Chapter 436: Times When Compromise Is Unavoidable
As mentioned earlier, in the system led by America, Hong Kong is at best a frontier of the empire.
It is not viewed within the China-America system; if not serving as a bridge between East and West, it would have no chance of becoming the Oriental Pearl.
Its status is determined by geography, economy, and politics.
Why is Israel’s existence so important? It gives the feeling that it’s not the dog wagging its tail, but the tail wagging the dog.
It’s not Washington commanding Tel Aviv; it has become Tel Aviv remotely controlling Washington at will.
This is due to Jewish people operating Washington for decades, Jewish people self-proclaiming as the winning hand in the Cold War, and more importantly, because this position is too crucial, relating to oil and indirectly to the US dollar.
America cannot lose its most important leverage in the Middle East.
Compared to Israel and the Lion City, Hong Kong is far from being that important at this time.
Even though it reaped the benefits of the Vietnam War, with rapid economic development in the past five years, manufacturing, electronics industry, textiles, and others all achieving some scale.
It is still just a frontier of the empire, and the only notable figures it can produce are Bruce Lee and Chen Dehui.
Hong Kong movies have not yet gained global fame; Bruce Lee has some fame worldwide due to starring in The Truman Show and subsequent kung fu films.
He is also Hong Kong’s pride.
Now, today, Hong Kong will have a new representative figure: Lin Ran.
This is a treatment even Göttingen doesn’t have.
It is not yet the era of mass title distribution; mathematics masters authorize universities to name after them, generally only authorizing the closest university.
Not like Yifu Buildings, where you see Yifu Buildings everywhere you go.
After all, this symbolizes the close connection between this mathematician and the university.
Similar to New York University’s mathematics research institute named after Courant, France’s Paris Poincaré Institute, Sweden’s Mittag-Leffler Institute.
Lin Ran Mathematics Center is not in Göttingen or Columbia University, but in Hong Kong, which makes many Hong Kong people proud.
This is an authentic signboard.
Decades from now, with all sorts of rankings, Hong Kong University can advance ten places just based on this name.
Therefore, when Hong Kong University received notification from the Rockefeller Foundation a month ago, it quickly acted to turn it into an international academic feast.
Hong Kong Government Governor David Wilson, American consulate officials, and Rockefeller Foundation representatives; Baihua Society not only had Zhou Nan on site, but also a group of mathematicians from Yanjing arrived.
Because this is a China-America mathematician exchange activity.
The two countries’ mathematician conferences have always been held in the past.
It is not strange for Yanjing to send a mathematician team to attend.
It would be strange not to send anyone.
The ROC side naturally would not show weakness; they also sent business community celebrities and mathematics professors, wearing ROC badges on their chests.
Hong Kong local social celebrities gathered, the scene was extremely grand, with the band playing a Sino-Western Christmas overture, and flashbulbs never stopping.
Media reporters filled the back rows, with newspapers big and small vying to record.
Culture has influence.
Lin Ran’s direct influence on Hong Kong is Bystander; this song suits Hong Kong people’s tastes very well.
Isn’t it good to be a bystander in our position and environment?
Why should we take sides between the free world and the socialism camp?
Economically, we need the free world’s trade for prosperity, need water, electricity, and materials from the mainland for survival; geographically tied inextricably to the mainland, politically still belonging to England.
Such identity and positioning, plus the prosperity from the Vietnam War, give Hong Kong unprecedented resonance with being a bystander.
At the same time, China’s control over Hong Kong differs from the original spacetime.
Their control is no longer purely grassroots; now besides the grassroots public, they have many entrepreneurs, not just small business owners, but also major entrepreneurs in shipping.
In this spacetime background, the 67 Sha Tau Kok incident did not occur.
Before 67, China had already sent a signal to all of Hong Kong with the blood of Jardine Matheson Taipan at Sha Tau Kok.
Subsequent struggles stayed underwater, never surfacing.
Chen Jingrun had been waiting for a while; this great mathematician from local Hong Kong personally attended the scene.
He is Hong Kong’s pride, seen as a mathematician cultivated locally in Hong Kong.
Although he was actually cultivated on the mainland.
But he has a perfect background; elementary, middle, and university have batches of “teachers” and “classmates” giving interviews.
After he won the Fields Medal, local Hong Kong media extensively discussed fun stories from Chen Dehui’s student days.
PS: Chen Dehui is Chen Jingrun’s pseudonym.
But after using this name for so many years, he has even grown more accustomed to Chen Dehui than Chen Jingrun.
Instead, every time Lin Ran hears Chen Jingrun introduce himself in Mandarin as “I am Chen Dehui,” it feels strange.
Lin Ran is not yet as accustomed to Chen Jingrun’s new name as Chen Jingrun himself is.
Chen Jingrun, as a special guest, slowly walked onstage.
After shaking hands with Kissinger, he said, “Professor Chen, welcome your arrival.”
Chen Jingrun smiled and said: “The professor’s matters are my matters. If not for the professor bringing me to New York, I wouldn’t have achieved today’s accomplishments in academia. Instead, you’ve gone to the trouble of coming here specially.”
Kissinger thought to himself, I don’t want to either, but we have to talk with China; it’s because I came that this mathematics center exists—you’ve got the cause and effect backwards.
But it’s not important; these are not for outsiders to know.
“Distinguished guests, ladies, gentlemen:
Today, in this festive Christmas atmosphere, we gather at Hong Kong University to witness the establishment of the Lin Ran Mathematics Center.
This is not just the unveiling of a building, but the foundation of a bridge, a bridge connecting Eastern and Western wisdom.
The professor, as an outstanding Chinese descent mathematician, his contributions span the Pacific Ocean.”
“As Nixon President’s advisor, I represent the White House in extending our sincerest blessings to this center.
We believe that sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of peace.
In this Christmas season, let us be guided by the professor’s wisdom, join hands to bridge differences, and build a better world.
Thank you all.”
At the end of the speech, applause erupted; American officials talking grandly about peace is quite black humor.
Immediately after, Chen Jingrun gave a speech in Mandarin, with accompanying translators simultaneously rendering it into English.
“. I hope that in the future, Hong Kong University can develop it into a world-class mathematics center, becoming the flag and symbol of mathematics in the Chinese people world.
The Rockefeller Foundation’s generous donation, and support from all sides, embodies the boundlessness of knowledge.
On this Christmas, let us be guided by the professor’s spirit and continue forward: prove theorems, solve difficult problems, contribute to humanity’s well-being.”
Chen Jingrun’s words are fine in themselves, but combined with reality, Lin Ran’s inventions cause greater casualties in the Vietnam War, greater destruction—hardly anything to do with humanity’s well-being.
Isn’t this also black humor?
Kissinger’s handshake with Chen Jingrun became the focus photo in that night’s media.
While Kissinger’s mind had already flown to the true purpose.
After the ceremony, in the banquet hall, champagne flowed, celebrities exchanged pleasantries.
The governor from London discussed the Vietnam War situation with the American consul.
This relates to how long Hong Kong’s war dividends can last.
War is suffering for one group of people; for another group, they only have dividends, no suffering.
Kissinger took the chance to leave, escorted to an unassuming Victorian building in Central.
A Citibank branch, also one of America’s connection points in Hong Kong.
He waited in a secret chamber on the second floor, with red wine, roast chicken, and Christmas pie on the table.
The door opened, a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit entered, followed by a translator.
Not Zhou Nan; Zhou Nan was still at the banquet site happily trading barbs with ROC representatives.
As mentioned earlier, Hong Kong bystander—this is political bystander; culturally, they also identify with Lin Ran’s Cultural China concept, with wuxia novels thriving.
So ROC and PRC are vying for the orthodoxy of Cultural China.
A key part of Baihua Society’s work in Hong Kong is to prove that we are the orthodoxy of Cultural China, vying for global Chinese people support.
Cultural war is even fiercer than economic.
Both sides use Hong Kong newspapers as the battlefield, coming and going lively.
Because in this timeline, China’s presence in Hong Kong is semi-public; everyone knows, but no one calls it out.
China even acquired a small bank in Hong Kong for import-export trade.
So China’s cultural offensive is even more direct.
Returning to this Kissinger negotiation itself, China naturally wants to talk; they want to continue doing business.
Providing help to North Vietnam, China’s air defense system shines globally, but they also paid a price.
Economic price.
The entire Western camp slashed orders to the ankles, foreign exchange liquidity cut off—this is visceral pain.
Aid to North Vietnam is almost free.
Bluntly, North Vietnam can’t repay.
So China also hopes to sign a peace agreement.
China hopes to restore the pre-war situation.
Kissinger spoke first, stating the opening in English, translator synchronously rendering fluent Mandarin: “Mister, Yanjing comrades choosing Hong Kong as the meeting place is very wise.
This city is a bridge; our dialogue should be the same.
President Nixon authorized me to come discuss subtle changes on the Vietnam War frontline.
We acknowledge that China comrades’ intervention has reshaped frontline balance.
But this balance cannot tilt infinitely, or it will trigger a greater storm.”
“Mr. Kissinger, Merry Christmas.
Yanjing appreciates your frankness.
In the second half of 1969, electronic warfare in Ashao Valley escalated, proving our technical assistance is no empty talk.
Our technology comes from our own native innovation.
Hanoi comrades report supply lines restored, your frontline advance frozen, North Vietnam comrades on the battlefield gained breathing room.
These are all facts.”
Kissinger adjusted his glasses: “We do not deny these, mister.
You have data; we have it too.
But mister, China’s behavior is not assistance; this is intervention, blatant intervention.
President Nixon’s bottom line is: restrict your air defense system exports to North Vietnam, otherwise we will completely cut off China’s trade in the free world.
The time will continue until the war ends, even long after the war ends.
China makes trouble for us; similarly, we will make trouble for China.”
The middle-aged man felt a chill inside.
Clearly, the other’s threat could cause them real harm.
But he remained calm on the surface, thinking inwardly.
Moments later, he replied: “Mr. Kissinger, we understand your bottom line.
But China is not among the weaker individuals.
Our economy is based on self-reliance; exports exist but are limited, and our exports already cover brother countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Electronic products and textiles sold to Southeast Asia, even Europe markets via Hong Kong.
These are fruits of our labor, not dependent on your boons.
Your blockade has lasted nineteen years, long enough that we are long accustomed.
But if you cut Hong Kong trade channels or pressure European allies, our response will be equal; we will increase aid to North Vietnam, even not ruling out personally entering the field.
Mr. Kissinger, America can personally enter North Vietnam; believe me, we can too.
Now we have exercised maximum restraint on the Vietnam War situation.
Without such restraint, the frontline would not be the current situation.”
He paused, then said: “Restrict exports? Can talk, but this deal must be fair.”
Bluntly, China cannot abandon North Vietnam, cannot let Annam become America’s vanguard.
This is determined by geopolitics.
If Annam falls, China will suffer ten thousand times more than the Soviet Union.
So China can only accept unconditional ceasefire, America withdrawing major troops from North Vietnam.
Kissinger held a Western table knife, cutting the Christmas pie into six pieces, handing one to the other: “Mister, Yanjing’s resilience and Chinese people’s wisdom, we deeply admire.
Relations between us can ease, are easing; we can become friends.
In 1969, President Nixon has begun relaxing travel restrictions to China; this is an unmistakable signal.
From President Johnson allowing two countries’ mathematician conferences, to President Nixon opening tourism restrictions, we have always shown America’s goodwill.
We know China’s exports rely on Hong Kong and Finland transshipment.
Last year, just through local Hong Kong businessmen, your goods sold to the free world approached 10 billion US dollars; these goods indirectly enter our and allies’ markets.
If we pressure the governor or push stricter embargoes via the United Nations, your emerging electronics industry will be unsustainable.
Our bottom line is stopping missile supplies, stopping further deployment of jamming vehicles.
In exchange, we commit to withdrawing 50,000 troops in the first half of 1970, and relaxing restrictions on China’s non-strategic materials.
Allow increased agricultural products exports to America allies via Hong Kong.”
“They refuse to compromise, even at the cost of a billion US dollars a year; they refuse.
Those poor brothers in the Soviet camp, together, can’t give them a billion US dollars a year.”
Lin Ran said expressionlessly: “Henry, you need to understand, security is a more important need than economy.
An Annam remotely controlled by America is unacceptable to China.
This is something China will never compromise on.”
Kissinger nodded in understanding, then immediately added: “But similarly, the president cannot accept failure.”
Frontline stalemate.
War’s continuation.
Fortunately, a turning point soon appeared, allowing both sides to quickly reach agreement.
That is, after China and the Soviet Union quickly achieved a series of achievements in aerospace cooperation, America quickly realized that China-Soviet relations had warmed.
They cannot continue stimulating China.
Cannot push China further toward the Soviet Union.
For the White House, the Vietnam War had reached the moment of necessary compromise.
