The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

Jefferson also discussed some of the details with Chen Yun, such as how the Urban Investment Group would allocate its investment in the four cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan and Hengyang, when the Xiangjiang River shipping renovation project would begin, etc.

After the topic started, Jefferson asked in detail about the Guangzhou United Government's overall construction plan in Hunan, such as the implementation of the current First Five-Year Plan projects in Hunan.

"When we first formulated the First Five-Year Plan, the infrastructure and industrial construction projects we allocated to Hunan were insufficient," Chen Yun said. "Last month, we readjusted the plan and added seven new industrial projects to Hunan. The total industrial output value is expected to increase by another 20% after completion."

Jefferson: "Standard Chartered intends to develop a wider range of credit business in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area."

Chen Yun: "This is a good idea. However, I would like to point out that although the average salary of migrant workers in Hunan's cities is very low now, only about half of that in Guangzhou, this gap will gradually narrow in the future. The Guangdong-Hankou Railway was fully opened last November. The flow of people between Hunan and Guangdong will become more frequent, and workers will move to the Pearl River Delta, where wages are higher. If Changsha's industry and commerce want to recruit enough suitable workers, they will have to raise their workers' wages."

Jefferson: "We will take all of this into consideration. In fact, business owners are more sensitive to this data than we are. The fact that the number of businesses established in Hunan in the past month has more than doubled compared to the same period last year speaks volumes."

Finally, Chen Yun asked a question:

"Manager Jefferson, what are your thoughts on the recent negotiations between Nanjing and the British regarding the repatriation of the Weihaiwei Concession?"

Jefferson: "We've noticed some of this in the news. But Standard Chartered doesn't think it's a big deal."

After the establishment of the two regimes in Nanjing and Guangzhou, both sides negotiated with Britain, demanding the recovery of various sovereign rights and interests, including the concessions.

The main negotiating partner was the United Kingdom.

Before the Northern Expedition, Britain held seven concessions in China. During the Northern Expedition, two were reclaimed: the Jiujiang and Hankou concessions, leaving five. One was located within the Guangzhou Union Government area (the Shamian concession), and four were located within the Nanjing area.

However, when Nanjing and Guangzhou negotiated with Britain, the British used the tactic of using the opponent's strength to defeat them.

In response to Nanjing's request for negotiation, Britain said, "We will negotiate the sovereignty of the British Concession in Guangzhou with the Communist regime in Guangzhou, not with you. Is this acceptable to you?"

Nanjing did not accept it.

The Guangzhou United Government negotiated with Britain, and Britain responded by swapping the words Guangzhou and Nanjing, which Guangzhou did not accept.

After all, both sides agree on the "One China" policy.

Britain's use of the other party's power delayed the negotiations on concession sovereignty from the end of 1927 to the end of 1930, with no substantial progress. In the end, Chiang Kai-shek became impatient first.

The Nanjing government desperately needed a clear, visible achievement to demonstrate to the Chinese people that its "nationalism" slogan was not in vain. Urged by public opinion, Chiang Kai-shek urged the Nanjing Ministry of Foreign Affairs to swiftly reclaim the British concession in Weihaiwei. To this end, he could ignore the British hints: "Talk to Guangzhou if you want, but I must first seize Weihaiwei."

Of course, Guangzhou also received the news at the same time. Foreign Minister Chen Youren solemnly notified the British Consulate through official channels: When you transfer the sovereignty of Weihaiwei to the Nanjing government, it will be the time for us to take back the Shamian Concession in Guangzhou.

We must treat everyone equally... No, Guangzhou's attitude is that the negotiations between Nanjing and Britain will be ignored by Guangzhou. Guangzhou will neither help Nanjing to build momentum nor slander Nanjing. However, it cannot happen that the Nanjing government takes back a British concession while the Guangzhou Joint Government does not take back the concession within its own territory.

The British Consulate General in Guangzhou conveyed the Chinese message to London, emphasizing that Guangzhou's attitude was firm. After receiving the telegram from Guangzhou, the Foreign Office and the Foreign Secretary in London were said to be in chaos.

Guangzhou Port.

The flagship of the French Navy's Far East Column, the Dugué-Trouin, docked at the Guangzhou Port.

The lead ship of the Dugué-Trouin class, with a standard displacement of 7400 tons and four twin-mounted 155mm main guns, was a standard treaty-type light cruiser. This was the French Navy's only capable warship in the Far East; the other ships stationed in Vietnam were older vessels built before World War I or even in the 19th century. In short, the French Navy's strength in the Far East was several notches behind that of the British.

When the "Dugué-Trouin" entered Guangzhou, it happened to be raining heavily throughout the city, but the welcoming ceremony was held as usual.

Chen Tianheng and Li Zhilong, wearing black cloaks and large tung oil hats, stood at the dock and shook hands with the French Indochina Governor-General Boji and the commander of the French Navy Far East Column, Lieutenant General Geffroy, who were getting off the ship with umbrellas.

Bo Ji is Vietnamese. The governor gave himself a Vietnamese name to indicate localization. His French name is Pierre-Marie-Antoine Paquier.

"On April 2, you suddenly announced that you wanted to take back the Shamian French Concession. France expresses strong dissatisfaction and protest," Bo Ji said solemnly. "France will not accept such humiliation, let alone hand over the Shamian Concession."

Chen Tianheng: "Oh. Got it." "Got it? !!"

Chen Tianheng: "It was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that informed you of this news, and I am here on behalf of the Revolutionary Army to receive your ships and military delegation. If I may add anything, it is that the Revolutionary Army firmly supports the decisions of the Coalition Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Bo Ji: "I don't understand. Weihaiwei was a British concession. It was Britain that returned Weihaiwei to the Nanjing government. Even if you uphold the so-called principle of reciprocity, you still have to do what Nanjing did. You could have taken the British Concession in Guangzhou, but why did you take the French Concession?"

Chen Tianheng: "The French and British Concessions are both located on Shamian Island. The two concessions cover a total area of ​​7 mu, separated by a wall with seven gates, none of which are accessible. They are simply two gated communities within the city. We cannot reclaim the British Concession without also reclaiming the French. You should also understand that with the two concessions currently so closely connected, you will not be able to maintain control even after the British Concession is reclaimed."

Bo Ji: "The concession was obtained by France in accordance with the treaty signed with China. During the validity period of the treaty, I suggest that both parties abide by this contract."

Chen Tian and Chen Heng: "Then I also suggest that the French side sign a new contract with us, based on the interests of both sides, to resolve the historical issues between the two countries on the principles of fairness and equality. As far as I know, the French government does not levy taxes on the French Concession in Shamian. The regional tax revenue of the French Concession is only used to maintain the expenses of the leased Municipal Council and the Police Station. France also does not station troops in the French Concession. I think France's core interests have nothing to do with what flag is raised on Shamian Island."

Bo Ji: "Whether the tricolor flag is raised on Shamian Island is of vital importance to France." Chen Tianheng: "No, I disagree. Because in the late 19th century, when France sought to lease Shamian Island as a concession, it was not seeking to raise the tricolor flag here."

"Modern China's concessions are a product of history, and we've noted that there are many reasons for their emergence. During the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu rulers' deliberate propaganda amplified the public's xenophobia. To be honest, even foreigners working in legitimate professions at the time faced life-threatening dangers living and traveling in China. Only by demarcating an area where laws you trust, rather than those of the Qing Dynasty, are enforced can the personal safety of your citizens be protected. I must also point out that this method of ensuring the personal safety of your citizens has earned you resentment among the Chinese people towards the concessions and your country."

"But today, after the Xinhai Revolution, the Nationalist Revolution, and the Northern Expedition, the Qing dynasty has been swept into the dustbin of history. This phenomenon has long since become history. In Guangzhou, the car factory invested in and built by the French company Citroën has long been in operation. Hundreds of French engineers and technicians work in the factory and live in Guangzhou, and I haven't seen any Cantonese people arresting them and making them into barbecued pork."

"The situation is largely the same across the country. We all know Mount Lu, where there are hundreds of villas. Foreigners from the concessions in Jiujiang, Wuhan, Zhenjiang, and other places bought land and built houses in Lushan as their summer retreat. Even with so many foreigners in Lushan, the people of Jiangxi didn't just throw them into clay pots and make soup."

"And Beidaihe. Foreigners from the Tianjin Concession have built more villas there than in Jiujiang, and the people of Hebei haven't arrested the foreigners in Beidaihe... I don't know what they'll do. These are places outside the concessions, places without extraterritoriality, and it's very common for foreigners to live there. It's time for the concessions to completely withdraw from China."

Bo Ji still shook his head stubbornly. "The French government will not allow its rights in Shamian to be lost without permission. If you insist on doing this, you will face retaliation from the French government."

Chen Tianheng: "Not only do we insist on doing this, but we also believe that the French government should return to reason."

At the welcoming dinner, Bo Ji did not get any concessions from Chen Tianheng in his conversation.

The next day, in a conversation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bo Ji, as the French government's temporary envoy, used both soft and hard tactics, but the Ministry's stance remained unshaken. Guangzhou had already secured the Shamian French Concession and was determined to reclaim it along with the Shamian British Concession. "You want to keep the Shamian British Concession? Then pray that the Weihaiwei negotiations between Britain and Nanjing fail."

But it's probably too late to pray now.

On April 15, the day after Boji and the French cruiser left Guangzhou, all the headlines in Nanjing newspapers became:

The Reclaiming of Weihaiwei's Sovereignty: A Major Victory for Chinese Diplomacy

4 month 16 day.

Across from Shamian Island, Shaji.

"Captain, are we really going to use British tanks to reclaim the British Concession in Guangzhou?"

The tank crews of the Training Division Armored Regiment were standing by in Shaki with a company of Vickers MKE-CT tanks. The commander of tank number 3 asked Dai Anlan on the radio.

Chapter 83, White Paper on the Chinese Revolution and China's National Liberation

At the ceremony of reclaiming the British and French Concessions in Guangzhou, the tanks of the Whampoa Military Academy served as the "guard of honor."

But it was just a formality, a guard of honor. A tank company of 10 tanks lined up, and everyone watched as the Union Jack on Shamian Island was lowered and the Republic of China flag was raised. The ceremony was over, and the tanks... turned around and drove back.

Shamian Island is too small to accommodate a military camp. 0.22 square kilometers, the combined area of ​​the British and French Concessions, is roughly the size of two large high school campuses. And it's already been completely overgrown with buildings, so there's no room for even a tank company's dormitories and parking.

Bo Ji arrived in Guangzhou on a cruiser, declaring that France would never accept such humiliating terms. Even on the day of his departure, he continued to assert his patriotism and willingness to defend overseas interests with force. However, the day before the concession was reclaimed, Paris hurriedly telegraphed the French Concession Municipal Council (City Hall), demanding that the French Concession prepare for the handover of sovereignty.

So that night, the civil servants of the French Concession scrambled to gather national flags, uniforms, and police officers who could stand in formation as a guard of honor. Working until two in the morning, they finally gathered all the necessary attire for tomorrow's ceremony.

The British prepared their ceremonial procedures much more thoroughly than the French. They knew since 1927 that the concession would not last long in Guangzhou. Over the past three years, they have been pushing and unloading the power between the governments of Nanjing and Guangzhou, doing things almost to the extreme. The delay in returning Weihaiwei and Shamian to China until now deserves almost full marks from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The appearance of ten Chinese revolutionary tanks at the handover and flag-raising ceremony was a real eye-opener for the British. After learning that these tanks were manufactured by Vickers, the British were quite... proud.

Not only that, some of the British people present who knew a little about military affairs began to ask: Why doesn't the British Army equip this kind of tank? This tank looks very impressive.

This question was relayed back to the UK, where the Secretary of State for Defense went to Parliament to explain. He told MPs that the British Army did not field the Vickers MKE light tank because it was equipped with the Vickers MK.1 and MK.2 medium tanks. The Vickers MKE weighed six or seven tons, hence the name "Vickers 6-ton," while the MK.2 medium tank weighed 12 tons.

Did you hear that? We produce medium tanks, and what we sell are light tanks. Everyone should have confidence in our army.

During the week of the Shamian Concession's recovery, Guangzhou citizens had an additional activity to do on weekends: visiting the Foreign Concession.

While most of the land and buildings in the British and French Concessions were private residences, there were two areas that were definitely not: the Municipal Council and the Consulate. The Guangzhou Municipal Government has arranged a tour route, open every Sunday, when the city is closed. Visitors can enter from Shaji Bridge, circle the Consulate, circle the Municipal Council, and then return along the same route.

Although visitors were limited to viewing the consulate from the outside and a cursory glance inside the Municipal Council, snapping a few commemorative photos—the photographers squatting outside charged a hefty fifty cents per photo—citizens still lined up for photo opportunities. A cursory tour of the concessions was previously impossible. Unlike the Shanghai International Settlement, the Shamian Concession was previously off-limits to Chinese.

"Students at Lingnan University recently conducted a public opinion poll," Guo Liang said. "Support for the coalition government's foreign policy increased from 65% to 79%. Even more interesting, support for the coalition government's Northern Expedition policy also increased from 70% to 73%. This is clearly a victory for regaining national sovereignty from foreign powers in the diplomatic field."

Chen Tianheng: "So our work is a whole. Whether it's industry or agriculture, or the economy, finance, diplomacy, or the military, achieving outstanding results in any of these areas will have a positive impact on the prestige of the entire government."

During the Second Opium War, the British and French forces captured Guangzhou. In 1861, Britain and France forced the Qing government to sign a lease agreement, leasing a sandbar island in the Pearl River. They established the British Concession and the French Concession, two foreign settlements under British and French laws.

After that, decades passed, and finally the two "countries within a country" in Guangzhou were recovered by the coalition government.

In the original historical dimension, the British and French concessions in Shamian weren't voluntarily reclaimed; they were earned. In 1943, during the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou, to bolster the prestige of Wang Jingwei's puppet government, Japan contacted Germany, which in turn pressured Vichy France, resulting in the return of its concessions to Wang Jingwei. The British concession was then forcibly seized by the Japanese army and handed over to Wang Jingwei. After the war, Britain and France, pressured by global trends, conceded to the return of the concessions.

The concessions were now recovered 12 years ahead of schedule, and this was done voluntarily rather than by force. At a time when the rest of the world was experiencing economic downturns and the coalition government was enjoying social stability and rapid development, this had a profound effect on boosting the morale of the coalition government.

The same thing happened in the Nanjing-controlled area. With the repatriation of Weihaiwei, the Nanjing government's prestige rose. People of this era didn't realize that the repatriation of Weihaiwei was actually delayed from 1929 to 1931, but regardless, whenever a concession was reclaimed, the Chinese people straightened their backs a little.

The national flag was raised in the Shamian Concession. The Municipal Council changed its national emblem. Street signs in the former concession were changed to be bilingual in Chinese and English.

—Within two weeks, the Shamian Concession completed these renovation projects, but the British and French journalists gathered in Guangzhou did not disperse and return to Hong Kong.

British and French journalists had very keen senses. Not only did they know that China had long told Britain that "Weihaiwei has been taken back, and Shamian must also be taken back", they also knew that the Communist Party of China held four consecutive party theoretical seminars from February to April.

"..-Taking into account the limited business handling capabilities of our liaison offices in the UK, France and the US, the Chinese government has decided to implement 'visa on arrival' for citizens of the UK, France and the US visiting China."

"Citizens of the United Kingdom, France and the United States who are not on the wanted list can obtain a 30-day temporary visa upon arrival in China. Citizens of the three countries can use this visa to reside, travel or seek employment in China."

"After the 30-day period, citizens of the three countries who obtain formal employment contracts from public or private enterprises in my country and whose positions are included in the '31 occupations open to talent introduction' listed by the Ministry of Labor can obtain long-term residence visas in China."

At the joint government press conference, Qu Qiubai answered reporters' questions.

The Times reporter: "Mr. Spokesperson, the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party has recently held a series of theoretical seminars. It is speculated that these seminars focused on socialist theory, especially the theory of building a socialist country under one roof. Can the results of these meetings be disclosed to the public?"

Qu Qiubai: "Recently, in response to some emerging trends in society, the Communist Party of China held a theoretical seminar to clarify the discord and refine the core theories of socialist revolution and construction. The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang also participated in the final stages of the theoretical seminar. We have reached consensus on these core theories."

"These consensuses will be published tomorrow in the form of a white paper titled 'China's National Liberation and the Chinese Revolution.' Today I can tell you the outline of this white paper."

"—Revolutionaries fight for national independence and national rejuvenation."

"The Chinese nation is a great nation with a civilization history of more than 5000 years. Throughout history, our nation has created a brilliant and splendid culture and made great contributions to the development of world civilization."

"But by the end of the Ming and Qing dynasties, China's development began to stagnate due to the corruption and incompetence of its rulers. Especially after the Opium War of 1840, the relentless aggression of Western powers turned China into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and the people fell into deep suffering."

"The Chinese nation and the Chinese people are facing an all-encompassing crisis of survival. The economy is in decline, people's livelihoods are devastated, and the people are struggling to survive. 80% of the population suffers from chronic hunger or semi-hunger. Epidemics are rampant, with plague, smallpox, cholera, and other infectious diseases wreaking havoc. Almost every year and every province is plagued by epidemics. ... The level of poverty and lack of freedom faced by the Chinese people is rare in the world."

"Faced with the devastation of the country and the suffering of the people, many people of noble character and lofty ideals, dedicated to the cause of national progress, launched a movement to save the nation."

"Dr. Sun Yat-sen proposed the national revolutionary proposition of 'expelling the Tartars and restoring China' and the Three Principles of the People of 'nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood' in order to achieve the independence of the Chinese nation and the liberation of the people."

“Based on the reality of the failure of the Northern Expedition and the Great Revolution, the revolutionary elements in the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang realized the following facts:”

"Only socialism is the only viable path to achieving 'nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood.' Only socialism can realize the independence and freedom of the Chinese nation and the liberation of the people."

"Second, the alliance between workers and peasants and petty bourgeoisie and small property owners is the basic force of the Chinese revolution."

“Third, the people being masters of their own country is the only way for the Chinese revolution to break free from the cycle of reincarnation.”

“4. The revolution in a country should be accomplished by the revolutionaries of that country on an independent basis.”

"We reject the assertion that 'social justice can only be achieved through the world proletarian revolution.'"

"In early 1927, after careful consideration and discussion, the Party Central Committee, with Chen Duxiu as its General Secretary, decided to withdraw from the Third International, meaning that it would no longer consider itself a subordinate party of the Communist International."

"This decision sparked enormous controversy and shock, and the Party organization was on the verge of splitting and disintegrating. Thanks to the strenuous efforts of key Party leaders such as Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Mao Runzhi, and Zhou Enlai, and with the unwavering support of the majority of Party comrades, we were able to bridge our differences and unite again."

"Without the leadership of the Communist International, our Party continued its revolutionary cause. The revolutionary army, led by the Communist Party, launched the Nanchang Uprising, firing the first shot against the Chiang Kai-shek clique. Outstanding military commanders of the Party, represented by Chen Tianheng and Ye Ting, led the revolutionary army to defeat the enemy with fewer troops and the weaker ones, establishing the Guangdong revolutionary base area and establishing a coalition government in Guangzhou. The revolutionary army survived the encirclement and suppression campaigns of the Chiang Kai-shek clique and continued to grow stronger."

"The facts of the Chinese revolution to date have eloquently demonstrated that the revolutionary party members and the revolutionary army must rely on their own strength rather than external assistance. This is the necessary condition for the revolutionary cause to gain the support of the majority of the people of the country and for the revolutionary cause to be coordinated with the national liberation and independence movement."

"The same is true of revolutions around the world. If a revolution enters a country as a foreign force, posing as a 'holy army', this imported product is bound to fail."

“5. Building a modern industrialized nation is the historical mission of the Chinese revolutionaries.”

Guangzhou-Heyuan Highway.

It was still raining. Chen Tianheng instructed the General Staff's convoy to slow down, prioritizing safety and proceeding slowly. As long as they could reach the Xinfengjiang Hydropower Station site by evening, their trip wouldn't be delayed.

Chen Yi: "There's a lot of rain this year."

Chen Tianheng: "It's a lot. It's only the end of April, and many places in Guangdong and Hunan have already received as much rainfall as half a year ago. ... - Hey, what's that in front?"

The rain had slowed down a bit this time. Chen Tianheng spotted a Y-shaped fork in the road ahead. On the right, a notice board stood, about four meters wide and three or four meters high. In the center was a simple painted sketch of a truck, wrecked and nearly torn apart. Some red paint had been applied to the center, suggesting bloodstains from the accident scene.

Under this paint painting, four large characters were written in red paint:

Lessons from the Past

Chen Yi: "The road to the right winds around the mountain, with some sharp turns. If you drive too fast, you'll easily go down the mountain."

Chen Tianheng: "It's a painting of a wrecked car. Actually, it would be better to put up a platform here and put a car that has crashed down the mountain on it. That would be a true 'lesson from the past.'"

Chen Yi: "Maybe it's because no car has crashed like this on the road ahead. But we didn't drive into that road, so we can just take another one."

"Director-General, Commander Chen, we left room for maneuver in the initial planning for the Xinfengjiang Hydropower Station. Over the past two years, we've exceeded expectations and reached several key milestones ahead of schedule, adding further margin to the schedule. Even if construction has to be halted due to flooding, we can still ensure the hydropower station's on-time completion."

At the Xinfengjiang Hydropower Station dam construction site, Lu Enda, commander of the Fourth Regiment of the Engineering Corps, reported on work progress. Frequent rainfall since April has prompted both the project headquarters and the Corps to seriously consider whether weather-related disruptions might cause a temporary halt to construction. Now that the main structure of the dam is complete, the only thing left is to store water for power generation.

Chen Tianheng: "Aside from the Fourth Engineering Group, how many other contracted construction teams are there at the hydropower station dam site?"

"There are 33 construction teams with 4100 people. The Fourth Engineering Regiment is responsible for the most core and difficult projects."

Chen Tianheng: "I'm not here today to catch up on your progress, but to convene an on-site discussion meeting with the Engineering Corps. We're going to discuss how the Engineering Corps, the Field Army, and local forces can mobilize and provide disaster relief with the highest efficiency when a flood strikes."

"The flood disaster we are talking about here is not a localized flood disaster, but the Xijiang River, Dongjiang River, Xiangjiang River, Ganjiang River, Lishui River, etc., all of which have suffered heavy rainfall and flooding disasters."

Chapter 84: Year of the Great Disaster

In late spring of 1931, continued rainfall in the Pearl River basin caused localized flooding. Half a month later, heavy rainfall shifted to Jiangxi and Hunan, causing flooding in the Xiangjiang and Ganjiang river basins.