69novels Page 114
Page 114
The Japanese military's brutal rule over South Korea, characterized by massacres and acts that cross the line of basic human morality, in order to achieve its political goals, meets our country's criteria for classifying a terrorist and extremist regime.
“I have already presented you with the complete and detailed chain of evidence, and the Japanese side has also made public reports on it, but they do not feel ashamed, but rather as honored.”
"Does the British government, which has always prided itself on being civilized, have a different view on such a country? Or do the British people condone terrorism?"
Jordan's face turned ashen, for all eyes were now on him. Every word he spoke from now on would be known to the whole world. If he dared to side with Japan, then tomorrow Britain would be labeled a country that supports terrorism!
Jordan quickly declared loudly: "Our country firmly opposes terrorist and extremist regimes. The British Empire is a model of civilized society, a gentlemanly nation, and a defender of world order! This is beyond question!"
Gao Dewu immediately added insult to injury: "Then what is the Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty all about? The British Empire prides itself on civilization, but it seems that what it does is different from what it says."
The Japanese also implemented a concentration camp system in South Korea, quite similar to the British Empire's practices in South Africa.
Jordan immediately denied this: "The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed and confirmed before the Imjin River incident, and the British Empire was unaware of Japan's crimes against humanity at the time."
"Furthermore, the British Empire never had a concentration camp system; this is all slander!"
Juddien looked around and saw the bloodthirsty looks on the reporters' faces. He immediately sensed something was wrong. Who knew what kind of stuff these newspaper reporters would publish tomorrow!
Jordan, a true Englishman who prided himself on being ruthless and shameless enough, was still unable to withstand Zhao Yan's powerful call to human rights and freedom.
For the first time, he truly realized the power of human rights and freedom values. This idea had only been proposed a short time ago, but since Zhao Yan said it himself, it has swept the globe with an irreversible wave.
Unlike ideologies and beliefs, freedom and human rights are almost universal, especially in Europe and America where they have spread very rapidly. Whether it is ordinary people or high-ranking nobles and the wealthy, they all wholeheartedly support the values of human rights and freedom.
Who knows how long these pirates, convicts, and slave traders have only laid down their weapons, and now they've just turned around, put on suits and ties, and are already shouting about freedom and human rights while leaning on their canes? It's unbelievable!
Even Jordan didn't know why so many people bought into this, but that's just how it is. After Zhao Yan proposed the values of human rights and freedom, it almost became the politically correct thing in the world, and no one dared to say it was wrong.
At first, everyone thought Zhao Yan was just putting on a show, talking the talk and using this thing to whitewash his reputation.
But it wasn't until today, when Zhao Yan first wielded the big stick of values and started hitting him on the head, that Jules realized just how powerful it was!
They easily turned a country into a terrorist and extremist regime that is guilty of crimes against humanity. No one dares to predict what will happen next.
Perhaps today, Chinese people have no intention of using force, but their actions can be even more cruel than using force.
Chapter 191 Comprehensive Sanctions
"So, what measures will your country take to sanction a terrorist and extremist regime that has committed crimes against humanity?" Jordan quickly steered the conversation back on track, wanting to stop dragging the British Empire into this. After all, they knew their own country best, and the things the British Empire had done couldn't withstand scrutiny!
Ambassadors from other countries also quickly changed the subject, realizing they couldn't continue the discussion, otherwise they would be labeled as terrorists.
Similarly, Gao Dewu didn't dare to pursue and kill them, after all, he had a lot of dirty business to himself. If other countries were to dig up his own messes in Tibet, the Northwest, and the Northeast, he would at least be accused of genocide.
These days, no one who's out there in the world is innocent!
Gao Dewu cleared his throat and continued, "Our country will impose comprehensive sanctions on Japan, including but not limited to many areas such as finance, trade, shipping, and diplomacy."
In the financial sector, my country will completely cut off investment in Japan and refuse any Japanese capital from investing in China. In the trade sector, my country will completely ban trade with Japan, prohibit the import of any goods into Japan, and refuse any trade between Japan and China.
In the shipping sector, all Japanese vessels are strictly prohibited from entering Chinese ports or passing through Chinese waters and territorial waters.
In the diplomatic arena, all diplomatic cooperation with Japan has been completely severed, except for the provisions of the already signed Treaty of Shanghai, which prohibit Japanese citizens from traveling to my country and refuse entry to any person holding a Japanese passport.
Furthermore, my country calls upon all countries worldwide with a sense of justice, conscience, morality, and a yearning for freedom and human rights to participate in the sanctions!
Goodness, everyone gasped after hearing this. That's ruthless! You have to understand, the Chinese market is the closest to Japan and also the largest market, bar none!
Japan relies heavily on the Chinese market for profits in its foreign trade and raw material procurement. Now, with the comprehensive sanctions, not to mention anything else, the prices of basic raw materials such as food, coal, and steel in Japan will skyrocket!
Moreover, China is one of Japan's main markets for foreign trade. Japan had previously made considerable concessions and sacrifices to obtain certain trade preferences, but now all of that has been lost. Japan's light industry is likely to suffer a severe blow in the future!
More importantly, Gao Dewu's final appeal, while ostensibly a call to action, was actually a form of coercion. Anyone who didn't respond was labeled as lacking a sense of justice and moral conscience, and as an opponent of human rights and freedom values. This is blatant moral blackmail! Where did you Chinese learn this from?
“I protest! Your country’s actions violate your previous promises. Your head of state clearly promised a free trade policy before. Why are you going back on your word now?” Jordan immediately seized the opportunity to retaliate.
Gao Dewu said calmly: "The protest was invalid. Our country adheres to the values of human rights and freedom, and believes that human rights are above sovereignty. We refuse to associate with terrorist and extremist regimes. This is morally justifiable and legal."
my country's Constitution stipulates that human rights and freedoms are sacred and inviolable. This is not a reversal of the Chinese people's word, but rather a manifestation of the noble character of the Chinese people.
Our country would rather forgo economic benefits than compromise our sacred freedom and human rights!
In an instant, Gao Dewu transformed into an angel, radiating divine light from head to toe. Everyone below the stage was blinded by the light of the moral high ground!
"What if we refuse?" Jordan still refused to yield. It was truly infuriating! Who in the family could understand? There were people even more shameless than the British Empire! This method of standing on the moral high ground and wielding the big stick of values to oppress people was utterly hateful and immoral!
Despite Zhu Erdian's provocation, Gao Dewu remained calm and composed: "China will respect the right of all countries to make their own decisions, but also reserves the right to impose further sanctions!"
"Chinese people yearn for freedom, but they will not do anything that forces others to do something against their will!"
"Further sanctions on rights? What does that mean?" Jordan was bewildered again.
Gao Dewu explained: "Any enterprise or organization that cooperates with terrorist or extremist regimes will be identified as an accomplice by our country, recorded by our government, and included in the list of further sanctions."
Jordan was dumbfounded: "So, any British company that sells goods to Japan will be sanctioned by China and banned from trading, shipping, and doing business with China?"
Gao Dewu nodded: "Correct answer!"
All countries were dumbfounded. This was clearly a Chinese scheme to kill two birds with one stone!
Since China opened its market to the outside world, a large number of foreign goods have flooded in, and industries and businesses in Europe and the United States have benefited greatly from this wave of China's complete market opening.
The reason why Europe and the United States are now showing restraint in helping Japan is because they are concerned about the interests of the Chinese market and are afraid that China will turn against them. After all, it is such a big piece of the pie, and it is still growing and expanding. No one is willing to give it up.
A market of 400 million people, and those who have purchasing power, is comparable to the combined size of the European and American markets, only the per capita purchasing power is a bit lower.
Everyone is waiting for an opportunity for China to take the first step and lose moral standing, so that European and American countries can openly and justifiably support Japan.
Unexpectedly, the Chinese have turned around and placed themselves on the moral high ground, imposing comprehensive and intensified sanctions.
The comprehensive sanctions are aimed at Japan, but the intensified sanctions are aimed at European and American countries!
This can be described as a powerful tool for circumventing trade agreements to protect domestic markets. If someone doesn't like you, just put them on the list of those subject to deeper sanctions and then make them lose their market.
Furthermore, this is not aimed at the entire country, but at a specific sector or company. Even if you are sanctioned, your own country is unlikely to completely turn against you over this matter, since there are still other industries and sectors to thrive in.
However, the Chinese can impose sanctions on any foreign industry that needs protection. No amount of counter-sanctioning measures will work. These foreign companies have a market of over 400 million people. They only need to dominate their own market to become giants. After a few years of wrangling and opening up, once they lift the sanctions, you'll find that the market environment is completely different after reopening.
Americans were stunned. What kind of operation was this? This was even more ruthless than tariff barriers! Americans pride themselves on being the most steadfast capitalist warriors, but when faced with the Chinese, they realized they were just greenhorns.
Tariff barriers are still blamed for undermining free trade, but by imposing sanctions from a moral high ground, not only do they reap all the benefits, but they also gain an exceptionally good reputation. It's a win-win situation. How can the Chinese think of such an idea?
Jordan was completely overwhelmed; the amount of information was too much for him to process.
This is yet another of the Chinese people's open and aboveboard strategies. You British people call for transparent diplomacy, right? I'll just hold a diplomatic press conference, speak frankly and openly in front of everyone! That way, you won't be able to do anything behind the scenes.
The primary condition for standing on the moral high ground is that it must be done in full public view. Otherwise, in a private one-on-one situation, no matter how high your moral high ground is, someone can simply pick up a gun and shoot you dead. If no one sees it, you'll have nowhere to cry foul.
"Could we adjourn for a moment and have a private talk?" Jordan suggested, implying that everyone should find a quiet place away from the annoying cameras and reporters to discuss some matters privately.
Gao Dewu, in a disgusting manner, elegantly raised his wrist to look at his watch, then stroked his handsome beard: "Sure, but representatives of all countries must express their views on our country's proposed sanctions against terrorist and extremist regimes."
"Everyone's time is precious. We can't just gather together and then adjourn without any results, can we?"
"Many of the reporters here have traveled from Europe and America to attend the meeting. They need to have some results to report back to our news agencies tomorrow, right?"
Jordan gritted his teeth and said, "Our country supports your country's sanctions against the Japanese terrorist extremist regime, but whether or not to participate in the sanctions needs further discussion!"
Jordan conceded a step, acknowledging the Chinese definition and sanctions against the Japanese regime, but reserved the option of whether or not to participate.
French representative: "Our opinion is the same!"
US representative: "Our opinion is also consistent with that of the UK!"
The Russian representative stated: "Our country agrees to sanctions against the Japanese terrorist extremist regime and is willing to participate in the sanctions. We are also willing to engage in in-depth cooperation and discussions with China on peace in the Far East."
The German representative stated, "Our country agrees to and participates in the sanctions!"
After the compromise, Gao Dewu, satisfied, announced a recess.
Then, the representatives from various countries showed no intention of resting. After driving away the reporters and camera lenses that were getting in the way, they pulled Gao Dewu aside to find a dark corner to start discussing their shady deal.
Although this was the first time everyone had witnessed the power of the values cudgel, no one was stupid. They knew very well that this thing was a moral atomic bomb and absolutely could not be exclusively controlled by the Chinese.
This unilateral approach of defining a country is extremely malicious and immoral. Such a right should not be held by only one country; it must be discussed and confirmed by everyone.
This time, the Chinese caught them completely off guard. Under the public eye, no one could back down and had to swallow their pride and admit defeat. But this kind of thing can't continue in the future!
Behind closed doors, Ambassador John Jordan, the British representative, was the first to raise his opinion: whether other countries should participate in sanctions against Japan should be discussed at another formal international conference.
After all, this matter is neither a huge nor a small one. The original conspiracy of European and American countries against China has failed, and they have been outmaneuvered by China. They must get their revenge.
Even the Germans agree on this point, as do the ambassadors of Russia, France, the United States, Italy, and Spain. After all, in this era, Europe is still widely recognized as having the most influential voice, and we cannot allow the Chinese to take the microphone away.
Moreover, the power of the values of freedom and human rights is too great, and this absolutely cannot become the exclusive domain of the Chinese, otherwise old Europe will have nowhere to put its face.
The First Geneva Convention, signed in 1906, needs to be expanded for discussion in the next two years, and its contents are very much in line with the human rights values advocated by Zhao Yan.
The French representative proposed to include the Geneva Conventions and hold a global summit on liberal human rights in Europe, calling on all countries in the world to participate and discuss the follow-up handling of the Japan issue.
The French decision to reclaim the voice of the nation from Europe was met with widespread approval from other countries, including the United States, which also agreed to participate.
Regarding the meeting location, the French suggested it themselves, so they decided to hold it in Paris. No one else objected to this, since Paris can be considered the cultural center of Europe, a fact that the British had to reluctantly admit.
Gao Dewu did not refuse and expressed his willingness to participate on the spot. After all, China was the first to propose this, and if he refused, he would be ruining his own reputation.
At the same time, Gao Dewu also understood that this was just a delaying tactic by various countries. Before the outcome of the discussions, their aid to Japan was still legal, and China could not impose sanctions immediately, since they had not refused but only said that they needed to discuss it.
You didn't even give us a chance to discuss it before imposing drastic sanctions on us. That's unacceptable, and China doesn't have the capability to do that right now.
International politics is still politics, and everyone has to compromise their interests. If China gains the benefit of defining Japan and imposing legal sanctions, it also has to compromise its interests with other countries, such as the right to define values.
Given China's current strength, it cannot yet shoulder such a large voice, so it should be shared with everyone; this is the right way.
Chapter 192 The Tide
Zhao Yan's counterattack came unexpectedly, without any intention of using force, but each move was deadly: diplomatic severance, market blockade, and waterway suppression.
After the Republic announced the sanctions against Japan, they were implemented on the same day. The Japanese market plummeted in response, and capital from various countries began to flee this market, which was already not very promising.
Even the Japanese didn't expect this outcome. They said, "Even if you want to fight a war, that's fine, but you didn't fire a single shot or a single cannon, and you just used some incomprehensible tricks. It's disgusting!"
Japan is beginning to see a resurgence of ominous signs, including rising food prices, shortages of industrial raw materials, declining exports, and currency devaluation.
Putting aside other international influences, the mere fact that China, the largest and most recent market, has closed its doors is a fatal blow.
Even more critically, the blockade of the shipping lanes has made the Japanese realize the significance of Taiwan to them. After Taiwan was returned to China, the once insignificant Taiwan Strait began to become Japan's lifeline.
More than 80 percent of Japan's imports, especially from Europe and Southeast Asia, require shipping vessels to pass through the Taiwan Strait to reach Japan.
The Chinese government closed the strait to Japan, refused to allow any Japanese merchant ships to dock at Chinese ports, and inspected and detained merchant ships and goods from other countries bound for Japan, effectively intercepting them and forcibly importing large quantities of goods and raw materials originally destined for Japan.
Merchant ships from other countries didn't have much of an opinion on this; as long as you paid enough, they were willing to sell to anyone.
After these three moves, Japan's domestic economy and people's livelihoods suffered a severe blow, a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.
Japan was originally able to maintain a steady pace of recovery, but it insisted on provoking China, resulting in all its previous efforts being in vain and making matters worse.
Japan and Britain faced similar strategic and geopolitical environments, but in reality, they were worlds apart. The British faced a fragmented and even internally divided European continent.
Japan, on the other hand, faced a monolithic East Asian continent. The Japanese threat would be fatal to a fragmented China, but it was far from fatal to a truly unified China.
Before the central government of the Republic could even celebrate its brilliant counterattack, a second wave of attacks swept across the country.
Following the major upheaval within the Revival Party, protests by students and youth across the country began, demonstrating against the government's "weakness."
Groups of young students took to the streets, holding up anti-Japanese banners. They gathered in droves, blocked the streets, and shouted slogans, demanding that the government take a tough stance against Japan, send troops to eliminate that evil terrorist and extremist regime, let the glory of the Republic shine on Asia, and give the people of Asia a bright and clear sky.
Some radicals even went so far as to shout slogans such as restoring the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties, expelling Western powers, and allowing the Han people to once again rule the Far East.
Zhao Yan's widely promoted theories of Han national superiority and radical nationalism in recent years have begun to backfire on the central government. Even his theories on human rights and freedom have misled many people in the country.
The top leadership is in a bit of a panic. They came up with a scheme to fool others, but their own young people believed it first and even started to take it seriously!
The higher-ups cannot possibly deploy the military and police to suppress the young students who are demonstrating, nor can they openly say that they are wrong; doing so would damage their own reputation.
Upon learning this, Zhao Yan's response was simple: let them do as they pleased. Demonstrations are a civil liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. As long as they don't engage in violence such as vandalism, looting, arson, or other acts of violence, the police only need to monitor them and don't need to intervene.
In addition, Zhao Yan ordered the Ministry of Education to withdraw from the second wave of reform measures and announced that the first national primary academic examination would be held in early June, the first intermediate academic examination in July, and the first advanced academic examination in October.
Aren't you all just bored out of your minds and have a lot of energy to burn? Well then, I'll give you something to do and let you experience the cruelty of the competitive education system!
On June 1, the Ministry of Education announced a new round of education reform measures for the People's Republic of China. This reform is not just about popularizing basic compulsory education, but about comprehensively customizing and regulating the entire primary, secondary and higher education system.
The nascent youth movement vanished instantly after the announcement of these education reform measures.
This round of education reform is extremely important because it represents a new imperial examination system for the republican era!
The so-called national civil service examination held in the previous two years was officially called the "National Civil Service Recruitment Examination." It was a civil service recruitment examination limited to the government sector, and the results were only for government recruitment purposes.
The new national level three academic proficiency test is a legitimate degree examination, representing a degree standard applicable to all walks of life. Once you pass this exam, you'll find it useful no matter what you do.
The primary academic examination corresponds to secondary and higher education institutions, and is open to citizens of the People's Republic of China aged 18 to 25. Each year, a fixed percentage of those who pass the examination are awarded a bachelor's degree. The intermediate academic examination corresponds to higher education institutions, and a fixed percentage of those who pass the examination are awarded a master's degree. The advanced academic examination is for awarding doctoral degrees.
A degree is independent of the academic qualification system. In other words, obtaining a school graduation certificate does not mean that you will receive a degree certificate. Graduation exams are organized independently by schools in different regions, but degree exams are organized and conducted uniformly by the state.
The new education reform measures stipulate the admission standards for each level of education. No degree is required for admission to primary and secondary schools, but for university admission, except for military academies, candidates need to hold both a high school graduation certificate and a bachelor's degree certificate, and then they can apply to universities across the country on their own.