Chapter 104: You Have To Attend This Negotiation
After listening on the other end of the telephone, Lin Ran felt emotional inside; Hong Kong businessmen could stand firm amid the ebb and flow of era changes for good reason.
Regardless of whether their operation concepts were outdated or lacked innovative spirit, and after getting rich they always thought of relying on rents for stable revenue, it was undeniable that they all had their own strengths.
To add one more thing, in that era, lacking innovative spirit was not necessarily due to limited thinking; it was also related to the era background.
Doing business without much technical value, like lending money, makes it hard for others to covet it.
If you pursue innovation, the risk is extremely high, because at that time the Mainland China side couldn’t protect you at all.
The more impressive the technological innovation, the less they could protect it.
Take Hou Debang of Hou’s alkali production method as an example; Hou’s alkali production method was superior to the Cha’an method that Japan imported from Germany in continuous production and resource utilization efficiency.
The Japan side hoped to cooperate with Hou Debang, but he flatly refused.
As a result, in 1942, Japan directly packed up and shipped back the nitric acid production equipment from Jinling’s Yongli Ammonium Plant collectively to the Yokosuka Factory of Toyo High Pressure Corporation in Omuda, Kyushu.
Even after Japan surrendered, they didn’t want to return it; it was Hou Debang who personally went to Japan to get it back.
If Huawei were in that era, they would have taken away the factory and people long ago.
With such cases ahead, that generation of traditional Mainland China businessmen, in a place like Hong Kong under England control, saw innovation as high-risk, low-return behavior.
Xu Aizhou was crystal clear in handling people and affairs; if he let Xu Shixun act as Lin Ran’s authorized representative to participate in these organizations, it would certainly be good for the Xu Family, as it was both a symbol of status and identity, and a way to obtain firsthand news.
The latter even more represented massive interests: which shipping routes to modify first, who would do the modification—knowing in advance meant being able to get in early.
But he still decisively chose to give it up, because fortune could turn to misfortune; he knew his son too well—Xu Shixun’s capabilities were limited, and Xu Aizhou had to thank the heavens if he didn’t make mistakes, let alone strive for interests for global Chinese people or for Hong Kong.
This was not something Xu Shixun could achieve.
Since that was the case, it was better to treat this direct proposal to Lin Ran as a favor.
Giving up sometimes is also a form of gain.
“Good, I understand. Then these two it is. I trust your judgment, Mr. Xu.” Lin Ran said. On one hand, he truly trusted Xu Aizhou’s judgment; on the other, these two were both historically renowned figures.
Pao Yue-kong had also fully proven his reliability in this round against the British capital offensive.
Everyone else voted, but he didn’t.
Lin Ran was naturally willing to give him an opportunity.
With the position of Standards Committee member, plus Li Ka-shing already being seen as a thorn in the side by Hong Kong Chinese businessmen ahead of time, whether Li Ka-shing could still become Superman like in later generations was something Lin Ran greatly anticipated.
While Xu Aizhou was on the phone with Lin Ran, Xu Shixun sat beside listening the whole time, with an unhappy expression.
Because in his view, the Xu Family had put in money and effort in this process, yet the old man had given away the most valuable thing for nothing, and he was truly unwilling.
If he could become a member of the shipping standards committee, even just representing Lin Ran, that would be truly entering the inner circle in a place like Hong Kong.
Hong Kong people never had the chance before to participate in global standards setting.
Even going to the horse racing track, those English guys would look at him highly; so thought Xu Shixun.
After Xu Aizhou hung up the phone, he called a servant over, gave a couple of instructions, and the servant handed a document to Xu Shixun.
“Come, take a look.”
Xu Shixun took the document and saw written on it: “Hong Kong’s positioning in the internationalization standards promotion process”
“Hong Kong, as an international trade hub located in eastern Asia, close to Mainland China, is an important node connecting Southeast Asia, East Asia, and global markets.
Port modification will enhance its logistics efficiency and attractiveness.
Cost advantage: A significant reduction in transportation costs will make Hong Kong a more competitive transshipment center, attracting more cargo to transit through Hong Kong, thereby elevating its status in global trade.
Impact on Japan industry—trade competition and trade diversion: Hong Kong ports’ low costs may cause some trade activities originally through Japan ports (such as Yokohama, Kobe) to shift to Hong Kong, especially in trade with Southeast Asia. This will effectively reduce Japan ports’ cargo volume, affecting their logistics revenue.
Market share: In 1960, Japan was in a period of rapid postwar economic growth, reliant on export-oriented economy. Hong Kong’s enhanced competitiveness can make Japan lose advantage on certain trade routes, especially in the Asia regional market.
Conclusion: Hong Kong port modification and reduced transportation costs will to some extent affect Japan industry’s development, mainly in trade competition and logistics pressure. However, this impact is limited and will not fundamentally affect Japan industry’s competitiveness. Considering the reality, Hong Kong starting from textiles and electronics industry has a chance to exert more direct influence on Japan.
Pao Yue-kong Global Shipping Company”
Xu Aizhou then asked: “What about the one I told you to prepare?”
Xu Shixun was completely caught off guard; Xu Aizhou had mentioned this matter to him long ago, but he thought it wasn’t urgent and assigned it to his secretary.
The overt and covert struggles between Chinese businessmen and British capital businessmen during this period, including the entry of American capital in between—although not fermented among the public, it was almost common knowledge in the business community:
Last year, Lin Ran returned to Hong Kong and designed a complete set of shipping modification proposal, which, with support from Morgan and Rockefeller, was poised to become the global shipping standard, and the Xu Family had made great contributions.
As for British capital’s coveting, Jardine Matheson and Swire’s strong-arming, the collective defection of small Chinese shipowners, Sir Lin’s strategic planning to turn the tide from afar against the wind, and other factors added legendary color to this rumor itself.
The outcome known to the outside world was that Lin Ran and the American capital behind him won, and the Xu Family could also get a share.
This made Xu Shixun, wherever he went recently, surrounded by flattery, and second-generation Chinese businessmen of the same level as his family all fawned on him, hoping to get a share.
Xu Shixun became complacent and completely ignored Xu Aizhou’s task; shouldn’t writing reports be done by the secretaries below?
“The same task, I told you to submit it to me within two weeks. I told Mr. Pao, I said you have time to help me think about it.
As a result, Mr. Pao only took three days and personally wrote a version for me.
He not only knew that this standardization modification would benefit Hong Kong Shipping, but also thought about how we should shape Hong Kong’s local dominant industries.
And you?
This time it’s either the horse racing track or the dance hall, either fooling around with Liliyingying’s female anchors or playing bridge at the Jockey Club.
With you like this, if I handed the committee work to you, someone might tell you we’re meeting on the 21st, and you’d still be sleeping on a woman’s belly until dawn on the 20th and miss it directly.”
Xu Aizhou was a bit angry and hit Xu Shixun’s calf with the cane at hand: “Get out!”
Washington D.C., White House East Room was holding a press conference, with the room featuring branch-shaped chandeliers and a high ceiling.
Kennedy’s White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger stood at the podium, with folding chairs below densely packed with reporters.
This press conference was highly anticipated, because just before, Kennedy had signaled through the New York Times that he thought Randolph’s “hotline” was a very good concept.
Right after, before the press conference, Pierre Salinger had leaked to the media that this time they would positively address the outside world’s doubts about the hotline.
Also because of this, a great many reporters, even from out of town, came specially to the scene.
For example, Merriman Smith, nicknamed the king of White House news, who had been reporting White House news uninterrupted since ’41.
And James Reston, who had been transferred by the New York Times to be a columnist, and General who came specially to attend this press conference.
Everyone hoped to get firsthand news, as this related to whether there would be world peace.
Because the confrontation and crisis around Berlin showed signs of intensifying.
“Mr. Salinger, I’m Merriman Smith, reporter for United Press International. President Kennedy once gave a national television address on July 25, announcing that America would defend the freedom of West Berlin.
Subsequently, the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall in August, and Vice President Lyndon Johnson visited West Berlin in August to express support.
White House Special Assistant for Aerospace Affairs Randolph Lin, during his September visit to London, stated in a face-to-face interview with BBC that establishing a direct communication channel between the White House and the Kremlin would be humanity’s last firewall before extinction.
Has Randolph’s proposal received White House support? If so, does this contradict the hardline stances of President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson?” Merriman Smith was as professional as always.
“Special Assistant Randolph Lin’s proposal has received the White House’s high affirmation, which does not contradict Mr. President’s hardline stance.
America has the ability and determination to defend freedom, and we fully believe we can be the final victor in this Cold War.
Precisely because of this, we hope for peace, hope there is no conflict, and hope it does not come to war.
We hope to avoid war, which expresses the White House’s responsible attitude toward peace and all humanity.
Additionally, I call here on the Kremlin to exercise restraint; there are no winners in war.”
In this press conference, the Kennedy side clearly conveyed to the outside world the signal that the White House hoped to establish a direct communication channel with the Kremlin.
The next day, it spread globally through Western newspapers.
European mainstream media like The Times, Le Monde, etc., hailed it as the dawn of peace.
As if the Soviet Union not agreeing meant they didn’t want peace and wanted to go against all humanity.
Meanwhile, Eastern Europe media like Pravda, Neues Deutschland, People’s Forum, etc., portrayed it as America’s conspiracy.
However, the Soviet Union had already passed the message to the White House through its representative in Geneva.
“Randolph, the Kremlin indicates willingness to negotiate on establishing the hotline in Geneva, but their precondition is that you must participate in this negotiation. What do you think?”
