It is really very pleasant for the two of them to sit opposite each other with a cup of tea and a cigar and talk about the world.

Chatted for a while

Major General He Fang took the initiative to lead the topic to the United States on the other side of the Pacific, and said after considering the wording; "Yuan Ding, I think you rarely think of Citigroup from policy formulation and strategic considerations, and what you just said is not only about Britain, France, Germany, Italy, but even Fusang, I can take the liberty of asking why there is no Citigroup?"

"Brother He, first tell me what you think of Citigroup?" Li Fushou did not answer directly, but asked rhetorically.

He Fang really didn't prepare for this question in advance, and he thought about it for a moment before answering;

"The present world

Citigroup has the geographical advantage of two oceans, has no direct strategic rivals in the North and South American continents, and can be said to be the best geostrategic country among the European and American powers.

Citigroup is also the world's leading immigration country, since the 80s, Europe set off a new round of North American immigration, the average annual number of immigrants as high as 1.4 million ~ 1.7 million people, the development of the western part of North America came into being in this historical background.

The Homestead Act, issued by President Lincoln, allowed 160 acres of land to be acquired in the West for only $10, and ownership could be obtained after five years of cultivation, which became a strong driving force for the development of the West, attracting European immigrants who were eager for land.

Due to the development of land in the west, the arable land area of the United States has tripled, big capitalist farms have appeared everywhere, and machines are widely used, so it has also become the largest market for Australian GM agricultural machinery.

Agricultural production in the United States has increased substantially. From 1860 to 1887, wheat production increased 1.45 times, accounting for 17.6 percent of world wheat production, and from 1880 to 1887 grain production almost tripled.

Today, the United States has become the world's first grain exporter and the second largest cotton exporter, and its agricultural and animal husbandry production levels rank among the top in the world.

Considering that Citigroup has a population of up to 60 million, the ratio of men and women in the population is relatively balanced, coinciding with a period of rapid economic development, young couples have high fertility intentions, and the annual natural increase in the number of population has reached the level of about 2.2 million to 2.5 million, and the total compound growth of the population exceeds the level of 4 million per year.

Moreover, Citigroup has vigorously introduced talents and imported technology from Europe, and has built a relatively complete light and heavy industrial system, with a relatively high level of production, and its total national economy is second only to Britain, France and Germany, ranking fourth in the world.

Its economic growth rate is quite strong, and it is expected to surpass France in the next two years, close to Germany, and if the economic growth rate does not slow, it may even surpass the British Empire by the end of this century, which is really not to be underestimated. ”

"Yes, Citigroup's economic development is booming, and it is an inevitable trend to become a major economic power in the world." Li Fushou sighed lightly.

The wheels of history are rolling forward, how can he not know how terrifying the development of Citigroup is?

But it doesn't mean that Australia is going to take care of Citigroup now and take him seriously.

On the world stage at the end of the 19th century, the protagonist belonged to the concentration camps of European bigwigs, and there was nothing to do with Citigroup, almost a transparent person.

When Citigroup dominates the world, it will take a whole Jiazi, and Li Fushou has no intention of caring about what will happen 60 years later, and it is the most important thing to do the current thing well.

Citigroup's geographical advantages are extremely obvious, and the current world center Europe across the Atlantic Ocean, the transatlantic route is also the world's famous golden route, the import of immigration and technology is extremely convenient.

Australia is similar to Citigroup in this regard, there is no absolute enemy geostrategically, due to the economic and demographic factors can be regarded as a mini version of Citigroup, because it is in a corner, it is often selectively forgotten by the European powers, which is both a bad thing and a good thing.

There are no European immigrants and my Qing Dynasty, 40,000 people are an inexhaustible treasure trove, the so-called back to the big tree is good to enjoy the shade, Australia is not worried about the population problem at all.

On the economic side

As the first industrialized economy to develop, Queensland is a scorpion in the entire Asian region and the South Pacific region ~ unique, backed by the British Empire Economic Circle, with a vast market hinterland, enough to carry the development of the whole Australia.

From the day Li Fushou stepped onto the Brisbane docks, history has changed.

Today, he is not alone in his struggle, with 18.5 million people behind him moving forward, and more Chinese immigrants will join in the future, forming a rolling wave that will sweep across the entire South Pacific region.

Based on this

Li Fushou has enough confidence to say "no," the two sides are in a hot and cold situation, Citi does not accept diplomatic representatives sent by Queensland to represent its own interests, and Queensland also does not accept diplomatic representatives of Citigroup, and Citi China's economic interests and diplomatic disputes within the Red Fort's sphere of influence are now handled by the diplomatic envoy in Qing State, which is very inconvenient.

The deterioration of relations between the two sides stems from the Citigroup Nation's discriminatory Chinese bill, which Queensland has to lodge several solemn protests every year and introduce corresponding laws to strictly restrict Americans from buying and doing business in the region, which in turn has caused strong protests from Citigroup, and diplomatic rhetoric has been fought incessantly, and there has been no substantive breakthrough at all.

As a mercantilist capitalist country, Citigroup has tried its best to maintain economic and trade exchanges between the two sides due to its interests and the British Empire behind Queensland, and the Red Fort has also tacitly cooperated, so the relationship between the two sides is in such a state of no embarrassment or embarrassment.

Major General He Fang knew that the Earl was very uninterested in Citigroup, but in the puzzle of world strategic considerations, how could this important link be missing?

"Yuan Ding, I think that although Citigroup's military strength is not strong now, after years of construction, its naval strength is still considerable, and it has a complete supporting system for light and heavy industries, which has more advantages than us in this regard, and has greater potential for the development of military industry."

"You're right, but in a short period of time, I don't see anything worth paying attention to in Citigroup?"

"Uh...... From the perspective of naval development, several ironclad battleships built by Citigroup are quite good, basically reaching the second-rate level in Europe, so I am going to take the lead in going to Citigroup to communicate with the Citigroup Navy at the same time, focusing on the three ocean-going battleships under construction, "Indiana", "Massachusetts" and "Oregon", this type of ironclad battleship has a displacement of 10,288 tons, a speed of 16 knots, and is equipped with 4 13-inch, 8 8-inch and 4 6-inch guns. A formidable ship in this day and age. ”

"Well, it's up to you to make your own itinerary and take the Voyager to Florida, where we have well-established businesses and reliable business partners to make your trip easier. Li Fushou nodded in agreement, and then asked; According to the current level of shipbuilding of Citigroup, without help from Europe, it is already possible to independently build 10,000-ton battleships? ”

"Yes, Citigroup's original shipbuilding industry was larger, mainly concentrated in the east coast along the Atlantic, as far as I know, these three ocean-going battleships were purchased from Britain Harvey armor, spindles and heavy guns and other key equipment, but the entire construction process was completed in the American shipyard, and the specific construction technology and level need to be inspected on the spot before a conclusion can be made."

"Well, I know that Citigroup has a strong heavy industry, and they are good at the economy."

"Well, one can never underestimate the heritage of an industrial power, and in the early 80s they were able to produce such advanced ships as the "New York" and "Olympia", which were comparable to any cruiser in the world. "When Rear Admiral He Fang said this, seeing that Li Fushou looked a little absent-minded, he felt the need to emphasize the naval ambitions of Citigroup, so he said in an accentuated tone;" Yuan Ding, Hua Qi State has been trying to develop naval power, and now with strong economic support, it has put forward more ambitious plans.

Secretary of the Navy Benjamin M. In his 1888 Annual Report, F. Tracy called for the creation of two battle fleets;

To form a fleet of 8 battleships in the Pacific Ocean and another fleet of 12 battleships in the Atlantic, these two fleets need the support of at least 60 cruisers.

Tracy concluded: "This country needs a navy to guarantee it against war, and only a strong navy can accomplish this task. ”

I think we should pay close attention to this, after all, the Pacific Ocean is vast and crowded, and once the U.S. Navy realizes its strategic plan, it is difficult to guarantee that they will not set their sights on the South Pacific.

I think the only thing that can curb this impulse is a strong fleet, to make sure that the Citiport fleet stays on their own turf, rather than trying to put their hand on ours. ”

Hearing Major General He Fang's worried words, Li Fushou frowned and said; "Citigroup's Congress is very picky, and it's hard to imagine that they would be willing to pay for such an ambitious ocean-going fleet."

Major General He replied; "Citigroup's naval ambitions are backed by a strong economic base, and as far as I know, in order to compensate for the shortcomings of foreign imports of steel-hulled ships, armor and heavy artillery, Citigroup's Secretary of the Navy, W. C. Whitney consolidated orders for steel for warships into an $8.8 million contract to stimulate the development of China's fledgling steelmaking industry.

In this way, it greatly stimulated the investment confidence of Detroit's steel giants, ensured that the navy received an uninterrupted supply of steel for armor, and found a new ally for the navy to win funds in Congress.

This policy was undoubtedly successful, and the early products were the first battleships of the Citigroup, the USS Texas and the USS Maine, which were approved for construction in 1886, and although there were many deficiencies in the armor steel and equipment produced by the United States, after all, the first step towards self-sufficiency was taken.

It's hard to imagine that they did so much just for the construction of a type of battleship, and for a well-equipped industrial power, as long as there is demand-driven, it is a matter of course to produce powerful battleships, which is deeply worrying! ”