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Text Chapter 46 Model of Civilization (1)

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    Portugal, a remote corner of Europe, has experienced four major turning points in its national development since its unification at the end of the Middle Ages. Along with the great geographical discoveries and the wave of global trade, Portugal has had a subtle and far-reaching impact on the modern history of the world.

    The first turning point was when the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama successfully opened the Indian Ocean route at the end of the 15th century. Portugal began to monopolize the huge profits from the Far East trade and strode into the door of a global colonial empire.

    The second turning point was when King Sebastian of Portugal died in battle in Morocco at the end of the 16th century, and the royal family became extinct.  The Spanish royal family took the opportunity to take over Portugal, and Portugal, which had lost national sovereignty, fell into a trough prematurely. For more than half a century, Portugal's overseas colonial undertakings continued to shrink amid stagnation, while Spain became an empire on which the sun never sets.

    The third turning point was the discovery of large gold mines in Brazil at the end of the 17th century. In the following decades, Brazil's gold production accounted for almost 70% of the world's gold production at that time.  For a time, a large number of people poured into Brazil, and Brazil's prosperity became the only economic pillar that Portugal could rely on.  Portugal's overseas colonial strategy therefore changed strongly: in addition to maintaining a few trading strongholds in Africa, India and Southeast Asia, it basically gave up the pace of colonial expansion in the East and devoted all its efforts to developing the Brazilian colony.

    The fourth turning point was the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 AD. Later geologists estimated that the magnitude of the earthquake reached a terrifying 9 on the Richter scale.  This is one of the most destructive and fatal earthquakes in human history. It is also the largest earthquake in European history. The death toll around Lisbon alone is as high as 100,000.

    The massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami not only flattened Lisbon, but also caused heavy damage to towns in southern and southwestern Portugal and many coastal countries in Western Europe.  It took more than twenty years to rebuild Lisbon and the country's post-disaster reconstruction, which almost exhausted Portugal's savings accumulated for hundreds of years. Portugal's overseas colonial undertakings completely declined, and it continued to fall from the second-rate European country to the third-rate country.

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    The biennial "North American and Atlantic Economic Forum".  It was originally planned to be held in the American Port of Heroes of the Azores in the summer of 1646, but this time Huamei hastily moved it forward to the spring, and the location was temporarily changed to Lisbon, Portugal.

    Under the catalysis of Huamei.  Trans-Atlantic and even trans-continental trade is becoming increasingly mature, and the maritime trade of "America-Atlantic-Europe" has been paved from point to point.  The participants in this economic circle were the same as those in the Thirty Years War in Europe.  In the past two decades, more countries or regions have been involved.

    Because the war in Europe presented many situations that China and the United States could not see clearly, China and the United States had to turn this gathering of countries related to Atlantic trade into a gathering with major political and diplomatic intentions.

    The diplomatic conflict between China and France was so fake that it seemed real. In addition, there was secret intelligence showing that Spain and France were already willing to make peace privately. Therefore, China and the United States had to find a way to intervene quickly at this time to ensure the stability of the entire Europe.  The rhythm of the final battle still follows Huamei's wishes.

    It is against this background that the current "North American and Atlantic Economic Forum" was moved to Portugal in Europe, and the participating countries have changed than before: the proud and angry France is absent, and England, which was in the civil war, is also missing.

    But there are also two new members: Scotland, which has never had a sense of existence, suddenly sent a representative, seeming to want to get some support from it; Genoa from the Western Mediterranean took the initiative to visit.  Obviously, he wanted to have in-depth exchanges with China and the United States, which had initially opened up trade in the Mediterranean.

    ¡°A gathering that was supposed to be a gathering where everyone imagined the prosperity of the future world turned into a diplomatic persuasion meeting co-hosted by China and Portugal.  Even because France refused to send representatives to participate, the opportunity for China and the United States to deliberately prepare to engage in a diplomatic rhetoric war with France in front of other countries was gone.

    Representatives from Emden and Sweden did not like each other because of the war for the important town of L¨¹beck in the North Sea. Denmark suddenly favored Sweden as if it had healed its scars and forgot about the pain, trying to use the conflicts between the two countries to find an opportunity to regain the power it had been forced to suffer a few years ago.  Part of the Schleswig territory ceded to Emden; Spain was furious that the Netherlands openly joined France in supporting the "Catalan Reaper Rebellion".

    After only holding on for half a month, Huamei had to end this sterile farce early. Portugal, which wanted to show its presence on the European stage, was also discouraged.  The remaining thing for the Huamei delegation is to conduct a three-month business visit in Portugal.

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    The scenery in Portugal in spring is particularly charming.

    Even big cities like Lisbon and Porto.  Except for the mottled ancient city walls, monastery towers and dirty and dim civilian buildings in the city, rural scenery that has not been eroded by modern industrial civilization is still everywhere around the city.

    Across the Tejo River from LisbonIn Port Barreiro, a group of gorgeous business and political teams dressed in European costumes were touring the local scenery under the protection of Portuguese soldiers.  The team was also followed by a more closely protected group of Portuguese nobles.

    This is a diplomatic and business delegation led by Chinese and American Foreign Minister Shi Wenbo. They previously participated in the "North American and Atlantic Economic Forum" activities and are now conducting business inspections in various parts of Portugal.

    In the post-world, Barreiro is an important industrial area in the metropolitan area of ??Lisbon, Portugal, but at this time it is just a small port.  However, starting a few years ago, it began to expand and gradually became a distribution center for bulk maritime trade commodities. The newly built port terminals and warehouses were crowded with people everywhere.

    A Huamei Standard 3000 large ocean-going bulk carrier is unloading, and sacks filled with wheat grains are rolling down the steam transmission belt of the merchant ship.  Then it was taken by carriage to a Sino-Portuguese joint venture flour mill processing factory deep in the port area. The Portuguese porters along the entire transportation chain were sweating profusely from their busy schedules.

    "The port conditions here are excellent. It is enough to build one of the most advanced shipyards in Europe." The business representative of Beiyang Shipbuilding Group looked at the coastline of the port area and waved his arms exaggeratedly.

    "Why don't we move the Iberian wool yarn spinning center from the Azores to the Serra Island? As long as the processing is concentrated here, the cost will definitely be further reduced!" A young person in the textile business of Yang Wenwen Life Art Group  Chinese middle-level managers think about everything.

    "Then I'm sure the Governor of the Azores will be the first to object. This will make many housewives in the Port of Heroes of Terceira Island unemployed!" Another European business representative held a different opinion.

    "Maybebut the workers' wages here should be half less than those in Heroes' Harbor, right?" The Chinese young man suddenly showed a regretful look.

    "Did you see that? The Barreiro Flour Company was invested by Dayun Group last year. It imports wheat from North America and processes it into flour here, which can increase profits by at least 10%. I heard that they are also planning to invest in olive oil in Portugal.  Plantation. Then he continued to open a large-scale olive oil processing factory here. I have to say that Mr. Wu Linyun has a unique vision"

    A group of business representatives from Huamei Enterprises whispered in the port area, and basically everyone recognized the investment value of Barreiro.

    And not far behind them.  Chinese and American Foreign Minister Shi Wenbo was walking slowly accompanied by a luxuriously dressed, thin-looking middle-aged Portuguese man.

    "Dear Your Majesty the King, the "Model Civilization" plan has been approved by our country's Congress. It is most appropriate to announce this good news here. As for the cooperation projects listed in the "Model Civilization" plan, our Ministry of Commerce is still in the process of  After approval, I believe that the relevant enterprises will be able to formally sign an investment agreement with your country soon."

    "There is also good news. Congress is actively reviewing the Kingdom of Portugal's loan to introduce an authorized assembly line for the Type 34a breech-loading flintlock gun and the Type 42 front-loading revolving field gun. This will also be included in the "Civilization Model" plan  , I think in two years at most, His Majesty the King¡¯s Royal Ordnance Factory will be able to start construction!¡±

    Shi Wenbo casually felt a little proud in his heart.  At this moment, the eyes of the taciturn Portuguese king beside him suddenly shone, and a trace of relief appeared on his unsmiling face.

    "Of course, I welcome more North American friends to come to my country. Every change and gain here represents the deepening of our friendship." Joao IV turned around and spoke with a slightly nervous and surprised pronunciation.  Shi Wenbo expressed his gratitude, "Any land in Bareilu will be open to your country, as long as you like it."

    As he spoke, King Joao IV pointed to a busy construction site in the distance, with a more confident smile on his slightly tired face: "Mr. Minister, the warehouse area under construction is where I gave  A gift from all the merchants in your country, I hope that by this time next year it will be filled with goods from all over the world!¡±

    "Of course. Shared prosperity has always been the philosophy upheld by our Congress and government."

    Shi Wenbo smiled particularly happily, as if the King of Portugal in front of him was his family friend.  Because privately, Jo?o IV had sold a newly developed fertile land in the Bahia region of the Brazilian colony to Swinburne at the lowest price, allowing historians to own a vast area in Brazil for the first time.  , and it is also a wholly-owned farm plantation.

    Barreiro is a place personally selected by King Joao IV. It will become a new industrial area near Lisbon and will concentrate most of the Chinese and American investment industries in Portugal, thus becoming the real foundation for the rejuvenation of the Kingdom of Portugal.

    The starting point of this foundation is what Chinese and American diplomats call the "Model Civilization" plan, which aims to help Portugal become an "advanced and wealthy country" in the next twenty years."Civilized" European countries.

    As for the horrific Lisbon earthquake a hundred years later.  People who don¡¯t know will naturally not be touched, and people who know won¡¯t care.  Because whether Barrelu can survive a hundred years later is of no concern to Huamei now.

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    Although Portugal¡¯s basic trend is already going downhill, in this new era.  Portugal's national destiny seems to be somewhat different again.

    Since the first Chinese and American citizens set foot on Portuguese soil in 1621, Portugal has begun to enjoy the various benefits of maintaining an alliance with China and the United States.  As the first bridgehead for China and the United States to penetrate into Europe, Portugal is the country with the most closely tied economic and diplomatic relations between China and the United States in Europe.

    After the Brazilian War in 1636, Portugal essentially became a vassal state of the Chinese-American Atlantic hegemony.  In 1642, the Treaty of Spanish-Portuguese Maritime signed with the mediation of Huamei allowed Portugal to regain its independence from Spain.

    Portugal is located in the southwest corner of Europe, with a small country and a small population. It is a typical small European country with fragile and irreparable natural flaws.  But from Brazil, the Gold Coast of West Africa to the Indian Ocean, it also has vast overseas colonies or trading strongholds, which are enough to provide the raw material output and commodity markets that China and the United States need.  It also has a long history of good relations with Genoa and other Western Mediterranean trading powers, and it is one of the few countries in Europe that can be said to be rich in mineral resources.

    Portugal is also far away from the hot spots and centers of competition for hegemony on the European continent, and has a relatively stable external environment.  From the beginning.  In a sense, Huamei has carefully selected this support object that we can cooperate with with confidence.  It is far easier to control than the ambitious Emden, and easier to deal with than Spain, which considers itself No. 1 in the world.

    The cruelty of the Thirty Years' War in Europe, coupled with the looming threats from its neighbor Spain and its biggest overseas competitor, the Netherlands, made Joao IV very clearly aware of the irreplaceable importance of China and the United States to Portugal's strategic security and overseas interests.  , the dependence on China and the United States has entered a new stage, and it is willing to maintain an all-round alliance with China and the United States.

    The Chinese and American troops defeated the Dutch West India Company in 1636 and safeguarded Portugal's overseas colonial interests. The partiality towards Portugal has been completely made public.  The prosperous trade between Brazil and China has further strengthened the belief of Portuguese dignitaries.

    Instigated by interests, many churches and monasteries in Portugal have canceled private funding. The beggars and vagrants in the cities and countryside were wiped out and then shipped to Brazil one by one.

    There are more Sino-Portuguese joint venture farms, plantations and mines in Brazil that require manpower in Bahia, Pernambuco, San Salvador, etc.  Portugal's large-scale development of the Brazilian colony was half a century ahead of schedule before the discovery of large gold mines.

    Although the lives of ordinary people in Portugal have not undergone earth-shaking changes, they are much better than those in other European countries. At least the price of grains in Lisbon is the lowest in Europe.

    Due to the import of large amounts of Chinese and American food and medicine, Portugal's population has increased rapidly in the past two decades.  Excluding overseas colonies such as Brazil, the local population has already exceeded 1.8 million and is expected to exceed the 2 million mark within ten years.

    Now in several road and bridge construction companies in Huamei.  The total number of foreign employed workers in Europe exceeds 5,000, of which 2,000 are Portuguese foreign workers. It is the country that exports the most hired labor to China and the United States among all European countries.

    On paper, these Portuguese foreign workers belong to labor visas, and their status is naturally much higher than that of prisoners of war like slaves, but they still have little personal freedom.  In addition to good food and drink, most of the salary income during the contract period is directly received by a Portuguese Chamber of Commerce with a royal background.  In a certain era of later generations, they had a special identity label called bonded workers.

    From 1636 to 1645, in just ten years.  Portugal's treasury revenue increased from less than 3 million US dollars per year to more than 4 million US dollars per year.  Although more unseen profits fell into the private pockets of the royal family and nobles, Portugal's economic strength was almost doubled on the surface.

    In Chinese and American newspapers.  Portugal has been publicly evaluated as "one of the few beautiful countries that shines with the brilliance of civilization in a dark world." This excessive praise is obviously politically motivated.  The Portuguese diplomats stationed in Manchester City are complacent, and they are even more arrogant when facing the Netherlands and Spain.

    Interestingly, although Portugal, like other European countries, is also burdened with a lot of Huamei debts, many powerful people in Portugal, whether it is the royal family or large aristocratic families, invested family funds in the Huamei Manchester City stock market and futures market many years ago.  Had a great time.  Whether the country is rich or poor, or whether the royal family is bankrupt, is not a matter for the nobles to worry about. Among the active foreign capital in China and the United States, about 100% of the capital comes from Portugal.?The U.S. dollar, second only to Spain, can be considered a contribution to China's economy.

    Whether it is the Portuguese royal family or various aristocratic agencies, their income is stable now. In three years, all Huamei debts will be completely paid off, and they are rated as the best overseas customers by the Huamei banking industry.

    In the Chinese and American enterprise business delegation that visited Portugal with Shi Wenbo, a group of representatives of the Chinese and American Bank desperately lobbied the Portuguese royal family or several aristocratic monopoly chambers of commerce, hoping that they could apply for loans from the Chinese and American Bank.

    Long-term commercial loans with an annual interest rate of 12% are obviously illegal loan sharks in China and the United States, but in this era, they are the ultra-low interest rates that European countries dream of.  The Portuguese naturally don't mind if someone takes the initiative to borrow money to spend, and the Chinese and American bankers are even more eager for the Portuguese to borrow tens or millions of dollars at a time.  (To promote domestic investment, the legal maximum annual interest rate for Huamei¡¯s domestic commercial loans is 8%.)

    In less than half a month, King Joao IV of Portugal borrowed US$100,000 from Huamei Qingcheng Commercial Bank in his private name to establish the Royal Portuguese Winery, and the family of Baron Moreira, who had a good personal relationship with Yang Wenwen.  He united with several other small and medium-sized nobles, borrowed US$400,000 from Huamei COSCO International Investment Bank, and purchased six refurbished Huamei second-hand national standard 1000 steam bulk merchant ships.  Dedicated to the ocean triangular trade between mainland Portugal-North America-Caribbean.

    The Portuguese don¡¯t seem to have any discomfort with this feeling of being hugged and tied up.  Even the bad news that Muscat, the core stronghold of Indian Ocean trade, has fallen has already spread back to Europe.  But Portugal still feels that its lost golden age will reappear.

    Even though Catholicism and feudal monarchy are still the unshakable cornerstone of the Kingdom of Portugal, as the only two European countries (the other is Ireland) that maintain trade surplus with China and the United States, Joao IV and his trade in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Far East  The Portuguese aristocrats, who had enjoyed enough success, saw their future clearly in their close contacts with Huamei.  In order to get more aid from China and the United States, they chose some reforms that were in line with their own interests.

    The first item is currency reform.  Under Huamei's "suggestion", Portugal established the Royal Bank and introduced Huamei minting equipment.  Mint and issue new Portuguese currency.

    They include gold escudos, silver escudos, silver reales and copper reis coins.  And the decimal system was adopted for the first time: 1 escudo is equal to 10 reales, and 1 realy is equal to 10 reis.  Except for the different patterns of the silver coins, the size, fineness, and weight are exactly the same as those of the Chinese and American currencies, and can be directly exchanged for equal value.

    The minting and issuance of the new currency was tantamount to completely getting rid of the influence of Spain and incorporating it into the monetary strategic system dominated by China and the United States. It laid the foundation for Portugal to rebuild its national currency and financial credit in the 17th century when mercantilism was rampant and the currency system was chaotic.

    The second item is that the newly established Royal Bank of Portugal must be a mixed joint-stock company and be invited to become a shareholder of Huamei Atlantis United Bank.  Became the first European bank to invest in East West Bank.  Based on the principle of friendly reciprocity, Huamei Atlantis United Bank has also become one of the original shareholders of Royal Bank of Portugal.

    Huamei Atlantis United Bank was jointly founded by a group of banks with the strongest capital in Huamei. It is monopolizing the Atlantic trade international bill settlement business together with the Bank of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

    For the return after this reform.  John IV and a group of Portuguese nobles were overjoyed. In the future, commercial bills issued by the Royal Bank of Portugal can also be accepted at the United Bank of Atlantis, thus making the Portuguese royal family and various nobles agents of the Association intercontinental.  Trade is more convenient and financial confidence is greater.

    The third item is that Portugal will fully open all domestic and overseas colonial ports to China and the United States, and will no longer limit port trade rights.

    Although this will cause Portugal to lose the initiative in trade with China and the United States, in this era when it is almost impossible to stop the influx of Chinese and American goods, the more Chinese and American goods enter Portugal, the more it will increase Portugal's economic strength.  After all these years have passed.  Because of its geographical distance, Lisbon has become the first port of entry for Chinese and American goods into Europe.  Both the quantity and variety are comparable to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

    ??In the mainland, Brazil, West Africa, the Indian Ocean or Southeast Asia, as long as it is a port that has opened trade rights to China and the United States.  Which one is not the golden basin of the current Portuguese Kingdom?  Portuguese merchants are engaged in the unprecedented prosperity of the resale business of Chinese and American goods around the world.

    Another example is the two cities of Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. After opening their trade rights to China and the United States, they gradually became centralized trading ports for many bulk commodities.  Raw silk, spun silk, fabrics, ceramics and spices from the Far East, as well as gorgeous grains, refined sugar, tobacco, soap, cloth, medicines, glass and hardware, all enriched Portuguese merchants of all sizes and also patronized them.?Those Mediterranean resellers such as Genoa who have gone down the historical decline.

    Before Portugal regained its independence in 1642, apart from the original American Concession on Terceira Island and the Brazilian Colony, Huamei did not have any industrial investment in Portugal.  After Portugal regained its independence in 1642, in addition to reorganizing its army and navy, Portugal has been looking for ways to obtain more strategic assistance from China and the United States in order to achieve a comprehensive rejuvenation of the country.

    As long as Portugal implements all three previously promised reforms, Huamei will make in-depth strategic investment in Portugal in accordance with the agreed aid intentions, and name this strategic investment project "Civilization Model".

    Portugal no longer limits where China and the United States can invest in the country¡¯s mainland or overseas colonies, but must cooperate with ¡°qualified¡± Portuguese investors.  Of course, the so-called qualified Portuguese investors refer to the commercial agents of the Portuguese royal family or great nobles.

    Huamei Domestic Capital will use the "Civilized Model" as a blueprint to import a large number of advanced modern industries to Portugal, covering rosin, cork processing, cement building materials, mining, papermaking, leather, food, textiles, shipbuilding and hardware manufacturing.

    According to the cooperation principles in the "Civilized Model" plan, all of them will be jointly founded by Huamei Capital and the Portuguese royal family or major nobles, and at least half of them must be owned by Huamei investors with a majority share.

    Most of these cooperation projects are labor-intensive industries with low technology content, and the market demand for their products is broad.  Moreover, the labor cost in Portugal is much lower than that in China and the United States. The labor remuneration of a skilled technician is only one-quarter to one-fifth of that in China and the United States.

    After rough calculation, as long as the shares of these industries investing in Portugal in the future can exceed 30%, the annual profit dividends they can receive will not be lower than those invested in China and the United States. Huamei investors will eventually get a lot of returns, and Huamei will also get a lot of returns.  Access to cheaper Portuguese imported products.  Portugal will also gain incalculable benefits from it, which is a win-win situation.

    Now that Portugal has finally received the good news personally acknowledged by the Chinese and American diplomats, the joy in the heart of Jo?o IV cannot be concealed, and the Portuguese nobles surrounding him are even more happy.  (To be continued.)

    ps: The second one for New Year¡¯s Day.
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