level of medical care is not as good as before, I still go to the hospital to check it out as much as possible. Zhong Lao was hospitalized again a few days ago, hey, I ...... in my heart."

"Am I older than you?" Zhang Chunrui smiled, which can be regarded as an understatement of the past.

Wang Tiehammer left, Zhang Chunrui began to bow his head and seriously look through the draft of the Navy work intention from the Ministry of National Defense, as for how long he will work overtime today, probably even he doesn't know.

……

After more than 20 years of naval construction, the Chinese and US Navy now has 46 combat ships, 18 logistics support ships, and an experimental Marine battalion, with a total strength of more than 8,200 troops, which is more than the total combat strength of the entire European Navy combined.

However, the development of overseas strategic interests has allowed the Chinese and US navies to shoulder the burden of maritime control in four maritime strategic regions, including the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the Far East, especially the vast North Atlantic. It is also regarded as a back garden by Huamei. In this way, in fact, the ocean-going combat effectiveness of the Chinese and US Navy has been diluted to a very low level. The shortage of combat ships has made the intensity of the daily combat readiness cruise of the Chinese and US Navy always high, and it can only take care of the most important backbone routes.

To "ensure the existing maritime security and simultaneously deal with the half-year large-scale operations of the two maritime theaters," as some people say, is basically a pipe dream.

In order to maintain a large-scale operation in a single maritime theater for half a year, it is necessary to invest the entire strength equivalent to the home fleet, not considering the possibility of undertaking the task of transporting and projecting troops in the theater of the army. This meant that by 1650, the U.S. navy needed 70 combat ships alone. At least half of the ocean-going capital ships will be required, and if the supporting logistical auxiliary ships are added, the construction of four new warships will have to start on average every year in the next eight years, and the total number of officers and men in the navy will be at least 13,000 by then.

Huamei has vigorously developed the maritime shipping industry in the past 20 years, and now has more than 10,000 registered seafarers, and the marine vocational schools in Songzhou and Haizhou are still cultivating all kinds of talents. If this momentum continues, the theory of future recruitment of the Navy will not be a problem. The only concern is that such a large modern navy was definitely an economic burden that no country could sustain for long in the 17th century.

If by the standards of the global navy. Based on the operational experience of the Chinese and US navies over the years, the comprehensive combat effectiveness ratio of a large-tonnage ocean-going capital ship is certainly higher than that of two small- and medium-tonnage warships. However, from the perspective of undertaking daily defense at sea, a small number of large-tonnage ocean-going warships will inevitably fall into a state of exhaustion. For expensive capital warships, frequent high-intensity cruise deployments will inevitably bring high maintenance costs. This problem was repeatedly tossed in the British Royal Navy in the early 20th century.

The U.S. Navy is not just a dream that looks like it can be piled up with money. It is also a difficult problem that must be considered for sustainable development. Taking precautions and carefully calculating every detail has become the focus of Zhang Chunrui's work in the next two months and even in the next few years. Including Wang Tiehammer, there is no experience that can be effectively referenced.

……

After all, worrying about what will happen in a few years is only something that a very small number of Huamei's nearly 700,000 citizens are doing now, but it does not hinder some of the enthusiasm of the people to participate in the "national public consciousness" advocated by "social localization".

Because of the unbridled words of some good deeds, the Songjin Battle of the Ming Empire and the Manchu Qing Dynasty in the far east quietly appeared in public and became a casual conversation on the streets. The newcomers are naturally numb and avoidant, but the old Chinese immigrants show a sense of gain and loss.

Most of the Ming refugees who immigrated to the United States are southerners, and in their fading memories of life, natural disasters may be more impressive than man-made disasters, and Europeans and the new generation of Chinese teenagers are even more ignorant of this. Some elderly Chinese people sighed, especially a small number of Chinese immigrants from Liaodong and other northern Ming Dynasty.

On Friday, August 1, a delegation from the "Autonomous Assembly of the British Virginia Colonies" arrived in Manchester, the capital of China and the United States, to be invited to participate in the third "North American and Atlantic Economic Development Forum". The participating countries or groups naturally include Spain and Portugal, two heavyweight traditional colonial powers in the Americas, and there are also three new kingdoms: the Kingdom of Sweden, the Autonomous Region of County Cork in Ireland, and the Marquis of Emden.

Historically, the process of Swedes settling in North America has been changed, but this does not prevent Huamei, who is bent on building a strategy of "suppressing Russia" in the Baltic Sea in Europe, with a specially tailored future for Sweden.

In 1638, Spain's worst year, the Swedish navy, with its weak ocean-going forces, easily captured the island of St. Bartholomew at the northern tip of the Lesser Antilles, and then at the end of that year, the Kingdom of Sweden ordered a batch of heavy guns and a Project 1200 schooner cruiser from Huamei. Driven by a business partnership agreement to "supply Huamei with high-quality iron ore and timber for twenty years in a row", Huamei acquiesced to the Kingdom of Sweden's ambitions for the Caribbean.

Sandwiched between the French island of St. Maarten and the English islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, this 22-square-kilometre island was briefly occupied by the Dutch and returned to the Kingdom of Spain as a gift after the Irish War. Historically, more than 100 years later, the Kingdom of Sweden bought the island from France.

In France, which had the deepest policy of prevention and control against the colonies, the Quebec colonies, as always, in the name of the French king, politely rejected this gathering with the significance of strict political and diplomatic infiltration, and England was also suspended due to the tense and chaotic situation at home, and effective diplomatic activities had been suspended. The nominal Home Rule Assembly of the British Virginia colony had to follow Huamei to continue to mix.

Virginia, which had been infiltrated by Huamei Yanzhòng, had now become a veritable unincorporated territory in Huamei. Theoretically, as long as Huamei wants to, she can easily replace Virginia with a new plaque at any time.

But for Huamei, the problem is not when to swallow the British colony, which has a population of nearly 10,000, but how to make it accept the qiē that Huamei has arranged for it without hindrance. (To be continued......)