Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 543: Light Industry Transfer and Demonstration of Strength
"In today's world, most economic markets are controlled by Western powers. In order to maintain the sustainable and healthy development of the empire's economy and to obtain new economic markets, the empire needs to demonstrate its strength overseas. Korea, Siam and the future Far East are all economic markets to be developed. Cooperation with Korea is controlled within a certain scope and is limited to the fields of grain trade and light industry. For the time being, no funds will be invested or factories will be built on the Korean Peninsula.

Siam and the Netherlands are disrupting the normal economic and trade cooperation between the two sides. Then, the Empire must respond and let them know that the Empire’s army and navy have the determination and ability to safeguard free trade and national interests. Any offensive behavior will be punished! "

Li Mingyuan pondered for a long time and said solemnly: "Songkhla and Lanfang are close to the Indochina Peninsula, the East Indies, the Far East, and Korea. In order to improve the competitiveness of the empire's industrial and commercial products and increase profits, I plan to transfer some light industrial machinery and equipment with low technical content to Songkhla and Lanfang, and establish an industrial base in Nanyang with light industry as the main industry and some emerging industries as the auxiliary industry. What do you think?"

"The upstream light industry, such as machinery manufacturing, chemical agents, and mold processing, which have relatively high technical barriers, are distributed locally. Then, light industries such as printing and dyeing, textiles, and flour processing are transferred to Southeast Asia. This optimizes the industrial layout, shortens the distance to the mainstream market, and reduces costs. It is a good move."

Mei Dongxing agreed.

"Your Majesty, the British and Dutch colonists are eyeing Songkhla and Lanfang covetously. Moreover, Songkhla and Lanfang are not our homeland after all, so our control is limited. I am afraid that we will face many difficulties in transferring light industrial industries."

Tang Jingsong reminded.

"As Mr. Weiqing said, the transfer of light industrial industries is not something that can be arranged in just a few words. It requires careful planning."

Li Mingyuan said: "Externally, the Empire and Britain are in a period of close cooperation. Even if the Straits Settlements have ambitions for Songkhla, they dare not blatantly interfere in Songkhla's affairs by force under the interests of Britain's global strategic planning. As for secretly instigating Siam to curb the expansion of the Empire's economic power, then we can prescribe the right medicine and use corresponding means to force Siam to submit, and the problem can be properly solved.

Without the support of the British behind them and with the lesson of Siam in mind, the Dutch became quiet.

Internally, we will start with Lan Fang. Governor Mei, after returning to Nanyang, you will immediately start to crack down on those gangs, secret societies, smuggling, and those who have colluded with foreigners and the Far East in Lan Fang! In the past few years, in order to maintain the stability of the immigration transportation routes, the Empire tolerated some behaviors of some people in Songkhla and Lan Fang. However, the current situation is different from the past. In order to successfully complete the light industrial system transfer plan, those forces that are indecisive and disrupt the normal order of society must be completely cleared out.

After the internal cleansing operation was completed, it was announced in the name of all the citizens that Lan Fang had officially joined the Han Empire and became an autonomous kingdom of the Han Empire.

General Li, this matter is extremely important and cannot afford any mistakes. You and Minister Liang who is still in Nanyang must fully cooperate with Governor Mei. If the intelligence department, the Taiping Society, and the army need to be dispatched, you must take immediate countermeasures. "

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Li Wencai stood up and responded.

"Your Majesty, formally bringing Lan Fang under the rule of the empire will probably arouse the vigilance of Britain and the Netherlands."

"Don't be afraid. In the Nanyang region, the Empire has always been low-key and cautious. At present, the Empire's comprehensive strength and international status have reached a new level. It is time to show the Empire's true strength in the Nanyang region and make its own voice. Whether in South America or overseas regions such as Nanyang, Congo, and the South Pacific, the government, the army, and all citizens must adapt to the change in the Empire's role. It is time for the Empire to stand on an equal footing with the great powers, step forward openly, and compete for the interests that belong to the Empire."

“Your Majesty, I heard that the shipyard equipment and captured ships in the occupied areas such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are being transported back to the country. Once these dismantled equipment and machines are installed and debugged in the country, and the captured ships are added to the ocean transport fleet, the number of immigrants transported will surely be increased to a certain extent.

"

"Director Wu, if you have any suggestions, just tell me directly."

"Your Majesty, I have served in the Far East for a long time and often come into contact with refugees and civilians from all over the country. At present, due to the limited number of ocean-going ships, most of the poor people who brought their elderly and children to the immigration ports and stations do not have the opportunity to immigrate to the mainland. Many people died of illness or starvation on the streets due to expulsion by the Qing government, hunger and cold, etc. As a fellow Chinese, I really cannot bear to see this, so I implore Your Majesty to give priority to the use of captured ocean-going ships and steamships produced by newly installed shipyards for the transportation of Far East immigrants without affecting the local economy of the empire."

"Director Tang, according to the previous ratio, after the dismantling of machinery, the installation and commissioning of equipment, and the addition of captured ships, how much can the official immigration transportation volume increase to?"

"Your Majesty, according to the data reported by the Ministry of Industry, it will take about half a year to install and debug the shipyard equipment. By January next year, taking into account the captured steamships with a displacement of more than 1 tons and the newly increased production capacity of the shipyard, the number of government-sponsored immigrants is expected to reach 1000 to 55 people per year."

"The number of Chinese who apply for immigration each year exceeds 300 million. Adding the number of private immigrants at their own expense, the total number of immigrants is 110 to 120 million. There is still a large gap." Li Mingyuan frowned and ordered: "Adjust the proportion of new ships launched by state-owned and private shipyards in various parts of the country, and increase the proportion of new ships used for ocean-going immigration transportation to 8%."

"Your Majesty, significantly increasing the proportion of immigrant transport ships will affect local business and economic development, which is not good for the country."

Tang Jingsong advised.

"Population is the foundation of a country. The gold bars, mineral resources, auctioned machinery, equipment and other materials and properties seized from the occupied areas of the Republic of Brazil are enough to keep the empire's finances comfortable for two years. Moreover, the mainland has increased its efforts in railway construction and transferred light industrial industries to the Southeast Asian region, which can effectively reduce the demand for ocean-going ships. It is most appropriate to use this part of the released demand for immigration transportation."

Li Mingyuan made a decisive statement: "It's settled. In the next five years, the number of government-sponsored immigrants will be gradually increased to 5 people per year. At the same time, we will vigorously encourage private self-funded immigration and transport as many stranded people as possible to South America."

"Your Majesty, I suggest increasing the construction of immigration stations in the South Pacific. The current immigration routes in the South Pacific mainly rely on the Yizhou Islands and Zibo. There are no islands belonging to the Empire for immigrants to rest and stay between Songkhla and the Yizhou Islands. I heard that the German Empire sent a delegation to pay a friendly visit to the Empire, and the German Chancellor Bismarck has always opposed the expansion of overseas colonies. It is better to take advantage of the delegation's visit to discuss with Germany and purchase some German South Pacific islands to use as immigration supply stations."

The Nanyang Governor Mei Dongxing spoke up.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy to deal with. The expansionist forces in Germany are growing stronger and the voices against Bismarck are getting stronger. The matter of buying the German South Pacific colony may be a bit tricky."

Li Mingyuan looked at the map hanging on the wall and continued, "No matter how difficult it is, we have to do it. Director Tang, after the German delegation arrives, you will be responsible for discussing the purchase of colonies with them. If they disagree, you can take a step back and only purchase one or several islands along the way. If that doesn't work, you can lease them and let the Empire build and manage them."

"Your Majesty, there are also many islands controlled by Britain and France on the South Pacific immigration route. Do you want to contact them as well?"

"We can try to make contact. If Britain and France disagree or ask for too high a price, we can just rent it and buy the land and port. I believe Britain and France will not have any objections.

The islands in the South Pacific are small in size, and may be useless to Britain, France, and Germany, but they are crucial to the empire's immigration transportation and future national strategy. In the future, if there is an opportunity, it is better to directly control these islands in the hands of the empire."

"Your Majesty, after twenty years of development and construction in the Congo colony, especially with the application of various anti-tropical disease drugs developed by the Imperial Royal Academy of Chemical Sciences, the death rate of immigrants has been greatly reduced. Twenty towns directly under the jurisdiction of Chinese immigrants have also been established in various key locations in the Congo colony. Since there are too many stranded immigrants in the Far East, it is better to transport some of them to the Congo colony. Judging from the natural environment and land area of ​​the Congo colony, it is not a problem to accommodate tens of millions of Chinese immigrants."

Huang Naishang, Director of the African Colonial Department and head of the Congo Colony, exclaimed.

"Increasing the number of Chinese immigrants in the Congo colony is one way. Instead of dying of hunger, disease and pain, the Chinese people stranded in ports and immigration stations should be sent to the Congo colony to try to get a chance to survive."

After hearing Huang Naishang's suggestion, Li Mingyuan opened up his mind.

"Songkhla and Lanfang were also saturated with Chinese immigrants. Governor Mei, after returning to Nanyang, also mobilized the Chinese people in Songkhla and Lanfang and advocated that they voluntarily immigrate to South America. Immigrating from Nanyang to South America is a shorter journey than starting from the mainland, and it can also increase the efficiency of ocean-going ship transportation.

Director Huang, after the number of Chinese immigrants increases, the positioning of the Congo colony must also be changed. In this way, the Congo colony will be officially set up as an overseas province of the empire, and your position will be changed to Governor of Congo, responsible for the overall construction of Congolese Chinese immigrant towns, the management of blacks, and other matters. "

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Mei Dongxing and Huang Naishang stood up and said.

(End of this chapter)