1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

what?

London Naval Treaty?

It’s okay, just “retire” a few more ships to the “Five-Star Eastern Republic Navy”.

Anyway, the meat is rotten in the pot, so just consider it as a gift to the future... ahem... His Majesty Hachiman-no-Miyazu.

The whole of Japan was in a frenzy.

Only a very small number of people were worried that Japan would be attacked from all sides and even be sanctioned and embargoed by the West. However, someone immediately refuted this "pedantic and ignorant thinking":

"Under the leadership of His Majesty the Emperor, who is wise and virtuous, and His Majesty the Prince Hachiman, who is brave, fearless, insightful, intelligent, and resourceful, you have nothing to worry about! Even if sanctions are imposed, the problem will surely be properly resolved!"

Compared with Japan, the reaction in China seems a little colder.

The main reason is that they always feel that the act of "the Five-Star Eastern Republic Navy retaking Macau" is difficult to define.

From the perspective of "Greater East Asia" or "yellow race", defeating the Portuguese, recovering the territory lost for nearly 400 years, and showing off their power in front of Western colonizers are undoubtedly worthy of recognition and joy.

On the one hand, the battle was fought with incredible ease. It was said that it took less than half a day to capture and control the entire Macau, capture the Governor of Macau and all the Portuguese soldiers, and seize countless spoils of war.

On the one hand, although the Five-Star Eastern Republic was a country led by Fujiwara no Kanezane, the newspapers said that almost all the participants in the battle were Chinese. This once again proved that the Chinese were not the "sick man of East Asia" and would not show any mercy when fighting foreigners.

It can be said that this is more significant than the Japanese defeating the Russians. But from the perspective of the "Chinese", a country led by the Japanese has performed a hundred times more powerful than the "orthodox Chinese", which is really complicated.

It’s not right to applaud, and it’s not right not to applaud.

Whether it was the "Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic" in Nanchang, the "Chinese Socialist Democratic Revolutionary Government" in Shanghai, the "North China Anti-Japanese National Salvation Autonomous Committee" in Peiping, the "Government of the Republic of China" in Nanjing, the "People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China" in Fujian, or the "Guangzhou National Revolutionary Government" in Guangdong, no one knew how to respond to this incident.

The CCP could only remain silent about the "Fifth Communist Marine Corps" led by its own cadres and composed mainly of its own personnel to capture Macau.

Song Qingling and Fujiwara no Kanezane had always worked closely together, and her "Chinese Socialist Democratic Republic" that she used to attract Chiang Kai-shek's attention did not have the power to interfere in Macau's affairs, so she also kept silent.

Zhang Xueliang, Song Zheyuan and other members of the "North China Anti-Japanese National Salvation Autonomous Committee" were too far away from Macau and too close to Northeast China or Mongolia. They had just been beaten up a while ago, so even if they had opinions, they dared not express them.

Chiang Kai-shek, trapped in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, was desperately trying to get foreign aid to strengthen his power. He had no time to pay attention to other places. He could only leave a note in his diary: "This is a vicious plot of the Japanese pirates to use the Chinese to control the Chinese." At the same time, he asked Dai Li to contact Liu Yalou (Liu Zhendongzhen) mentioned in the newspaper to see if there was any possibility of bribery.

The same goes for Chen Mingshu. After that devastating defeat, the morale of the Fujian regime had long since dissipated, leaving it essentially a hollow shell. It was only occasionally bombarded with artillery fire, and was lucky enough to avoid being annexed. How could it possibly have the energy to meddle with other people's affairs?

Chen Jitang, who was the closest to Macau and only within his jurisdiction, was tempted to make a big news after hearing that the so-called "Marine Corps" had only 500 people, but eventually gave up.

It is obvious that the warships parked off the coast of Guangdong are not to be trifled with.

Although in June and July of this year, three main cruisers of the former Northeastern Navy, the Haiche, Haichen, and Zhaohe, defected from Qingdao to Weihai due to internal conflicts, greatly increasing the strength of the Guangdong Navy, it is still inferior to Nanjing, and even less to Japan;

Guangdong has so little wealth. What if Fujiwara no Kanezane gets angry and bombards Guangzhou or directly mobilizes the navy to attack Guangdong or even cut off the shipping route?

Never mind, at worst we can just deploy more troops along the Zhongshan front line!

Anyway, just 500 people are not enough to cause a huge upheaval.

In short, the Portuguese were ambushed, Macau was captured by the "Five Communist Navy", and a thorn was planted in the south. Although the various forces in the former Nationalist government system that had relatively close ties with them were generally wary, they did not take it too seriously.

After all, even if they are not strong enough, Macau is such a small place that they can't do anything!

Besides, the Japanese’s trouble was not with China, but with the Western powers! At this time, the Palais des Nations in Geneva had been bombed.

"Protest! Protest! This is an infringement on civilization!"

Antonio de Fonseca, Portugal's representative in Geneva, held up a newspaper and shouted at Matsuoka Yosuke, Japan's representative in Geneva:

"Are you Japanese crazy? You attacked a neutral country for no reason! You even killed our soldiers!"

"Mr. Fonseca, first of all, I want to emphasize that your accusations are truly incomprehensible. Our government and military have never set foot on Macau soil. This is a well-known fact."

Matsuoka Yosuke looked calm:

"Secondly, Portugal's occupation of Chinese territory is a well-known fact. How can there be any talk of neutrality between Portugal and China? Finally, regarding the deaths of your soldiers in the war, I deeply regret it, but I need to tell you that this is war."

These three sentences mean:

Macau, which you seized from China, was taken away by someone else. You, a big idiot who doesn't even understand the simple truth that war kills people, have the nerve to bark everywhere, and why are you picking on me, an unrelated country?

The words should be reasonable and the logic should be reasonable. This is a diplomatic occasion!

"...You're talking nonsense..."

Fonseca almost lost his composure, but after a pause of two seconds, he remembered that no matter how people privately complained about "the Five-Star Eastern Republic being a Japanese colony," publicly, this broken country had been recognized by all the countries in the world and was an independent country.

If Portugal dares to publicly expose this "rule" or even refuses to acknowledge it, do you believe that the first to hit them would not be Japan, but Britain, France and the United States?

So, damn, you're targeting the wrong person.

With a sense of resentment at being mocked by the Japanese, Fonseca turned sharply to Gu Weijun, the Foreign Minister of the Five-Star Eastern Republic and its representative in Geneva:

"Please answer my question!"

How arrogant and rude.

These white-skinned pigs have been like this for hundreds of years.

Fortunately, His Majesty Hachiman-no-miya/Fujiwara no Kanezane informed us in advance.

In fact, the sudden capture of Macau not only caught the Western countries off guard, but also completely surprised international diplomats such as Matsuoka Yosuke and Gu Weijun.

There was no way. It was completely the arbitrary decision of the Japanese top leaders. They were not informed in advance, and it happened so quickly that they had no contingency plan at all.

Fortunately, almost at the moment before the attack, Fujiwara no Kanezane sent a transatlantic telegram informing them of the whole story and the actions to be taken afterwards. This made them feel relieved and at ease.

I thought that His Highness Kanezane had become the kind of person who only cared about domestic affairs and ignored foreign affairs. It seems that it is indeed the fault of those idiots in the country.

This is especially true of Gu Weijun.

If Fujiwara no Kanezane did not take him seriously and did not fulfill his original promise, he would not work honestly for him.

So, facing Fonseca's impolite spit, Gu Weijun just smiled and said:

“Pardon?” “...Pfft…”

Some people at the scene couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This sarcasm is even more powerful than Matsuoka Yosuke's. Although it is only one English word, it means:

If you want to question me, just ask honestly and let me take over what others are saying. Portuguese

Don't you know basic manners?

Fonseca's face flushed instantly, and veins popped out on his forehead. He held it in for at least twenty seconds before he forced himself to suppress his impulse and honestly repeated his previous views and questions.

"Oh, I see. I understand your question."

Gu Weijun slowly took off his gold-rimmed glasses, exhaled, and wiped the lenses with a flannel cloth:

"Mr. Fonseca, that's a good question and a good point. Civilization, indeed, is something our head of state, His Excellency Fujiwara, has always emphasized. We are undoubtedly a civilized nation, and naturally we must abide by the rules of civilization. So, I don't quite understand what exactly Mr. Fonseca is accusing us of."

Without waiting for Fonseca's response, he continued in a sarcastic tone, "You say we fought without declaring war? But before the attack, we clearly sent someone to deliver a document demanding the surrender of your personnel. But your Governor-General Meiland ignored it and refused to surrender, so we launched the general attack."

"You say we killed your soldiers? But as Mr. Songgang said, war is war, not a child's game. I heard you were once a soldier, so you don't think that there are no deaths in war, do you?"

"You say we mistreat Governor Meiland? I'm sorry, but I can guarantee that our army's discipline is the best in the world. Treating prisoners well is our creed. Your country can send someone to Macau to verify this right now. I guarantee that all prisoners have been properly accommodated."

"You say our attack caused huge losses to Portugal? But this was a legitimate act of our government to recover our territory. It was your lack of cooperation that caused this unfortunate and regrettable event, and we should not be held responsible."

"You're talking about Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations? Macau is 'uncivilized territories administered by civilized nations'? But Germany also ceded some land to international administration after the European War. Are you trying to say that Germany, too, is an uncivilized territory?"

"As for statements like 'Macau is like an oriental gem meticulously crafted by Portugal, while China is like a rough rough stone that needs Western hands to shine,' I suggest you retract them. The colonialist rhetoric of racial superiority is simply disgusting..."

Even when asking the last few questions that were obviously discriminatory, Gu Weijun remained quite calm. Not only was he not angry, he even wanted to laugh.

He didn't know why, maybe this was his confidence?

Just like what Gambia said later, "It took three days to sweep across the Soviet Union and one day to occupy China", it would be stupid for the Soviet Union and China to pay attention to it.

This statement refutes most of Fonseca's previous impassioned speech, but leaves one crucial point unresolved:

"Macau is a piece of land that our country has legally leased from the Chinese government! It is guaranteed by legal documents!"

"Which Chinese government are you talking about?"

3

Fonseca choked. Which Chinese government? Ming?

清?

Republic of China?

If it is these three, then the question arises - why should the Five-Star Oriental Republic recognize the agreements signed between these three and Portugal?

The problem then returns to the realm of the survival of the fittest, and Portugal is clearly the weaker party.

If he had the ability to send troops to the Far East to recapture Macau, he would have led the army to gain military merit long ago. Why would he bother to complain to others at the League of Nations Assembly?

If we don’t mention these three, we must admit that only the Five-Star Oriental Republic can represent China.

Otherwise, what are you babbling about?

After thinking for a while, Fonseca made a decision:

"Don't you claim to defeat all rebels and unify China? Don't you intend to admit your ideals? If that's the case, what qualifications do you have to claim that you can represent China?"

"Yes, I admit that although you obtained the permission of our Ming Dynasty government through deception and obtained the so-called 'lease instrument', and used some less than honorable means to make the Qing Dynasty government recognize this, and even signed a treaty with the Republic of China government..."

Gu Weijun looked puzzled and said:

"But have those documents or treaties been confirmed by our government? Why would our government recognize treaties signed between two completely defunct dynasties and local rebels?"

Representatives from other Western countries, especially Britain and France, could not help but frown. The Five-Star Eastern Republic's attitude was very tough...

Fonseca thought he had found a loophole in Gu Weijun's words, and immediately shouted in great joy:

"Look! Look! This is what they call 'civilization'! Legally and legitimate treaties are disrecognized as soon as a new government changes. This is the work of barbarians! Gentlemen, I'm afraid our interests in the Far East are no longer guaranteed!"

There was silence.

Although what Fonseca said made sense, it was obviously intended to drag others into the water, so no one spoke up.

Portugal's interests are too small, and people are generally not interested; besides, I always feel that the Japanese...these yellow people have more tricks up their sleeves.

Seeing no one respond, Fonseca felt a little embarrassed for a moment, but Gu Weijun calmly helped him out:

"Even if my country is willing to recognize those treaties, what is the 'legitimate' basis for your country to occupy our ancient and inherent territory?"

"I already said that..."

"Excuse me, what's your basis? The Ming Dynasty has been gone for hundreds of years, and the Qing Dynasty was only a few decades ago, yet you're still 'leasing' Macau. Where is the lease agreement?"

"What are you talking about! Didn't your Nationalist government already..." "Alas..."

Looking at Yan Huiqing, the Chinese Nationalist Government's representative to the League of Nations, who hadn't said a word from beginning to end but still insisted on attending the meeting, Gu Weijun deliberately sighed deeply.

"Mr. Fonseca, as a diplomat, you should be well-versed in your country's past. Don't you know that after the 40-year treaty between the Qing Dynasty and Portugal expired in 1887, the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Friendship and Commerce signed between the Republic of China and your country's Carmona Military Government clearly stated that the Chinese government had the right to reclaim Macau at any time?"

"Why???"

Fonseca was shocked. He really didn't know!

Portugal occupied Macau for so long that when they mentioned it, they subconsciously thought that Macau was their territory, and the signing of the "lease contract" was purely historical inertia.

So, in April 1928, when the Nanjing Nationalist Government informed Portugal that the Qing-Portuguese Treaty of Peace and Commerce had expired, that the Chinese government would not renew it, and that Macau would be taken back, they simply ignored it!

So, where did the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Friendship and Commerce mentioned by Gu Weijun come from?

A: In December 1928, Chiang Kai-shek, eager to focus on suppressing the Communists and unwilling to clash with the West over the Macau issue, surrendered. He approached the Portuguese and requested a renewal of the treaty...

Well, the Portuguese, who had never believed that Macau could be recovered by China, didn't care at all and were even a little surprised - since there were bastards rushing to sign a traitorous treaty, they might as well sign it!

However, Wang Zhengting, who was in charge of signing the treaty at the time, was not stupid, or rather, he did not want to bear the blame for selling out his country, so he played a little trick when signing the treaty:

It completely avoided the issue of sovereignty, deleted the clause in the old treaty of the Qing government that "Portugal will permanently manage Macau", and did not mention "lease" on the grounds that "colonial rule has lost its basis in international law". It only talked about issues such as trade, tariffs, and consular jurisdiction.

As a result, the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Friendship and Commerce was signed. The two sides reached a compromise through secret notes. Portugal continued to rule Macau, and the Nationalist government acquiesced to the status quo.

However, this operation means that, legally speaking, the Chinese government has the power to take back Macau at any time;

This was also an important basis for questioning the 1987 Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and even the return of Macau in 1999.

Okay, here comes the question.

Do you, Portugal, recognize the treaty signed at that time? Yes?

That means you have to admit that it is legal for the "Five-Star Oriental Republic" to take back Macau. Otherwise, why don't you return it?

Since you refuse to return it, then the beating you receive is justified!

Don't admit it?

So what were you doing just now, nagging about what Gu Weijun said?