Looking at the ship with the British flag, Zhang Deyi said: "This time when I go to the UK, one of my tasks is to negotiate with them to sign the "Guarantee of Work Regulations."
Li Yudao: "Regulations on work protection?"
Zhang Deyi said: "Yes! They cannot be allowed to be treated as slaves forever. They should at least become indentured laborers who signed a contract."
With the Qing court's current international influence, Li Yuzhen didn't really expect much from this, but he still asked: "Do you really think the British have the so-called spirit of contract?"
Zhang Deyi smiled bitterly: "They are a civilized country after all, and I will not make excessive demands. After all, we cannot prevent the importation of labor. But I think the "Work Protection Regulations" should at least make some provisions, such as China sending consuls to gold mines,
Protection of workers' rights and interests; and the clause that employers cannot punish workers. It should also be stated that the importation of Chinese workers is only a 'temporary expedient' to resume production, and return will not be delayed after the expiration of the contract."
As a diplomat, what Zhang Deyi can do is already the limit.
Li Yu said: "It is impossible for them to allow our consuls to enter the gold mine. Moreover, if they cannot guarantee specific rights and interests, they will still be at the mercy of others."
Zhang Deyi said helplessly: "The "Work Protection Regulations" were subsequently introduced. Due to the constraints of morality and civilization, I think they will protect our workers to some extent."
What Li Yu talked about were the most basic ideas of later labor laws, but obviously Zhang Deyi couldn't do that.
In fact, although the "Sino-British Association Contracting Workers' Charter" signed by Zhang Deyi did not include any clauses about selling one's own rights, it did not stipulate specific conditions such as working hours, wages, food and medical care.
These are all separately stipulated in the gold mine's contract with the Chinese workers, which means it is up to the employer to decide.
As a result, the protection opinions proposed by Zhang Deyi and the "Regulations on Work Protection" will inevitably become a piece of paper.
"civilization"?
Haha, I can never really be civilized to you just by opening my mouth and talking.
As a person in the diplomatic field, Zhang Deyi certainly understands these principles, but since South Africa is a British colony and he is the ambassador to the United Kingdom, he can only try his best to fight for it.
How much can a diplomat from a semi-colonial country interfere with the affairs of another British colony?
Li Yu and Zhang Deyi's ship slowly left the port, and the workers on the shore gradually disappeared from sight.
However, the helplessness caused by being far away from the UK was followed by another heart-wrenching helplessness.
The ferry from Tianjin to Dalian is very short and basically sails in the Bohai Bay.
When they arrived at the train station, there was a line of Russian characters on it, which was transliterated as Dalini Station, which was the earliest Dalian Station.
The current Dalini Station is just a few wooden houses, which looks quite simple.
Some of Zhang Deyi's entourage knew Russian. They took the "customs clearance document" issued by the Russian Embassy in Qing Dynasty and boarded the train smoothly.
Today, with the support of Russia, the three eastern provinces have begun to slowly develop modern industries.
Everyone knows that if you want to be rich, you must first build roads. But for a country, if you want to be rich, build railways first.
Today, the three eastern provinces already have two major arteries, one horizontal and one vertical, in the shape of a "T", which are the so-called "Manchuria Branch" of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
One vertical line runs from Dalian via Shenyang, Changchun and all the way to Harbin.
The first line is from Suifenhe-Harbin-Qiqihar-Manzhouli in the east, and then continues west to Chita Station on the main line of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
It can be seen that Harbin is a hub.
In fact, the city of Harbin really started to develop because of this railway. On June 9, 1898, the first batch of railway construction personnel from Vladivostok stationed in "Tianjia Shaoguotun". This day is also regarded as the birth of Harbin.
date.
At the beginning of the city's founding, Qinjiagang Railway Station, which also served as a railway hub, is today's Harbin Railway Station.
The Harbin branch of the China-Russia Daosheng Bank, which was in charge of the money bag of the Manchuria Railway, was located at No. 77 Hongjun Street, Nangang District, Harbin today.
There weren't many people on the train at this time, also because of the departure station, but there wouldn't be many people on the train later.
But if the train comes from Russia, it will be full of personnel and materials.
Zhang Deyi was sitting in the box and said: "It is still reassuring to be on land! I didn't expect that such a long railway could be completed in only four or five years. The strength of Russia is frightening."
Now everyone is shocked by the speed of Russia, which can be called the infrastructure madman of this era.
But Zhang Deyi certainly doesn’t know who will be the real infrastructure maniac in the future.
Li Yu said: "Of course they have to be quick, because Russia's fundamental goal now is to occupy the Northeast. Moreover, if you look at the workers outside, they are all Chinese."
The "Manchuria Branch Line" was nominally a Sino-Russian joint venture. The Chinese contributed half of the money and all the labor force, but after the railway was completed, it was completely controlled by the Russians.
Zhang Deyi frowned: "This problem is indeed a headache. It's easy to ask God but hard to send God away!"
Li Yu sighed: "Not only is it difficult, but some ghosts and monsters may even come uninvited. The great powers are all eyeing this big piece of fat in the Northeast."
The "Manchuria Branch" naturally has to be mentioned as the "Sino-Russian Secret Treaty".
Nicholas II was crowned in May 1896. Taking this as an opportunity, the Qing government sent Li Hongzhang as envoy to Russia.
In order to show the importance he attached to China, the Tsar personally met with Li Hongzhang and treated him hospitably. In the end, the two sides began real secret diplomacy at the talks after Nicholas II's coronation ceremony.
At that time, the Qing Dynasty had just experienced its defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1898, and all defense focus turned to Japan. Both the government and the public hated and feared Japan. Liu Kunyi, the local governor and frontier official, said that among the many disasters in China, "Japan's troubles are the most urgent."
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The new Tsar Nicholas II felt that Russia's international image was too poor and he could no longer use bandit-like methods to force foreign countries to achieve their goals. He must adopt superb means that "can be achieved through diplomatic means without causing international repercussions."
As a so-called military attack, Tsarist Russia took this opportunity to launch a series of carefully planned diplomatic blackmails against Li Hongzhang.
Tsarist Russia was well aware of the Qing court's fear of Japan, so it proposed the idea of "China and Russia jointly defending against Japan."
At that time, the Qing court was eager to find a major power to comment on the situation. The British government, which it had previously counted on, stood aside during the war, which disappointed the Qing court. Now that Tsarist Russia had released a bait, the Qing court would certainly be tempted to take the bait.
But the condition given by Tsarist Russia is that if they want to unite, they must let them build the railway!
This is the core of the "China-Russia Secret Treaty".
Russia's purpose is of course to further control the Northeast through the railway, and even further occupy the Northeast.
Of course, Li Hongzhang was not stupid. He was very afraid that after the treaty was signed, Russia would use the railway as the backbone to invade Northeast China after the railway was completed. Therefore, he wrote in the treaty: "However, the construction of the railway shall not be used as an excuse to occupy Chinese land, nor shall it be used as an excuse to invade the Northeast."
It hinders the rights that the great emperor of the Qing Dynasty should have."
Tsarist Russia also repeatedly promised: "Never invade any land."
It's good on paper, but a treaty is just an unreliable promise. If it's between strong countries, of course it's guaranteed. But when a strong country faces a weak country, or a country that has just been defeated, how can it respect international law? What happens next?
The invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Allied Forces is a sign of the current world.
In addition, regarding Li Hongzhang's bribery, the Sino-Russian Daosheng Bank allocated a total of three million rubles as activity funds.
It is widely rumored that in order to facilitate Li Hongzhang's signature, Tsarist Russia gave him 1.7 million of the 3 million rubles as a bribe.
It's actually a rumor.
This rumor is quite serious, saying that it comes from the "Compilation of Archives of the Ministry of Finance of Tsarist Russia", but it is really a bit of a lie. It is impossible for any country's Ministry of Finance to produce a "Compilation" for you.
After all, Li Hongzhang was also a top figure in the political circles of the Qing Dynasty at that time. Although he was indeed very corrupt and had dealt with so many things, no one would believe him if he was not corrupt at all.
But for a veteran who has been involved in official circles for decades, is it possible for him to accept bribes or accept bribes with paper evidence?
And after the secret contract was signed, Li Hongzhang continued to go to the United States.
The reason why many people suspect that he took bribes is because the "Secret Treaty between China and Russia" was signed too quickly, and Russia benefited too obviously.
The "Sino-Russian Secret Treaty" was only signed by Cixi and Guangxu after Li Hongzhang in Moscow exchanged several telegrams with Beijing.
For the Qing court, which was always pushy and protracted, this was ridiculously fast and unbelievable.
In fact, after the secret treaty was signed, the Qing government was extremely happy... At the treaty exchange ceremony held in Beijing, Weng Tonghe and other important ministers attended, "celebrated with a toast" and exchanged gifts.
After all, for them, "alliance with Russia to control Japan" is an established policy.
Of course, policy is policy. The Qing government's international diplomacy was so poor that it was as confusing as Cixi's political wisdom.
The railway gauge is consistent with Russia's domestic track gauge, which is 5 feet (1524 mm) wide gauge, not the 1425 mm standard gauge adopted by China. The purpose is obvious.
Those who have watched "囧" should remember this international train. In the 21st century, the K3 train from Beijing could reach Moscow in just one week.
But now the speed of the train is two weeks.
Through the car window, Li Yu could see Chinese road construction workers and Russian supervisors from time to time.