industrial overlord

Chapter 729 Compromise
Xi Sai was really stunned.

With Hanhua formally filing a lawsuit to the local court, the Sino-US trade war surrounding the construction of the shallow mountain wind farm has kicked off in an all-round way.Accompanied by Lin Zhenhua, Huang Gang met with the heads of the American Society of Agriculture and some other industry associations, and explained to them the Chinese government's attitude towards trade frictions. behavior, the Chinese government will have to take reciprocal countermeasures.

Various associations with frequent trade ties with China were agitated, and various protest documents flew to the U.S. Congress, the White House, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Energy.Lin Zhenhua timely disclosed to the media the investment and profit information of American wind turbine companies, which immediately caused a public outcry.Those vitriolic TV commentators have launched their own talk shows one after another, sarcasm that the American wind turbine companies are a group of chicks who only know how to hide under the hen's buttocks, and have no skills other than chirping.

Some liberal American economists have also spoken out. They believe that the US government's ban on shallow mountain wind farms shows that US trade protectionism has reached the peak of history. This is a very dangerous move.What's more, they believe that if the U.S. government is allowed to intervene in economic affairs, the vitality of the entire U.S. economy will be completely lost in the future, and the U.S. will become a country with a planned economy like the former Soviet Union.

Officials from the World Trade Organization also came out to speak out. Adhering to their usual cautious style, they said that this move by the US government may have an unpredictable impact on international trade, and that the World Trade Organization will maintain serious stance on this matter. concern.

Several members of Congress who have a good personal relationship with Lin Zhenhua proposed an impeachment case against the shallow mountain wind farm ban in Congress, thinking that Sisai's signing of such a ban was an unconstitutional act and violated some principles.This impeachment case was supported by a considerable number of members of Congress, and even many members of the Democratic Party stood on the opposite side of Sisay, strongly condemning Sisay's perverse behavior.

When things got to this point, Xi Sai was no longer able to handle it alone.Elites in the Democratic Party have also begun to put pressure on Sisay to take concrete measures to eliminate adverse effects.After all, next year is the election year again. If this controversial matter is used by the Republicans as a weapon to attack the Democratic Party, it will deal a fatal blow to Sisay's re-election.

"Everyone, do you think we should cancel the ban on the shallow mountain wind farm?" Sisai asked his staff for advice in disgrace.He is only in his 40s, and he has a lot of gray hair on his head. If you say that the president of the United States is really not a human job.

"Mr. President, I think we should stick to our original decision and not compromise with the Chinese," Energy Secretary Twin said.These days, those wind turbine manufacturers are also lobbying frantically, asking the Department of Energy not to be kidnapped by public opinion, but to stand firm.

"Mr. Twin, do you think we should ruin the interests of American agriculture for the benefit of several wind turbine companies?" Ford retorted in a disdainful tone.

Twin said: "Mr. Ford, I hope you understand that clean energy represents the future of the United States, and agriculture is just a primary industry. As an industrial power, we should occupy more markets in new technology fields , rather than maintaining the trade balance by selling agricultural products to developing countries.”

Ford sneered: "Can your clean energy technology occupy more markets? The country has given so many subsidies to those fan manufacturers, and besides spending time and drinking, have they ever invested in fan technology research and development? ? When will the American industry need to rely on such indecent means to maintain competitiveness?"

"Gentlemen, you're off topic." Sisai hurried out to smooth things over. He was the one who signed the presidential decree to issue the ban, but Ford called it a dirty trick. How embarrassing he was.

"I hope you can assess the gains and losses of maintaining or lifting the ban from the overall situation of the country, and don't simply limit yourself to the areas under your jurisdiction," Xi Sai said.

"I just considered the overall situation of the country." Ford said, he came prepared, and said clearly: "We have calculated that if we maintain the ban on shallow mountain wind farms, then it is possible that the wind turbine industry in the United States will never stop. The Chinese won back a market of no more than US$15 billion. But if the Chinese government launches retaliatory measures as they say, we will lose a market of US$45 billion in agriculture alone.”

"This is not counting the possible impact if China reduces its holdings of US treasury bonds. The devaluation of the US dollar alone will bring us a loss of no less than 100 billion US dollars." Treasury Secretary Gaynor hastened to add.These days, he has dreamed that the Chinese are selling U.S. treasury bonds in the international market. Thinking of the consequences of the credit collapse of U.S. treasury bonds, he has repeatedly woken up from his dreams with a chill on his back.

"However, this is just the immediate gains and losses." Twain retorted, "You should see the longer-term things. If we lose our competitiveness in industry, we will have a bigger trade deficit in the future. By then The depreciation of the dollar will be much faster than it is now."

Ford said: "There are many ways to make up for the trade deficit. As long as we can maintain a good trade relationship with China, then we can get hundreds of billions of dollars in return just from this huge market in China."

"About opening the Chinese market, do you have any specific considerations?" Sisay asked Ford.

Ford said: "Yes, when Mr. Twin shut the Chinese out, my colleagues and I have been working hard to negotiate with the Chinese, and have obtained many very beneficial cooperation intentions. For example, China currently has a severe energy shortage and they want to be able to import more coal from the United States."

"Well, this is a good idea. Our country has abundant coal resources, but the domestic demand for coal is not large. If we can increase coal exports, we should be able to create many new jobs." thinking.

Ford continued: "Also, the Chinese are very interested in several rare earth mines that the United States has sealed up. They hope that the United States can restart these rare earth mines. They intend to import more rare earth resources."

"Rare earth?" Mason, the president's policy adviser, widened his eyes. "China itself is a big country with rare earths. Their rare earth reserves are much larger than those of the United States. Why do they import rare earths from the United States?"

"This is the result of our efforts." Ford said proudly, "As far as we know, most of China's rare earth mines are distributed in densely populated areas, and the cost of environmental protection in the development of rare earths is extremely high, resulting in high prices for their rare earths. And Our rare earth mines are in a barren area, and our degree of mechanization is higher than theirs, and the price of rare earths is much lower than theirs. By exporting rare earths to China, we can effectively make up for the trade deficit with China.”

This set of rhetoric was actually taught to him by Lin Zhenhua.As a former cynic, Lin Zhenhua has always been concerned about China's export of rare earths.Over the past few years, China's foreign exchange reserves have continued to increase, and the export of rare earths has changed from earning foreign exchange in the past to purely fulfilling international obligations.

It is said that the export of rare earths is an international obligation, because the foreign exchange income China obtains from the export of rare earths is almost insignificant compared with the income of the entire foreign trade, and China can suspend the export of rare earths at any time.However, rare earths are important industrial raw materials. If China completely stops the export of rare earths, some industries around the world will fall into the plight of shortage of raw materials.International trade is all about mutual exchange. If China forcibly stops the export of rare earths regardless of the life and death of other countries, it will be tantamount to an open confrontation with other countries. This is a dishonorable act in trade.

However, China is not the only country with rare earth deposits in the world. The United States is also a big country with rare earths. Just out of consideration for protecting its own resources, the United States stopped the mining of rare earth mines as early as 10 years ago.If the United States can be forced to resume rare earth mining, China can reduce its supply in the international market, and even purchase rare earths from the United States to protect China's use.Lin Zhenhua has always believed that as long as the resources can be bought from abroad, he should not mine them himself. He should use up other people's resources first, and then slowly mine his own resources.

Lin Zhenhua even thought viciously that if the United States is willing to open its mouth to sell rare earths, he will persuade the country to eat up all these rare earths, encapsulate them in concrete, and sink them into the bottom of the Bohai Sea, just like the Japanese in some online novels. Same thing as before.

"This..." Ma Sen hesitated to speak, he couldn't figure out whether he should oppose the practice of exporting mineral resources to China.Compared with protecting mineral resources, what the United States needs more is to balance its own trade deficit, because if it continues to maintain a high deficit, one day the dollar will be abandoned by the whole world.

Ignoring Masson's interruption, Ford gushed: "I have communicated with Mr. Lin Zhenhua of Hanhua Heavy Industries on this matter. He said that if the United States is willing to restart the sealed rare earth mines, his Hanhua Mining Company can provide invest."

"What else?" Sisay continued, growing more and more interested in what Ford had to say.

Ford said: "China has always hoped that we can lower the threshold for high-tech exports and transfer some high-tech products that have nothing to do with the military to China. These products conform to the characteristics that Mr. Twain said, and they represent the strength of the United States. "

"This is absolutely not okay, because it will weaken the relative technological advantage of the United States." Masson said.

Ford sneered again, and said, "Everyone, do you think our ban on high-tech exports to China is really effective? Let me tell you, it's just a ridiculous piece of paper. Let me give you an example. Have any of you heard of such a thing as a 'high-thrust electrodynamic vibration test platform'?"

"I know." Mason said, he is a miscellaneous, and he knows a lot of things, "This is an experimental equipment used to verify the reliability of products, especially for testing the reliability of launch vehicles, which belong to military use A high-tech that combines civilian use."

"You're right. In our list of prohibited products for sale to China, we include the project of a high-thrust electric vibration platform of more than 9 tons." Ford said.

"So what? This ban is necessary to prevent the Chinese from developing higher-end ballistic missiles," Masson asked.

Ford said: "Unfortunately, Mr. Mason, do you know that the Chinese have already broken through the technology of the 9-ton platform. A few years ago, American manufacturers were importing 16-ton thrust vibration platforms from China. The platform is something we cannot manufacture. The vibrating platform used by the Chinese themselves is 50 tons of thrust, which is the most powerful vibration platform in the world. In this case, we are still deceiving ourselves to embargo the 9 ton platform to China , don't you think this is a ridiculous thing?"

"Is that so?" Sisay looked at Mason and asked.

"Uh..." Mason was at a loss for words. He vaguely remembered that he had heard someone talk about this matter. He heard that Ford said it in a serious manner, so it must not be a lie.He replied hesitantly: "I think Mr. Ford's information may be more accurate. To be honest, this is a matter considered by the military, and I have never paid attention to it."

Ford said with emotion: "Relying on the high-tech embargo has been unable to contain China's technological progress. If we could have done this 10 years ago, there might be some effect. It is a pity that the United States missed 10 years. We won the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, but we lost our position as a global industrial power. The Chinese have used the past 10 years to have the qualification to talk to us on an equal footing. It is impossible for us to be like the past That's how to tell them what to do."

As an American, watching the decline of the United States, Ford is still very sad.But for this situation, he can only mourn his misfortune and be angry with him.He knows that American politicians think all day long about how to please voters, while the common people want to work less and spend more money, even if it means overdrafting the future.In the United States, it is the financial conglomerate, not the manufacturing group, that controls the lifeblood of the entire economy.Financial tycoons don't understand technology at all, they are keen on the game of making money with money.

In such an environment, it is very unrealistic to expect the United States to brace itself to compete with China in the industrial field.It is better to simply abandon the idea of ​​competing with each other, as Lin Zhenhua suggested, and accept China as an equal member of the dialogue.If you think about it carefully, the United States still has many advantages. It has a vast land and abundant resources. Whether it is agricultural products or mineral products, it is very attractive to China. The sale of these primary products is enough for Americans to eat and drink.

In addition, the United States has a lot of high technology. The so-called lean camel is bigger than a horse. Although China has made rapid progress in recent years, there is still a certain gap compared with the United States.American high-tech is in the hands of American companies and cannot be transformed into economic benefits. However, if we adopt the method of cooperation with Chinese companies, we can completely achieve a win-win situation.Such a good thing, why not do it?

As for how to maintain prosperity in the United States after all the high technologies of the past have been used up, I am afraid that it will be at least 20 years later.A Chinese sage once said that these troublesome things should be solved by future generations. We must believe that the wisdom of future generations is higher than that of today's people.

Gaynor was also inspired by Ford, adding: "China has also been hoping for broader cooperation with the U.S. in the financial sector. China's banking industry has plenty of money, but lacks financial talent, while the U.S. has A large number of financial talents. Therefore, the space for cooperation between the two parties is very broad. I think that instead of fighting a trade war with China, it is better to carry out more cooperation.”

"I think developing the education industry is also a very good idea." Fearing that he would be underestimated, Ma Sen quickly threw out an idea, "As far as I know, Chinese people attach great importance to education, and many Chinese parents are willing to spend a lot of money. Money to send children to study abroad.

The UK has done a very good job in this regard. They have developed many study abroad programs, and they can generate billions of pounds in income every year just by accepting Chinese students.There are many more universities in the United States than in the United Kingdom. If we can expand the scale of recruiting Chinese students, I think it is easy to earn 100 billion US dollars a year. "

Everyone talked to each other, and Sisai was completely dizzy. When everyone finally stopped talking, he sighed and said: "So, you all think that we can't do business in the industry. win over China?"

"At least in some areas of industry, that's the case." Everyone replied very implicitly, although what they actually wanted to say was that in all areas of industry, the United States was no longer competitive.

"In this case, then notify CFIUS and revoke the ban on the shallow mountain wind farm." Xi Sai said sadly.

After everyone left the presidential office, Sisai slumped weakly on his big armchair, thinking about his previous ambitions, and couldn't help but feel sad.He doesn't know how things have developed to such a point. Is the incomparably powerful America in his impression just an illusion?

The secretary walked in quietly, put the newspaper and some important periodicals of the day on Sisai's desk, and then withdrew.

Xi Sai raised his eyes and saw that at the top of the pile of publications was a copy of "Hanhe Industry Review".On the cover of this magazine, a rusty fan was printed, and the following headline read:

Shallow Mountain Wind Farm: The Waterloo of Chinese Industry! "

"Shit!" Sisai, who was always gentle in front of people, couldn't help cursing loudly.He used to like to read articles written by Pin Tuzi about the collapse of China, but this time, he felt that such a standard was really ironic.In Ping Tuzi's article, China has been collapsing all the time, but such a China that has collapsed for 10 years has squeezed the United States so that there is no room for maneuver.

"Damn China's collapse theory! How many years are you going to mislead the United States!"

Sisay grabbed the copy of Hanhe Industrial Review and slammed it against the wall.

　Be forewarned that this book will end tomorrow...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)