Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Therefore, Wei Hongjun's harsh words woke Gao Gang up.

At this moment, Gao Gang suddenly felt a little scared.

Gao Gang figured it out. If he and Wei Hongjun had anything in common, it was that they both came from the military, had both served as top officials in local central government bureaus, and had similar views on certain policies. In reality, the two of them had nothing in common.

Gao Gang felt a little regretful about what he had just said to him.

However, Gao Gang reacted quickly and immediately said with a smile: "Oh, maybe I drank too much last night. Comrade Wei Hongjun, don't blame me for talking nonsense." "Comrade Gao Gang, we are still young and should think more about doing things for the revolution."

"Yes, yes. I won't disturb you from working."

Gao Gang nodded repeatedly and walked out in a panic.

Looking at Gao Gang's back, Wei Hongjun shook his head. Although Gao Gang had calmed down, he clearly didn't understand what he had said. However, Wei Hongjun felt slightly relieved. Gao Gang was clearly frightened by Wei Hongjun. Before the Eighth Congress, even if they did make some moves, they probably wouldn't have dared to do anything too big.

Of course, Wei Hongjun understood that even if Gao Gang passed the Eighth National Congress, he would definitely be ready to make moves again when he held power. It would be better not to have too much contact with Gao Gang.

You don't know when it will explode.

Wei Hongjun wasn't afraid of offending Gao Gang. Even if Gao Gang became a member of the Standing Committee at the Eighth National Congress, Wei Hongjun wouldn't be someone he could touch.

881 Negotiations with Britain

1951 8 Month 2 Day.

The Chairman chaired an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau to discuss four main issues.

One was to review the "Election Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China" drafted by the Drafting Committee of the Election Law of the People's Republic of China, another was to discuss negotiations with Britain, and another was to summarize the "Three Antis Movement" and the "Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries Movement" during this period. The last was to review the report submitted by Wei Hongjun.

Three major committees were established in preparation for the Eighth National Congress and the National People's Congress next year.

One was the Preparatory Committee for the Eighth National Congress, which was established to ensure the smooth convening of the congress and to prevent disturbances at the meeting. Had Ren Peiguo lived, he would have been the chairman of this preparatory committee. With Ren Peiguo no longer in office, the Central Committee decided that the Chairman himself would chair the committee, with Marshal Nie as vice chairman, responsible for the preparations. In reality, the chairmanship was a figurehead, with Marshal Nie handling the main work. However, Marshal Nie was not yet a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, so he did not become chairman of the preparatory committee.

The other two committees are both for next year's National People's Congress. One is the Constitution Drafting Committee of the People's Republic of China. The Chairman chairs this committee, which consists of 33 people, including Comrade Xiu Yang, the Commander-in-Chief, and Song Qingling. Comrade Xiu Yang is primarily responsible for this work.

The other is the 23-member Drafting Committee for the Election Law of the People's Republic of China, chaired by the Premier. Its purpose is to develop detailed procedures for electing deputies to the National People's Congress, from the local to the central level, and from the military to the government.

Regarding the "Draft Constitution" prepared by the Constitution Drafting Committee, the first step has been passed at the Fifth Session of the Seventh Central Committee. The final "Draft Constitution Report" will be finally reviewed and approved at the Eighth National Congress, and then submitted to the National People's Congress for discussion to finally formulate the "Constitution".

The purpose of convening an enlarged Politburo meeting now is to review the "Draft Election Law".

Of course, it can't be considered a review, as the draft election law wasn't discussed by the Party Committee, but rather by government agencies. However, given the current relationship between the Party and the government in China, many matters require approval by the Party Committee.

Once approved at this enlarged Politburo meeting, the bill will be submitted to the Central People's Government for final review. Once approved, the "Election Law" will be officially promulgated. National elections for deputies to the National People's Congress will officially begin, with the first National People's Congress convening in September of next year.

Regarding the Electoral Law, the drafting committee began work after the Fourth Session of the Seventh Central Committee. The Electoral Law has been revised several times and is now quite complete. The Premier provided a detailed overview of the draft Electoral Law.

Let everyone know clearly.

In the end, everyone agreed to this "election law".

The issue of the "election law" alone took more than two hours, almost three hours, to be discussed before it was passed. After the first topic was passed, the next topic began to be discussed, which was the negotiation with the UK.

Comrades, British Foreign Secretary Bevin is currently in Burma and will be traveling to India soon. He has sent us a message through the Indian government, stating that he wants to negotiate with us in person to discuss the issue of prisoners. ” The Prime Minister began.

Britain is anxious, or rather, the Labour Party is currently anxious. Public opinion in the UK is unfavorable to the Labour Party, and its position in British politics is precarious. Therefore, they are eager to resolve the prisoner issue. However, communication with the Chinese government through various channels is far too slow.

The two sides have been talking for several months through various channels.

However, this level of contact is simply not enough to resolve the issue of several thousand prisoners. After all, it involves many channels, and those in the front can't make decisions on their own. Everything must be reported. But under the current circumstances, information transmission is too slow.

China's institutions in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia are either companies managed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade or are affiliated with other departments. It takes a long time for news from them to reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the central government.

This won't solve the problem at all. China is not in a hurry right now.

Although China was poor, it had no problem feeding several thousand captured soldiers.

But the British Labour Party couldn't wait. If the issue of British prisoners wasn't resolved, the party would lose its footing in the UK. It was now under daily attack from those in the UK over the issue. So, desperately, the British government chose Bevin to personally travel to India to negotiate with Chinese leaders. But he couldn't approach the Chinese leadership directly, as there was no direct communication channel between the two sides. Furthermore, if his public outreach was rejected, how could the British government step down?

Besides, Britain also has to consider the face of the United States.

The US can turn a blind eye to Britain's quiet negotiations with China, as long as they don't become public knowledge. However, if Britain publicly launches negotiations with China, it would be a direct slap in the face of the US and would also undermine the morale of the UN forces currently on the Korean Peninsula. After all, if even the second-largest Western power is negotiating with China, what reason do they have to be so reserved?

The British aren't the only country being held captive by the Chinese military. Indonesia and Thailand also have thousands of prisoners. Australia, Canada, and France also have large numbers of prisoners in Chinese hands.

Now that the United States has not spoken, it is difficult for them to engage with China.

But after Britain set an example, these people will no longer consider the United States and will definitely contact China all at once. How will the United States, as the leader, continue to do so then?

Therefore, the UK can only choose to proceed in a low-key manner.

The UK extended an invitation to China through the Indian government.

The invitation was officially from the Indian government, but in reality, Bevin was about to travel to India and wanted to meet privately with Chinese representatives to discuss the issue of prisoners. "Comrades, how should we respond to the British Foreign Minister's request for a meeting?"

If it is an ordinary diplomatic matter, the Prime Minister can make the decision on his own.

At most, I would communicate with the Central Committee and other leaders.

But engaging with the British Foreign Minister was no small matter. Britain's status was unmatched by other nations. Even in its current decline, it remained second in command within the imperialist camp. "I think this is a good thing. We have so many British prisoners, but they're useless to us. According to the Geneva Convention, we must release them unconditionally after the Korean War. I think it's better to use these prisoners as leverage and have a good talk with the British."

"If we can use Britain as a breakthrough point to break the blockade of Anglo-American imperialism against us, or weaken it, it will be of great benefit to our economy. In 1950, the import and export volume of Tianjin Port reached 4.7 million US dollars, but in the first half of this year, the import and export volume of Tianjin Port was only about 9000 million US dollars. It is difficult to exceed 2 million US dollars for the whole year. If the Korean War does not end, imports and exports in 1952 will be even more difficult. If this situation is not changed quickly, it will definitely affect the domestic economy."

Chen Yun spoke.

Chen Yun is in charge of the national economy and is under a lot of pressure.

Especially after the blockade of China by British and American imperialism, China's imports and exports were greatly affected. The Tianjin port was just one example; ports in the Shanghai and Guangzhou areas are also in trouble. Imports and exports have declined rapidly.

Although trade between New China and the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries developed rapidly, other ports exporting goods to Western countries and the Southeast Asian region were still important channels for China to obtain US dollar foreign exchange.

At present, New China imports a lot of things.

Besides machinery and equipment, the annual import of oil alone is not a small amount. "Comrade Chen Yun is right."

Mao Zemin was not a member of the Politburo, so he only attended the meeting.

However, when Chen Yun mentioned the issue of imports and exports, Mao Zemin immediately said, "In fact, Britain accounts for the largest proportion of my country's imports and exports. There are also the most British companies in China, many of which are engaged in import and export trade. This blockade has also dealt a heavy blow to these British businessmen. So as long as the British can turn a blind eye and give us a trade channel, then my country's imports and exports will be able to become active again."

Britain is in decline.

But a skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

The UK and the Commonwealth remain powerful, or rather, as a long-established imperialist power, their influence remains significant. For the past two years, the US has been pressuring the UK to open its borders to Commonwealth countries, essentially preventing them from joining forces to engage in trade protectionism. While the UK has been forced to open its borders to the Commonwealth and its colonies, it remains dissatisfied.

Currently, many of China's exports are to the Commonwealth or British colonies, so Britain's attitude is crucial.

"I also support negotiating with the British as soon as possible."

Wei Hongjun spoke, "Since the end of World War II, the Cold War between the imperialist countries led by the United States and the socialist countries led by the Soviet Union has been the mainstream and the main contradiction of this era. But this does not mean that there are no other contradictions in the world. Although the United States is the hegemon of the Western world, Britain and France are, after all, old imperialist powers and the world hegemons of the colonial era. The United States can only become the hegemon of the Western world now because Britain and France were severely hit by World War II and their economies are sluggish. But the current world colonial system still exists, and Britain and France are still powerful. If Britain and France want to continue to maintain their status, it is very necessary to preserve the current colonial system. However, the colonial system constructed by Britain and France is a threat to new hegemons like the United States. Therefore, the contradiction between the United States and the former colonial empires led by Britain and France is also one of the important contradictions in the world today, second only to the contradictions of the current Cold War."

"So, many aspects of British policy are currently contradictory. They need American military support to counter the Soviet Union, but they also need American funding to rebuild their economy, so they don't dare to go against the US on major issues. However, as a nation born in the 'Empire on which the Sun Never Sets', they can't completely follow the US's orders; after all, they have their own interests."

"This is a good thing for us because we can take advantage of the British's conflicted mentality and negotiate with them. The Labour Party is currently in a bad situation in the UK and they urgently need to resolve the prisoner issue. We can use this issue to reach a series of agreements that are beneficial to us."

China's current strength doesn't allow it to freely play chess on the world stage. However, that doesn't mean China can't play chess or perform on the world stage. After all, following its victory in the Korean War, China's global weight rose dramatically.

Even India is very honest now.

Historically, India crossed the McMahon Line in 1951, taking advantage of the Korean War. But after the first battle in 1950, India won a victory, which surprised even Indian Prime Minister Nehru.

Unexpectedly, the Chinese army was so powerful that they did not dare to cross the McMahon Line. This is the deterrent power brought by a great victory.

Therefore, China can certainly support Britain and France in many areas. Even if they can't directly confront the United States, it's good for them to act like traitors. "I agree."

The Prime Minister said: "Among the current Western imperialist countries, Britain was the first to recognize our government. At the same time, Britain also supports New China's legal membership in the United Nations. Therefore, there is a lot to discuss between us and Britain. Moreover, as long as there is a diplomatic breakthrough between us and Britain, even a small breakthrough, it can bring huge impact."

The chairman nodded.

He said, "Comrades, all your opinions are excellent. Comrade Wei Hongjun's analysis of the contradictions between the US and the Soviet Union, and between the US and Britain, was very accurate. We must learn to exploit the contradictions between our enemies and create opportunities that are to our advantage. At this stage, it is impossible for Britain to break away from the US or go against its grand strategy. We should not imagine that just because we have some British prisoners, we will be forced to make concessions on sensitive issues. This is impossible. We must be mentally prepared for this. Comrade Wu Hao, when it comes to negotiations, of course, we ask for a high price and deliver on the low price."

The Chairman was nonchalant about the negotiations with Britain.

The Chairman strongly agrees with Wei Hongjun's assessment. In the current Anglo-American conflict, the US holds a strong, if not dominant, position. No matter how proud Britain may be, it is still a fallen phoenix, beholden to the US. It is impossible for it to truly go against the US will any time soon. Britain will absolutely not break the major principles set by the US.

In other words, the UK is not in a position to agree to anything China truly desires. Therefore, the Chairman does not believe that the negotiations between China and the UK will yield any significant breakthroughs. Given this, the Central Committee must first be mentally prepared. While achieving a favorable outcome for China is a positive development, expectations should be kept low.

As for these prisoners, they were important to Britain, but not so important that they would force it to make major concessions. Precisely because the Chairman's expectations were not that high, he viewed the matter calmly.

"Chairman, what specific conditions should we put forward?" The Prime Minister was unsure now.

How should China negotiate with the British? With over 6000 British prisoners in its hands, China holds the upper hand in the negotiations. What should China demand from the British? Exorbitant demands are easy to come by. After all, what China wants most right now is a legitimate seat in the United Nations and Taiwan.

Regardless of whether the UK agrees or not, just ask for an exorbitant price first.

But the purpose of demanding exorbitant prices is to ultimately get what they want. The Prime Minister doesn't yet have a complete plan for this. What should China demand from Britain? This Politburo meeting is also about determining the specific conditions to be put forward during the negotiations.

"Should we continue the warship negotiations with the UK that were interrupted at the beginning?" General He asked.

Initially, China and Britain had engaged in intensive discussions regarding the warships, to the point where the navy had already begun appointing officials in preparation for receiving the British warships. However, this ultimately failed, largely due to the fact that Britain lacked the ability to make its own decisions. Regarding General He's suggestion, the Prime Minister shook his head and said, "With the Korean War still ongoing, it's impossible for Britain to sell us warships. If Britain did, it would anger the Americans."

China wants a lot of good things from the UK, but it is basically difficult to succeed.

There's nothing wrong with the two countries reaching some simple agreements privately. However, the UK will definitely not do anything public and touch the US bottom line at this stage. Warships are weapons and equipment, so how could the UK sell them to China at such a sensitive time?

"I think our negotiations with Britain should focus mainly on two aspects. One is the Sino-Burma 1941 Line signed by the National Government and Britain in 1941, and the other is the issue of the development of light industry," said Wei Hongjun.

Ever since the Korean War, when so many British prisoners were captured, Wei Hongjun had been considering what to discuss with the British. Most of these were things that New China urgently needed.

The UK is not in a position to meet this demand because it involves the US. So it has to be something the UK can concede to.

After Wei Hongjun listed the things that Britain could compromise on, he finally chose the 1941 line.

"When the British colonized India, Burma and other places, they originally wanted to use the McMahon Line to demarcate our southwestern border in order to encroach on our territory. But this was entirely British wishful thinking, and successive Chinese governments, including the Beiyang government and the Kuomintang regime, disagreed. From the beginning to the end, the so-called McMahon Line was just a farce directed and performed by the British. Legally, we don't have to care about the McMahon Line at all. Because the McMahon Line is illegal and has no effect. But the 1941 Line is something we must face."

"In 1941, Britain threatened the Nationalist government with closing the Burma Road. We exchanged notes with them, demarcating the 1941 Line in the Zao Wa Mountains. This effectively formally confirmed the southern Burma section of the McMahon Line. However, due to the intensification of World War II, there was no time to conduct on-site surveys of the border and erect boundary markers. When the People's Republic of my country was founded, we had already declared that we did not recognize the unequal treaties signed during the Qing and Republican eras. However, the 1941 Line was, after all, something the Kuomintang reactionaries had once recognized and established through an exchange of notes. If this issue is not resolved, it will likely affect future border negotiations with Myanmar. Myanmar is currently experiencing internal unrest, and the Myanmar government has no time to address it. However, once the Myanmar government stabilizes the situation, they will bring up the 1941 Line in future border negotiations. What should we do then? Therefore, we should demand that Britain abolish the 1941 Line."

The Indian section and the Burmese section of the McMahon Line are different.

The biggest difference is that China has never recognized the Indian section of the McMahon Line, whether under the Beiyang government or the Nationalist government. These areas still legally belong to China. Therefore, the People's Republic of China can directly tell India that we do not recognize the McMahon Line and that all this is Chinese territory.

But the bad thing about the Burmese section was that in 1941, Britain forced the Nationalist government to admit it, and there is documented evidence to prove it.

This was the legal basis that Myanmar later used during the Sino-Myanmar negotiations. The opportunity was greatest now. Myanmar was in turmoil, with various factions fighting fiercely. Even the remnants of the Nationalist army were asserting their dominance in Myanmar.

Therefore, the Myanmar government has no time to take care of the border with China.

The most important issue for the Burmese government right now is not the border issue, but how to deal with the powerful factions within the country and the Nationalist troops entrenched in Myanmar. Now that Britain is actively negotiating with China, this is the best opportunity God has given China. Let Britain take the initiative to abolish the 1941 document, and then China will have complete and legitimate sovereignty over this region.

New China is a socialist country, not an imperialist country.

We cannot act like imperialists, doing whatever they please without regard for others. Chairman Mao is a communist with a certain degree of nationalism, and his ideal is to build a truly prosperous and strong socialist nation in China. Therefore, Chairman Mao's approach cannot be like that of imperialist countries, wantonly expanding China's territory. That is the work of imperialists.

Besides, China has always been the Celestial Empire.

East and Southeast Asia were once China's vassal states, paying tribute to China. The Ming and Qing dynasties also saw numerous wars with Southeast Asia. Now that the People's Republic of China has been established, it's a very tense situation for neighboring countries. After all, who wouldn't be afraid to live next to a giant like China, with a population of 500 million?

What if China wants to expand?