50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 757 Wansheng Stone Pond Island

Huang Hongnian experienced the founding of Java in his youth; he underwent arduous training in his young adulthood; his father taught him business knowledge after he became an adult; and he went abroad to start his own business and achieved success in ten years.

Without using any cheat codes, this experience could be considered an inspirational template.

Because of this friendly interaction, Sun Zhiwei did not find it difficult to befriend Huang Yicong's father through Huang Hongnian, and he was confident that he could persuade Huang Yicong.

Because he didn't expect to gain anything from Huang Yicong, but rather hoped that Huang Yicong could become part of his Southeast Asian plans.

Sun Zhiwei's ideas for Sulawesi basically depend on the locals to be realized, and the Chinese community is the foundation for him to achieve his goals.

Huang Yicong's ability to grow up in a Javanese environment suggests he has exceptional qualities, and his son's experiences make him more approachable to mainland China, making him a potentially excellent partner.

The island of Natuna is more difficult to manage because there are no talented people among its residents now, and the tens of thousands of people are scattered and disorganized.

They once demanded independence, but were met with military suppression by Harto, who subsequently accelerated the pace of immigration to Greater Natuna Island.

The entire island of Greater Natuna covers an area of ​​1720 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the area of ​​a prefecture-level city.

Great Natuna Island, also known as Bungulan or Zengmu Island, is called Wuqiyu by fishermen in the South China Sea. It is the main island of the Zengmu Islands.

It is located not far north of Subi Island, occupying a central position in the sea route from East Asia to Malacca, with a superior geographical location.

Not far to its southwest lies the Natuna Islands.

Historically, since the Song Dynasty, the Jiaozhi Ocean and the Natuna Islands in northwestern Borneo have been used as the maritime boundary between China and foreign countries.

As soon as a ship from outside passes through this area, the sailors on board will tell it, "You have arrived in China." It's as if they're just short of putting up a sign on the island that says, "Welcome to China!"

According to Zheng He's nautical charts from the Ming Dynasty, the Natuna Islands were marked as "Wansheng Shitang," serving as a transit point for Chinese maritime merchants since the Song and Ming Dynasties, and also as a supply point for Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean.

When Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, he passed through this area and found that although it was sparsely populated, it had beautiful natural scenery and abundant flora and fauna, making it an excellent place for material replenishment.

Therefore, Zheng He led his men to build a large number of barracks on the island of Natuna, equipping them with sufficient living facilities and ship repair equipment.

They even sent people to guard the island and established their first sea station.

It was named "Wansheng Shitang Island" and was even drawn on Zheng He's nautical chart. This is the origin of the name "Wansheng Shitang".

When Zheng He died in 1433, a large number of camps and facilities remained on the islands. Zeng Yuanfang, an official of the fleet, wrote to the court to inquire whether the garrison should continue.

Emperor Xuanzong of Ming replied with six words that had a deeper meaning: "Wansheng Island, how can it not be accepted?"

The intention is to wish for the people on this island to live in peace and prosperity, and for the island to thrive forever. However, because Wansheng Shitang is too far away, the island's residents are allowed to never pay taxes.

Upon hearing this, Zeng Yuanfang was overjoyed and immediately led a group of boatmen to the archipelago and settled there.

Because of its abundant flora and fauna, the island is suitable for farming, the sea for fishing, and the beautiful coastal scenery to enjoy in one's leisure time. Plus, there's no need to pay taxes to the imperial court.

For a long time, they lived a very comfortable life, which was like a paradise on earth.

The islanders were very united, lived in harmony with their neighbors, and had a large and prosperous population, which at one point reached hundreds of thousands.

To express their gratitude for the imperial court's generous tax exemption, the islanders changed the name of the archipelago from "Wansheng Shitang Island" to "Anbuna Island." Children born on the island receive a wooden plaque in their childhood with their names and the inscription: "Wansheng Island, Anbuna."

The leader, Zeng Yuanfang, and his wife were also highly respected by the islanders. His wife was even respectfully called "Mother Zeng" by the islanders, and several islands near the archipelago were named after her, which are now known as "Zengmu Reef".

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, a child without a mother will not have a long-lasting good life. Whether overseas Chinese are doing well or not is closely related to the strength of their motherland.

In its later stages, the Manqing government couldn't even manage its own homeland, let alone care for its overseas citizens.

Natuna Island is such a strategic location that it was first visited by the Dutch, then by the Little Sun, and then by the Javanese.

After several upheavals, the place was utterly ruined. Many islanders either died in the war or were forced to migrate back to the mainland.

During the Republic of China era, the government published the "Map of the South China Sea Islands," which delineated the famous "eleven-dash line" of the South China Sea territory.

The southernmost point of this line is drawn at 4° North latitude, which is north of Greater Natuna Island. This is equivalent to voluntarily giving up Greater Natuna Island and its surrounding archipelago.

If it were a modern person, they would definitely criticize and condemn this, saying that they lost territory.

However, we must consider the historical context when looking at things.

When the Republic of China was first established, it had more than 30 naval vessels with a total tonnage of more than 4 tons, which was said to rank sixteenth in the world in terms of tonnage.

The largest of them was the 4300-ton cruiser Haiqi, left behind by the Qing government. The others were all small ships of about 1,000 tons, and they were not very willing to go out to sea.

With such strength, protecting the island of Natuna, 1800 kilometers away, is a pipe dream.

However, in order to gain international recognition as soon as possible, they had to immediately demarcate the borders.

Therefore, the island of Great Natuna had to be abandoned at that time. Otherwise, the Netherlands, among the Western countries, would have interfered.

If a territory is not recognized by a major power, the legitimacy of the entire territory will be questioned and coveted. If this leads to disputes, it will be even more unwise.

From a national strategic perspective, the Natuna Islands or Greater Natuna Island are natural territories of the Dragon Kingdom.

Only by possessing Natuna can the vast expanse of the South China Sea have a land foothold; otherwise, the South China Sea region would be easily encroached upon by neighboring countries.

The reason we have continued to reclaim islands in the South China Sea is because there are no large islands in the area that can serve as strategic strongholds.

However, relying solely on reclaiming land from islands and reefs is not only costly but also results in a small area, making them vulnerable to attack.

For example, a 3000-meter runway is needed for the safe takeoff and landing of fighter-bombers.
From a cultural perspective, there are still more than 2 Chinese people on Natuna Island, who used to make up more than 90% of the island's total population.

During the Hatto era, the Javanese government had been continuously immigrating Javanese people to Greater Natuna Island in order to dilute the proportion of the Chinese population.

If this continues, in a few years, the Chinese will no longer be the dominant ethnic group on the island, and their influence will greatly decline.

Taking this place back in the future will be a long way off, and the chances are slim.

(End of this chapter)