Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 333: Treaty of Manila

a new day

At around nine o'clock in the morning, a sailboat flying the British flag entered the Manila Harbor. On board the ship was a delegation of dozens of people from the Governor-General's Office of British India, who were about to join the important armistice negotiations.

The delegation was headed by Sir Ray Davis, Secretary of State for the Governor-General of British India, and was accompanied by heavyweights such as Viscount Christian Leyton, Commissioner for Finance, and Lieutenant General Connor, Commander of the Army, to facilitate important decision-making.

Today
The armistice negotiations have entered their eighth day, and the warring parties have achieved very few results. They have not yet touched upon crucial issues and are still entangled in trivial matters.

As a result, the London Cabinet in the UK and the Governor-General's Office of British India became anxious, and this heavyweight delegation came into being.

He hurried to the negotiation venue and took over the ceasefire negotiations that were at a stalemate.

Ganquan Palace
King Zheng Guohui of Chu, who was reviewing memorials in the imperial study, laughed out loud when he heard the report. He knew that the peace talks were about to take a major turn and spring had arrived.

So he hurriedly wrote a few handwritten notes and had them delivered quickly by his staff to Zheng Yulan, the Deputy Foreign Minister who was on the front line of the negotiations, instructing her to hold firm on several important issues, as success or failure depended on this one move.

As expected,

After Sir Ray Davis arrived at the peace negotiation site and learned about the current progress of the negotiations, his face immediately turned dark and he looked dissatisfied, as if he wanted to kill someone.

Soon afterwards
He made an urgent request to the Chu State to meet with His Majesty the King, saying that this trip brought an important message from Her Majesty the Queen of the British Empire, intending to point out a feasible path for the future direction of relations between the two countries.

No one dared to stop such an important event.

After reporting to higher authorities, King Zheng Guohui of Chu immediately attached great importance to it and summoned the British envoy to the palace for an audience.

At around 3 pm, the British negotiating delegation, who had arrived from Kuala Lumpur after a long journey, was received in the conference hall of Ganquan Palace.

The atmosphere of the meeting was quite relaxed. King Zheng Guohui of Chu, British envoy Sir Ray Davis, accompanying Financial Commissioner Viscount Christian Layton, Army Commander Lieutenant General Connor and others were all laughing and talking happily.

Sir Ray Davis conveyed Queen Victoria's good wishes for long-term friendly relations with the State of Chu, hoping that the two countries would establish a trustworthy long-term friendly relationship and become an important force in maintaining regional stability and peace.

Although this is only official rhetoric, since it comes from the mouth of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, there is no doubt that it will become the principle of relations between the two countries.

No British government that comes to power can overturn the long-term policy of peace and friendship established by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. It can only make fine adjustments on this basis to better safeguard British interests.

This is not just a casual remark, but a major policy that sets the tone for exchanges between the two countries.

In other words

The subtext is: if the olive branch extended by the British is not accepted, then one side will inevitably die or the other will perish. It will not be a long-term friendly and peaceful relationship, but a mortal enemy.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu obviously understood and expressed it cordially during the meeting;

"I deeply agree with Her Majesty the Queen's wise and intelligent decision and am willing to do my utmost to uphold the implementation of this policy.

This is the future way of interaction that best suits the interests of both countries. Chu will unswervingly implement this long-term friendly foreign policy towards Britain.

on the basis of

Carry out mutually beneficial trade with the UK, vigorously reduce trade barriers between the two sides, expand all-round cooperation in industry, commerce, trade and culture, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the Nanyang region, making important contributions..."

Sir Ray Davis expressed his delight;
War between the two countries is not the mainstream. It is a tragedy based on a misjudgment of the situation and goes against the original intention of the British side to be committed to regional peace and stability for a long time.

Having experienced the unbearable past, both Britain and Chu will cherish the hard-earned peace and stability even more.

We should strive to maintain a good regional environment, carry out mutually beneficial cooperation based on the interests of both sides, eliminate trade barriers and expand trade exchanges.

At the end of the audience with the King of Chu
Sir Ray Davis took the initiative to express that he could understand Chu's concerns about security and the interests of its expatriates, understood the current situation of the three continents in East Malaya, and was willing to maintain the status quo to demonstrate Britain's full sincerity.

at the same time
We hope that the State of Chu can understand the important position of Singapore in the UK’s global strategy and provide understanding and support in many aspects so as to continue to maintain the hard-won peace and stability.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu had to express his opinion on the British side's initiative to show goodwill. He pondered for a moment and talked about the Australian issue with some embarrassment.

On this issue

Sir Ray Davis stated very straightforwardly that except for the sovereignty issue which was unquestionable, all other issues could be discussed.

After receiving such a promise, King Zheng Guohui of Chu finally softened his stance and expressed his respect for Britain's concerns on the Singapore issue, saying that this issue could be left to the negotiation team for detailed discussion.

The Chu State's position was
In Singapore, the expeditionary force paid the price of countless heroic soldiers' lives, but considering the strategic positioning of the two countries, the Singapore issue is not off-limits for discussion. The key is to take care of the concerns of both sides.

Such an answer basically steps on Sir Ray Davis' psychological bottom line.

Although there has been no explicit commitment to abandon Singapore, the willingness to talk and to accommodate British concerns is a good start.

The British have many flexible tools and attractive interests in their pockets, so they are not afraid that the State of Chu will not be tempted.

After exchanging glances with several other heavyweights, Sir Ray Davis politely said his goodbyes and, accompanied by Foreign Minister Zheng Xin, arrived at the gate of Ganquan Palace and left in a carriage.

Starting from Day 9

Both sides will raise the level of their representatives for the armistice negotiations. The Chu side will be headed by Foreign Minister Zheng Xin himself, the British side will be led by Sir Ray Davis, and the French side will still be represented by Viscount Jean-Pierre Belmondo, but his role will be almost non-existent.

The two parties truly competing at the negotiation table were the negotiating representatives from Britain and Chu.

On some sensitive issues, the British delegation has reached a certain degree of consensus and tacit understanding through the audience with His Majesty the King of Chu, which has pushed the negotiation process forward a lot.

The British gave up the three states of East Malaya and insisted on taking back Singapore. They could negotiate on the issue of Australia, but they would not give up territorial sovereignty, and the two sides would not seek war reparations from each other.

Under this premise
The progress of the negotiations suddenly accelerated. Due to the urgency of the British representatives, they met the Chu State's conditions on many issues, including the following:
First, the status quo of the three states in East Malaya must be respected. The British side recognizes that they belong to the sphere of influence of the Chu State and retains its special interests in the region, which will receive special treatment from the Chu State.

There is no territorial sovereignty dispute between the UK and the State of Chu over the entire island of Borneo. The UK does not own any territory on the island. The UK respects the relevant actions of the State of Chu within a reasonable range and has no objection to this.

Second, from the date of the conclusion of the negotiations, the Chu army will withdraw from Singapore, respect and recognize Britain's indisputable territorial sovereignty over Singapore, Penang and West Malaya, and will not raise any objection.

Third, based on the principles of long-term peace and friendship, Britain and Chu will grant each other most-favored-nation trade status, vigorously reduce trade barriers, encourage the flow of commercial and industrial products, safeguard the equal rights of the people of both sides in business, residency, cultural exchange, and other areas of interaction, and commit to protecting the personal safety and inviolability of the citizens of both sides. Fourth, given that this war was a tragedy caused by a miscalculated situation, both sides will bear their own share of the resulting war losses, including casualties and property damage. Neither side supports war reparations.

Fifth, the Chu State respects and reiterates that Australia belongs to the sacred and indivisible territory of the United Kingdom, has no intention of making any sovereignty claims over Australia, and respects the United Kingdom's dominant position in governance.

The British side reiterated that Australia opens its doors to welcome overseas Chinese from the Chu State to settle down long-term and engage in production and operation, respects the inviolable property rights of overseas Chinese, and grants them equal national treatment.

Overseas Chinese who have obtained Australian permanent citizenship can fairly participate in elections, buy property, do business and get married, and will be protected by law to avoid any discrimination.

Both sides expressed regret for the tragedy that occurred on this continent and are jointly committed to maintaining long-term peace and friendship in the future and preventing the tragedy from happening again.

6. On the issue of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, the British side reiterated its respect for the Kingdom of Ryukyu belonging to the special interest zone of Chu State and its commitment to working with Chu State to maintain peace and stability in the region.

7. Regarding the issue of Northern China, the two sides are jointly committed to launching free trade actions in the North, caring about and protecting each other's regional interests, respecting the status quo, and committed to jointly maintaining peace and stability.

8. Britain and Chu will jointly confirm the territories of both sides, demarcate clear boundaries of interests, and on this basis, give each other recognition based on the principle of respect.

9. Relevant trade and tax agreements will be discussed in detail in separate negotiations, and a trade convention will be made public and implemented accordingly.

10. In the relevant areas where agreement is reached, France will take concerted action with the United Kingdom, and the relevant provisions will also apply to the relationship between France and Chu.

eleven……

On the 12th day of the negotiations, the two sides finally reached an agreement on peace talks to end the war. One of the signatory countries was Britain and France, and the other signatory country was Chu. A grand armistice negotiation signing ceremony was held in Manila.

This important treaty laid the foundation for peace and stability in the Nanyang region for the next few decades. It is known as the "Manila Treaty" in history and left a significant mark in the post-war Nanyang region.

The signing of this treaty indicated that Chu State would become an indispensable and important participant in the situation in the Nanyang region, and no one would dare to underestimate or ignore it anymore.

Throughout the Nanyang region and even in East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States, the Chu State will appear as a new great power. Although it is only a third-rate power, it is enough to protect the basic interests of overseas Chinese from arbitrary infringement.

After the signing of the Treaty of Manila, the Singapore Expeditionary Force of the Chu State began to evacuate. The evacuation fleet directly crossed the Strait of Malacca and stopped in the territory of the Tanjung Kap Kingdom in the north, and then occupied the area.

The evacuation of the Singapore Expeditionary Force was carried out in stages. When the evacuation began, the British wisely remained silent, as if they had not seen anything.

The entire evacuation took 11 days and was completed on April 1869, 4, without any unexpected incidents.

The fleet of ironclad heavy ships that assisted the fort fort in defending the strait during the war finally withdrew, with huge chimneys emitting billowing black smoke all the way as they sailed towards Manila and returned home with honor.

After a hard battle, the Singapore Expeditionary Force had a total of over 3 troops left, of which more than 2 were withdrawn to the Chu mainland, and the remaining more than elite troops were stationed in the Tanjung Kap area.

The whole process went very smoothly and no one raised any objections.

When the Dutch white colonists heard that a cup had been broken in the Governor-General's Palace of the Dutch East Indies, they were furious and cursed that both Britain and Chu were worthless and had jointly betrayed the interests of the Dutch.

However, under the strong suppression of the British, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies did not raise any questions after all.

Although the Dutch regarded Sumatra as a forbidden territory that no one else could touch, that place was not a Dutch colony after all, which made no sense.

It's like two families are neighbors. When one family sees a new guest move in, the neighbor immediately stands up to object, saying that this is the place I reserved a long time ago and it must belong to me from now on.

Even robbers would be ashamed to say such words.

The British attitude is
These Oriental people in the Chu State are really difficult to deal with. We should send them away quickly and restore the direct colonial rule of the British Channel Governor's Office so as not to create unnecessary trouble.

The Sultan of Aceh and a number of princely states in the northwest looked at the new neighbor who had moved in, blinked their eyes for a long time, and were unable to say a word.

These outsiders are stronger, more vicious and more domineering than each other. They are all coveting my delicate body. They are all bad people. It would be better to let them fight each other.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu happily thought in his heart

Now we have occupied a point on the island of Sumatra. In the future, it will slowly expand into a line and then slowly erode into a piece. The future is promising!

In the future, a certain share of immigration quotas must be reserved for Sumatra. Strength lies in numbers, and this principle applies everywhere.

The expeditionary force stationed in Tanjung Kap was reorganized into the Sixth Expeditionary Division, commanded by Major General Zheng Jiahui, the former deputy commander of the Second Expeditionary Division. He was a very calm general with rich combat experience.

The deputy division commander was Colonel Fang Shiwei, who became famous in the earthen rampart defense battle and was called "Iron Bolt" by his colleagues in the army, which made the British deeply fearful.

At the same time as the signing of the Manila Treaty, King Zhenguo of Chu issued an edict, ordering the Australian Expeditionary Force to be disbanded and resettled on the spot, and to be naturalized under the rule of the British Dominion, requiring them to be law-abiding citizens.

When they set out for the expedition to Australia, they were a huge army. But when they returned, there were only dozens of senior officers who were unwilling to naturalize there and hoped to continue serving in the army in the future.

These senior officers are the foundation for rebuilding the Fifth Expeditionary Division.

After everything settled, the report of Australia's huge losses still caused quite a stir in London, which was forcibly suppressed by the government.

Australia, devastated by war, has been completely changed. The population structure of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales has undergone tremendous changes, and at least more than 100,000 young and middle-aged white men are missing or dead.

With the influx of a large number of Chinese immigrants, the Australian Expeditionary Force, which numbered more than 100,000, was disbanded on the spot and became citizens who settled in Australia, making the Chinese the largest single ethnic group in the four states mentioned above, accounting for more than 60% of the population.

Many white women who lost their loved ones and husbands in the war became wives of Chinese men, either voluntarily or forcibly, for various reasons, and some of them became pregnant quickly.

If this factor is taken into account, the total population of Chinese families will exceed 80%.

Even in Victoria, where whites are the majority, the Chinese population is close to 50%. If the white wives of Chinese families are included, the proportion will increase by another 20%.

The London government selectively ignored this troublesome situation.

In the hearts of the British
This remote British Australian dominion was never considered a peer. It was just a group of descendants of criminals in a remote area, country people with black fingernails.

The British turned a blind eye to the Irish who were so close to them, so how could they care about the Australians?

(End of this chapter)