Chapter 245: Tariff Independence (1)

For the citizens of Beijing, the smoke of the European War is just a hot topic after dinner, nothing more. What will really affect the lives of domestic people are the huge business opportunities brought by the war and the opportunities for industrial and commercial development.

The common people and high-ranking government officials have completely different concerns. What ordinary people care about is firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. Half a year after the government issued a decree banning the use of silver dollars in circulation and only using the RMB as the only currency, prices in Beijing have risen slightly.

But with more employment opportunities, life is definitely better than before.

The people's life is getting better, but the government's life is very difficult. Prime Minister Tang Hualong has been working hard to make up for the huge financial gap. The expeditionary force's participation in the European War was a big help to Tang Hualong. Britain and France gave up the Boxer Indemnity.

A large number of loans were provided, which made the government feel relieved financially. However, there is a difficult matter before the government. If it cannot be handled well, the reputation of Tang Hualong, the cabinet prime minister, will suffer a huge blow.

This matter is independent tariffs, which means taking back the customs. According to the agreement signed between China and the Allied Powers, the customs will be gradually returned to China. The annual customs tariff has increased from 40 million in the late Qing Dynasty to 60 million now. This shows that the Republic of China

The speed of economic development is remarkable. However, the General Taxation Department of Customs is a product of the Qing Dynasty. Taking advantage of the Revolution of 1911, the General Taxation Department, Anglian, colluded with the British Consul Zhu Erdian to deposit the annual customs tax into HSBC, Dehua, and Daosheng.

After three banks, China Customs was completely in the hands of the British.

Customs cannot be overly important to a sovereign country. Fang Jianxiong took advantage of the European War, even at the expense of sending troops, in exchange for national financial easing and future customs autonomy, etc. A series of things that only the government can see

Tang Hualong, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, understands the benefits gained and the good intentions involved.

Therefore, Tang Hualong has been paying close attention to the customs negotiations. He has been watching several ministers of the Ministry of Finance all day long, urging the progress of the negotiations. However, there has been no progress in this negotiation process. From the second half of last year to the end of March this year

, half a year has passed, and the negotiations on customs autonomy are still going back and forth.

It is obvious that the British are not willing to give up such a large part of their interests. They constantly set up obstacles during the negotiation process and used all kinds of delaying methods. It is obvious that Anglian's intention is to delay it until the end of the European War.

The most ideal.

Another round of negotiations broke down! When Finance Minister Zhang Jian came to report on his work, he did not dare to raise his head. The two vice ministers, Chen Jintao and Xiong Xiling, were even more shameless. None of these three were from the Republican Party.

Since taking office, Congress has passed a new currency bill, which has greatly eased the government's financial pressure. As senior members of the Ministry of Finance, they are the direct beneficiaries. On the issue of customs autonomy, there has been no progress in the negotiations for half a year, and the three of them are not in their positions.

I can't sit down anymore.

"Prime Minister Jiwu, it's not that we don't care, but the British Anglian really has no sincerity. During the negotiations, he was messy, shady, and all kinds of tricks were used." Zhang Jian still had to face the facts and report to the Prime Minister.

Explain clearly why the negotiation broke down.

"What's the excuse of the foreigner Anglian this time?" Tang Hualong had a severe headache. Every time he thought about this matter, it hurt! When he spoke, he rubbed his temples hard with his hands and almost sighed. Why do these people fight against foreigners?

Are they all diarrhea and out of shape? There is no good solution? Look at the support of the foreigners, they are not willing to suffer any losses from the foreigners. What happened to the Germans? They helped China so much and started a war when they said it would start a war.

Thinking of this, Tang Hualong's mind recalled the scene on the eve of the war. Almost no one at the top of the government agreed to join the Allied Powers in the war against Germany. Even the military's Minister of Defense was skeptical, thinking that this was too repetitive, and that the relationship between China and Germany

We have a good relationship there, so we can't be a treacherous villain, right?

What did Fu Shuai say? "As long as it is beneficial to this country, I will do it. I will take the blame!"

The game between big countries is far from something that politicians of this era can see too clearly. Fang Jianxiong, who is accustomed to the changes in the international situation in parallel time and space, will not believe that there is any traditional friendship between big countries in this time and space.

The world is so big, and there is only so much living space. During the Cold War in parallel time and space, when China and the United States went from confrontation to friendship, wasn't it to deal with the common threat, the Soviet Union? After the Soviet Union disintegrated, Russia has not been relieved for twenty years.

Fortunately, as soon as the signs of China's rise appeared, the United States began to make plans to suppress China and did everything possible to check and balance China's development space.

When Europe tried to get rid of the dollar system, didn't their NATO leader and close ally still trigger Europe's debt crisis? Did they still try to kill their own allies? The so-called traditional friendship between countries is really in the mind

The structure of water intrusion. Did the Chinese still suffer too much? How many tragedies have been caused in China by the "friendly countries" called by the Beiyang government in parallel time and space? It can be said that the entire Western developed world has committed countless crimes in China.

F**k traditional friendship! You’d be stupid to believe this!

Let’s get down to business. (I couldn’t help but complain, sorry.)

This time the negotiation was over before it even started. Very simply, Anglian organized customs staff to protest and cause trouble outside the General Taxation Department of Customs. The entire Jiangsu road was blocked, and the Chinese negotiators

, I couldn't even get through the gate, and I was beaten back by rotten eggs.

Prior to this, Anglian was stubborn and insisted that the negotiation location be at the General Taxation Department. After three months of disputes over this matter, the cabinet finally made concessions and agreed to the negotiation location. Unexpectedly, the consensus just reached

, was brutally destroyed.

While Tang Hualong and officials from the Ministry of Finance were having a headache over customs negotiations, a conversation was also taking place in the yard of a garden house in the British Concession in Shanghai.

The gentle spring breeze was blowing on their faces. Under the sun umbrella, Zhu Erdian and Anglian were drinking afternoon tea. Both of them looked relaxed. Especially Anglian, the Chief Taxation Department, was talking about yesterday's brilliant results.

Since Marshal Fang actually took control of the country, Zhu Erdian, the British Minister, has only had a few good days. Today he felt proud, but the problem is that Zhu Erdian soon became unhappy. His brows gradually furrowed, thoughtfully.

He looked north. Chief Tax Officer Anglian could see it clearly, and the smile on his face also disappeared. According to his understanding of Zhu Erdian, only when he encountered something difficult would he have such an expression.

Zhu Erdian fell into deep thought. Anglian called "Mr. Minister" three times in a row before Zhu Erdian came back to his senses.

"It's nothing, I just think things won't be that simple. This is not Fang Jianxiong's style."

"Isn't China an elected government? People from the Ministry of Finance have always negotiated customs and taxation." Anglian pretended to be relaxed and a bit joking. Of course, he was not stupid enough to think that China was a democratic government. Angelian

Gelian is confident, with the British Empire as its backer, how can he still be afraid of Marshal Fang?

Picking up the tea cup, Zhu Erdian took a sip, squinted his eyes to avoid the direct sunlight, and sighed: "Ange Lian, my friend, this is the Republic of China, not the Qing Dynasty. Fang Jianxiong, nor those weak and incompetent Manchus

Noble, just let it be delayed for a day, and don't overly anger this ambitious warlord."

When Shanghai is sunny, it is gloomy in Beijing. The sand blown by the north wind is unbearable in this season. Tang Hualong and his finance ministers finally decided to ask Marshal Fu and Marshal Fang.

Decide.

Tang Hualong had no choice but to change this helpless decision. Every time they faced foreigners, these people had few options. Only Marshal Fang could make the foreigners torture them to death. Naturally, it was Tang Hualong who asked to see the Marshal.

He took action in person and was accompanied by Zhang Jian, the Minister of Finance.

Before going out, make a phone call first. The telegraph and telephone exchanges in Beijing began a new round of expansion last year. All major government departments in the city have connected their phones. Users of privately installed telephones are also constantly adding

Increase. In the first half of 2016, in order to install a phone, you had to find a lot of connections.

Of course, Tang Hualong didn't have to worry about this. Telephones had been installed in his residence and office for a long time. At the Marshal's Mansion, the person who answered the phone was a woman. After Tang Hualong gave his name, he said politely: "Prime Minister

Your Excellency, the Chairman went to the Presidential Palace."

Went to the Presidential Palace? After putting down the phone, Tang Hualong felt a little helpless and bitter. No matter how hard he tried, in Fang Jianxiong's eyes, his status was incomparable to that of Sun Baoqi. In terms of rights, Sun Baoqi's power was restricted in many ways.

, but in terms of the ranking of national leaders, the president always comes first. The cabinet is responsible to the president, and then the president is responsible to Congress. Tang Hualong has not never thought about sitting in the president's chair.

Putting away these thoughts, Tang Hualong smiled and said to Zhang Jian: "Mr. Ji Zhi, it seems we have to go to the Presidential Palace."

When he went out, a gust of wind carried fine grains of sand, and Tang Hualong subconsciously raised his hand to block it. His brows furrowed again. There had been no rain around Beijing since the beginning of spring, and the wind and sand became more and more unbridled.

I received a call from the Presidential Palace and there were people waiting at the door. When Tang Hualong stopped and got out of the car, he was surprised to see Gu Weijun and Yao Hanxiang standing together waiting for them. Judging from this, it was quite lively today, and Li Yuanhong also

Coming?

Sure enough, there was a burst of laughter in Sun Baoqi's study. It was rare to hear Li Yuanhong's hearty laughter and said: "This is a good idea. When Jiwu comes later, let's take a breath first and come up with a charter to send to Congress for review.

"
Chapter completed!