Chapter 340： Huaihai Economic Zone

Chapter 340 Huaihai Economic Zone

It is said that the economic zone planned by the four Heixingen consortiums in the Far East, namely Southern Shandong, Northern Jiangsu, Eastern Henan, and Northern Anhui, is an economic depression. In fact, it is the result of a combination of natural and man-made disasters over the years.

Man-made disasters must be the main factor. After all, since the Yellow River was diverted in the Song Dynasty, its estuary has always been in northern Jiangsu, and the impact of floods has always existed. However, thanks to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, this area has always been one of the most prosperous regions in the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.

In the early Qing Dynasty, like all unified dynasties, it was capable of governing the Yellow River. Now it chooses to put it badly, and with the rise of shipping, the decline here has become inevitable.

But by the time the Heixingen Consortium landed here, the Yellow River had been diverted for 20 years, the floods had receded, and the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Army had also been subdued. Picked up the leak.

If there were no successive natural and man-made disasters, it would not be easy for the Hexingen Consortium to enter this place. While floods and military disasters caused huge damage to this place, they also destroyed the local feudal economic system.

For example, Huai'an Mansion, which was originally an important site for Huizhou merchants in the Ming and Qing Dynasties after Yangzhou, was snatched by the Heixingen consortium. , The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was abandoned, and Huai'an lost its function as a north-south water transportation hub. With the rise of shipping, cheap foreign goods entered from the sea, it was inevitable that Huizhou merchants would abandon this place. Huizhou merchants gave up this place completely. Like Huai'an, Haizhou Prefecture, Xuzhou Prefecture, Jining Prefecture, Yanzhou Prefecture, Sizhou Prefecture, Fengyang Prefecture...

Basically overlapped with the scope of activities of the Nian Army. In 1855, the Yellow River burst (east of Kaifeng), and a large number of victims in southern Shandong, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu were displaced and entered the Nian one after another, reaching a climax. In the north and south of the Huaihe River, Nian is everywhere, and the reason why the Nian Army is active is that the local economy has been destroyed and the people have lost their source of income.

And Ernst himself was keen on the great cause of East African immigration before, and he didn't notice that the area covered by the Hexingen Consortium is the "Huaihai Province" conceived by netizens on Internet media in his previous life. It was this time that the Heixingen consortium was preparing to invest heavily in the Far East to deal with the economic crisis, so it reacted.

When Ernst invests in an area, he likes to plan the area. The typical example is the northern industrial belt in East Africa and the Lake Malawi industrial area. The atypical investment centers on the three cities of Berlin, Vienna, and Trieste. area. As for the United States, it is all for money. Where the profits are high, the funds will flow. Naturally, it is impossible to invest in the Far East completely for economic interests, mixed with Ernst's personal emotions, and on the premise of not violating interests. , it's okay to help, anyway, the cooperation is win-win, and neither party will lose.

…

Yanzhou Prefecture, Zaozhuang.

At this time, Zaozhuang belonged to a village in Xiayi County under the administration of Yanzhou Prefecture. Yi County has a long history. Said Yi County may be a little strange, so the name Lanling is more famous.

Although Zaozhuang City, Yi County, and Lanling in the previous life cannot be equated among the local population, the approximate location is this area.

"Your Excellency Chen, I hope that your government will provide more convenience for our bank's investment in this place in the future." Mark, the president of Yanzhou Branch of Hexingen Bank, said.

"Hehe, don't worry about your bank. Your bank has traveled thousands of miles to invest in the Far East. The so-called visitor is a guest. I have a great attitude in my country, and I will not let villains hinder your bank's actions!" Chen Shijie, the Shandong inspector representing the Qing government, laughed. replied.

But he didn’t take it seriously in his heart. If it wasn’t for the Hexingen consortium’s cheating, who would have come here to deal with this group of foreigners.

Of course, the Heixingen consortium’s investment in the Far East cannot be bypassed by the local government, and the virtue of the Qing government is hard but not soft, so the East African government stepped forward and began large-scale development in the Far East after the capital obtained the “Sword of Shangfang”. .

The East African government naturally didn’t have such a big face. In fact, they united with German and Austro-Hungarian merchant groups and asked the Qing government to loosen restrictions in the name of East Africa, Germany, and Austro-Hungary.

Both Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire are represented. This matter is mainly dominated by the East African government. Germany is very busy now and has no time to care about overseas countries. It is studying how to make France never stand up. The Minister of the Austro-Hungarian Empire even works in Japan. Not permanent in the Far East.

The Hexingen Consortium is a German consortium, plus other German businessmen who are doing business in the Far East, they naturally represent the interests of Germany, so this time the Prussian envoy was invited out by the Hexingen Consortium.

An East African ambassador, a German minister and a group of German merchants represented the whole of German merchants in the Far East (including the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and put pressure on the Qing government. This matter was naturally resolved. There are two world powers, the Qing Naturally, the government did not dare to neglect, especially the psychological shadow caused by Britain and France last time. Not to mention Britain and France, Tsarist Russia in the north alone, a big power, made it difficult for the Qing government to deal with it.

In addition, the economic cooperation led by East Africa, although there is an element of coercion, gave the Qing government enough face, allowing it to buy 50% of the shares and collect taxes. Although it has no management authority, the profits and taxes are indispensable.

As for how much money the imperial court is willing to invest in, it depends entirely on its financial resources. In the end, the Qing court did not contribute any capital. Instead, Huizhou merchants with semi-official and merchant status invested 30% of the shares, and the remaining 20% ​​were funded by Shanxi merchants for joint development. "Huaihai Economic Zone".

The Huaihai Economic Zone spans four provinces, and the region is rich in coal resources, especially in the southwestern Shandong and northern Anhui, where there are large coal mines. Now the whole world is in the age of steam, and the market in the Far East is huge, so the development of coal mines is a stable strategy. A no-loss deal.

And Zaozhuang is the first place Heixingen will invest in. The textile industry, the easiest industry to start with, has been determined to be Jiaozhou, and the Huaihai area is rich in coal resources. At present, the Heixingen consortium plans to develop in Zaozhuang first. its coal resources.

It is not far from Weishan Lake, and it is relatively convenient for transportation. The rest of the start-up capital is provided by Hechingen Bank, but the construction will be taken over by an Austrian coal mining company, and at the same time, equipment will be imported from Germany, so that East Africa, Germany, Austria interests are taken care of.

But the name Zaozhuang is a bit stingy. Now Zaozhuang is just a small town the size of a village (the impact of the loss of local population caused by East African immigrants), so the old name of Lanling was simply taken as the name of the new city. As for the already existing Lanling Town, then I can only say sorry.

The planned Lanling City will replace the original Zaozhuang Town and become a new industrial city relying on the development of coal mining industry.

The importance of the coal mining industry to industrialization in this era is self-evident. After the development of the coal mines in Lanling City, relying on Weishan Lake and relying on river transportation, it can radiate the entire Huaihai Economic Zone.

Lanling City is just a starting point, and coal mines in Jining, Linyi, Huaibei, Zibo, Heze... as far as Huainan, Anhui may be developed.

At the same time, the Qing government organized personnel to clean up and dredge the road traffic and canals in the Huaihai Economic Zone. The grain needed for these projects was provided to the Qing government at cost price by East Africa, and the two parties shared future benefits.

The taxation system in the Huaihai Economic Zone is also required by East Africa to unify, modeled on the German Customs Union, cancel some exorbitant taxes, reduce local protectionism, and ensure the free and smooth flow of people and logistics in the entire Huaihai Economic Zone.

The central government of the Qing government is happy to see its success. The local tax system has long been corrupted, but as a ruler, it is not easy to make too many changes. It is not bad for the East African kingdom to be this villain.

Of course, the Qing government also had to guard against East Africa. This is why Chen Shijie, the inspector of Shandong, came forward in person. He was originally Zeng Guofan's staff and participated in the suppression of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement and the Nian Army Uprising, so this time he was in charge of monitoring East Africa at the request of the central government. Kingdom, the two sides cooperated in an atmosphere of mutual distrust.

(end of this chapter)