The New Colonial Business Model (3)
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the Silk Road, is a national-level top-tier strategic policy proposed by the Central Plains to advance westward. In other words, what I just mentioned is precisely the Belt and Road Initiative that you all think of from the 21st century.
“Both of you have worked hard since this morning.”
“To have Your Excellency go to such lengths for us?”
“It’s not like we’re not busy with each other, right? They say ‘remove the nail from the shoe’—I was thinking of catching you today and bringing up the new colonial business model to the governments and parliaments of various countries.”
After a light morning greeting, I entered the room abruptly and gave a sheepish smile.
“Since the topic of conversation today is the same as the reason I visited, I waited a bit outside the door. Shall we come in?”
“Ah, Your Excellency. Please come this way.”
“Thank you.”
Well, then why did I suddenly present the Belt and Road Initiative, a 21st-century new colonial governance model and economic aggression tool, to these people in the room?
“Because the new order in Asia that our three nations will lead will become the symbol of progress and innovation in the future.”
“Progress and innovation?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Foote and Plancy’s bewildered reactions to my rambling talk that sounds like catching at straws, I bowed slightly and naturally moved to the most honorable seat in the room.
“Talking about economic benefits, political benefits, and such is, frankly, trivial. No, since we’ve started talking, I suppose I should explain.”
At the same time as my gesture, the people sitting down followed.
Facing them, I opened my mouth with a pleasant expression, as if saying ‘this is an economics lecture.’
“First, let’s discuss from the perspective of continental people the political benefits and the corresponding rights and national prestige that will come with it. Well, what method is necessary for a country’s national prestige or diplomatic influence to increase?”
To my question, Foote hesitated briefly, then answered shortly.
“Hmm, the key is the relative stature between nations compared to the other country? For example, based on overwhelming national power, intervening appropriately in the diplomacy of surrounding countries.”
“Hmm, do you think that? Minister Foote?”
As expected, the Anglo-Saxon guy who shares blood with me is on the same side, naturally talking about the gangster stuff done in America as if it’s obvious. Actually, after the Monroe Doctrine, the diplomat of the United States of America who enjoyed monopoly in America is understandable for saying such things.
Currently, even if you combine the entire South and Central America, the only countries in America that can match the US in stature are maybe Mexico or the Brazilian Empire.
And honestly, Brazil and Mexico are so scared of the US that they don’t even dare to break the US monopoly; they’re just watching their backs.
“I think differently.”
On the other hand, Plancy, who is skilled in continental diplomacy and whose native language is the international common language, opened his mouth after long consideration.
“The number of protectorates and satellite states affiliated with federations or leagues that can support their home country.”
“Correct.”
*Clap clap clap!*
With a too textbook-like and exemplary answer, I gave Plancy a short round of applause.
“As expected, descendants of General Napoleon.”
Here, if someone points out that I mentioned Napoleon to Plancy as a mistake, but it’s intentional.
No, more precisely, because Napoleon’s diplomatic policy has similarities to the Belt and Road Initiative.
Rather, it was Napoleon’s mistake to reveal the essence of diplomacy too clearly, making his intentions obvious.
“Minister Foote. You think that the reasons Napoleon led his army in person to command battles in the Continental Alliance, the Polish Kingdom of Warsaw, and the Peninsula War were all the same?”
“Uh···.”
Plancy, substituting for the New World village boy who couldn’t figure it out yet, spoke.
“All were steps to find diplomatic allies to support France in international diplomacy.”
“That’s right! So the result was a feast of satellite states and protectorates reborn under French power. It was an act to completely destroy the existing continental order.”
As the staff brought in coffee and tea cups clattering onto the table, I, without noticing, reached out to my throat which was parched.
Then, lightly moistening my throat, the conversation continued.
“The new colonial business model I propose is similar in purpose to Napoleon’s but much more gentle in method.”
“Gentle?”
“There are quite a few small nations in various parts of the world whose national identity is shaken by the European colonial empires’ greed to competitively expand colonies. Isn’t that so?”
Raising my eyebrows and twitching my forehead, Plancy nodded slowly. He honestly spilled his true feelings.
“My country is the same, Your Excellency the President.”
“Honestly, yes. If my new business model is rejected before I even pick up the shovel, the biggest obstacle will be the French government’s interference and opposition.”
Then, I turned my gaze to the US Minister Foote.
At that, Foote, as if waiting, declared that his government would likely accept my proposal.
That was enough with just one sentence.
“The US doesn’t have much overseas colonies yet.”
“As a latecomer, there’s the advantage of flexible strategic thinking and choice. I brought you here considering that.”
After rambling like that, I stood up from my seat and, like any embassy’s office, picked up the globe that was in every room and placed it on the table, spinning it with my fingers.
“My plan and scope are simple. We will build a great union that encompasses the entire Pacific.”
“The, the entire Pacific!?”
Shocked by my grand ambition, they opened their mouths with ‘tsk!’
Among them, Foote from the US, which also borders the Pacific like us, had a reaction of shock and admiration that was quite different from the others.
After the shocked gazes of these people, I smiled at them as if looking at the world with the purest eyes a child could think of.
“There are many small nations in South America. Of course, Chile that borders the Pacific has a monopoly on the coastline, but both the Brazilian Empire and Argentina are clearly regional great powers affected by the Pacific.”
“Y, yes.”
“Moreover, there’s Mexico in Central and South America. There are also other small nations. Shall we go to the Southeast Asian archipelago a bit below Korea and Japan? There are many missionary kingdoms, Dutch colonies, and Australia there.”
Even if I just chatter like this, there are over 20 countries on the globe. If we include the Indochina Peninsula and Taiwan recently occupied by France, and our ally Korea, in this category?
And if France, which has occupied Yunnan and Guangdong, establishes protectorates here?
“In the future, a great power that the British Empire will fear, a powerful economic union centered on the Pacific, will be born.”
“Exactly. And at the center will be the United States of America, and at both ends, Paris and Hanseong will put periods.”
I drew a continent-crossing train across the center of America with my index finger ‘shwoop’ and then plunged my finger into the Pacific.
And the finger didn’t stop and continued going east.
Hanseong – San Francisco – New York – Paris.
The great stem will connect through the center of the world, the Pacific.
This is the ‘New World’
I swept the globe carefully with a wistful gaze.
Ah, wasn’t this glory not our Republic of Korea’s most prosperous era?
Although it was always full of incidents and accidents because of the gangsters next door, the delinquents, and the mentally ill next door.
“···This vast Pacific will become our lake, the largest sea in the world.”
Even though my small and young palm was still small, the Pacific was filled in my outstretched right hand.
It came into the hands of a mere 11-year-old brat.
“Well, let’s say the frozen tundra of the Russian Empire and the territories comparable to the British Empire’s colonial empire are ours as ‘union’. Then, what kind of things will become possible?”
“···Is it possible? Possible things?”
“Yes, possible things.”
To my question, Foote, who was imagining the future blankly, leaned back on the sofa with a dizzy expression and stammered.
“Ah, there are many. Yes, many. The world’s perception will change. A paradise will open for our country’s entrepreneurs and trusts. A paradise on earth.”
After barely opening his mouth a few words, he answered slowly.
“Adam Smith said that as the total economic size of a country increases, its power and weight are tremendous. And the possibilities it will bring are infinite.”
“Economy of scale.”
Plancy, nodding to Foote’s words, propped his chin and spoke his thoughts.
“Supporting small nation unions that maintain a certain degree of independence while monopolizing and securing markets in colonies. Both are attractive options.”
If done well, it could even handle prestige and international respect at the same time.
Plancy, mentioning the French people’s pathological obsession with ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’ as their value system close to their home country’s spiritual collective, closed his mouth, just like the brilliant prestige obtained from colonial empire.
No matter how much he thought, unless France immediately freed all the African colonies it had secured, the new expansion would be a serious problem if the proposal spread to the media.
And there is a hidden true purpose here.
“The colonial empires of various parts of the world will be dismantled in the future. By our new order, of course.”
That is, the collapse of the outdated colonial empires pushed by the new economic policy and order.
For example, the British Empire, for example.
“Everyone has a puzzled expression. We’ll talk about this later if there’s another chance.”
Seeing the naive expressions of the two who didn’t know that the goal of this grand plan was the dismantling of the British Empire, I shook my head.
I can’t start shocking them from the beginning.
“And if the Pacific Union is even more advantageous for your finances and national prestige, there’s an attractive option to dismantle the existing colonies and add Africa to that prestige.”
Shrugging my shoulders and casually mentioning wanting Africa, Plancy, who couldn’t hold back anymore, burst into a hearty laugh.
“This is more important than war, huh!”
“Hmm, honestly, maybe.”
Yes, as long as the two ministers remember that until just now, the spoils were only Vietnam Kingdom, the development rights of Liaodong-Manchuria, and even Taiwan handling, my reverse proposal would be earth-shattering.
Imagine it yourselves. Europe is France, America is the United States, Asia is Korea, three axes interlocking, turning all countries bordering the Pacific into member nations and independent, strangling the number of countries in international diplomacy.
This scene looks familiar from somewhere?
“Yeah, it’s the coffee alliance strengthened version.”
Recalling old memories, I smiled bitterly while looking at the two seriously selecting member and observer nations for the Pacific Union.
Yes, in the previous world, it was the method I designed that was suppressed by the permanent member countries and couldn’t approach the essence of the international order.
In the future, it will spread from Asia to America, from Africa to finally Europe.
Hmm, even roughly estimating, if I dismantle a few big chunks, there will be over thirty member nations easily.
Of course, among them, the ones leading the politics within the union will be the United States and France.
“Well, we’ll have to take advantage of that gap and opportunity to make it our own front yard in the future.”
If I open my mouth from the beginning to eat everything, it will tear.
Not even sealed.
Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to the people in the room.
“Following that, the economic prestige and benefits can be summarized in just one thing.”
“Just one sentence?”
To my story, Foote, who had an expression saying ‘that grand plan in just one sentence?’, asked with a bewildered face.
He had gulped down a lot of kimchi soup in his mind for a moment, but the potential of the Pacific Union to be launched now was so immense that he couldn’t even measure it in numbers.
“Economic bloc.”
“Economic bloc?”
The term was still unfamiliar. The word ‘block economy’ appeared with Britain’s declaration after the 1929 economic depression that provided ‘preferential tariffs’ only to member countries within the country and federation.
With a calm expression, I brought out the unfamiliar concept, hands in prayer, in a reverent posture, and spoke.
“I plan to open the republican market only to the Pacific member nations.”
“Eh?”
My declaration of declaring an exclusive economic sphere.
To that, the two diplomats, whose essence is diplomacy, showed bewildered expressions.
But in their expressions, everything was revealed.
“A big one is coming.”
“And all nations within our reach of influence. For example, the Chinese market.”
“!!!”
Shocked by my bomb declaration, the two jumped up from their seats with startled expressions.
But is it just that surprising?
“Why are you surprised by just that? I thought India was in the Pacific category.”
“Your Excellency!”
“Oh my God!”
To my grand ambition to challenge the British Empire, which has seized the world market or is the true champion of this era, everyone in the room showed expressions of being overwhelmed.