Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

Chapter 893 Lowering relations with Japan

The deterrence that the Netherlands has established in the Far East over the years is difficult for Japan to face directly. Especially the exchanges between the Netherlands and the Qing Dynasty have a great impact on Japan's diplomatic space and ambitions, so Japan has been waiting and watching these years. , choose the right time to take action, but Britain and the Netherlands actually engaged in a diplomatic war instead of a direct military war. Japan, like the ambitious countries in Europe, was very dissatisfied with the two countries' cultural attacks, so Japan finally began to tolerate Unable to stand still, they embarked on the path of alliance between Britain and Japan.

This was what Emperor Meiji and Okuma Shige were thinking confidently. The two looked at each other and saw the anger in each other's eyes.

Okuma Shigenobu said coldly: "If the ambassador can fully represent the Netherlands, then we feel that the Netherlands does not respect Japan enough."

Morris: "Respect requires mutuality, but the alliance between Britain and Japan, without knowing the Netherlands, your alliance is to challenge the interests of the Netherlands in the Far East."

Okuma Shigenobu had never been so angry with the Dutch ambassador who spoke fluent Japanese.

Morris: "If Japan truly values ​​the interests of the Netherlands, it must terminate the Japan-British alliance treaty, so that the Netherlands will take easing actions towards Japan."

Okuma Shigenobu glared at the other party angrily and said: "The treaty between Britain and Japan has been signed. If the Netherlands forces us to withdraw from the treaty, as I say bluntly, it cannot be done."

Since he has made up his mind to turn Japan from a country that was once dominated by the Qing Dynasty into a regional power, the Anglo-Japanese alliance is imperative. As for the alliance with the Netherlands, Okuma Shigenobu and Emperor Meiji will never allow this. What happened, even the previous Japanese Prime Ministers would not agree with this approach. Japan knew that the Netherlands was too strong in the Far East, and if Japan formed an alliance with it, it would just be swallowed up and digested by it.

This idea that Japan itself wants to rise is exactly the opposite.

Therefore, compared with the Netherlands, this strategy of establishing distant relations and attacking closely was familiar to everyone in the Qing Dynasty. It was also familiar to everyone in Japan.

Therefore, Okuma Shigenobu's opposition is very firm. After all, if Japan really withdraws from the Anglo-Japanese alliance, it will be tantamount to a few loud slaps on the British face, and then Japan will be offended. Britain did not say anything, and it still relied on the Netherlands to deal with Britain's anger. Japan became the Dutch's absolute meat and could be slaughtered at will. Naturally, the two of them would not let this happen.

However, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, apart from the apparent content of the treaty, what Maurice, the Dutch ambassador, and the outside world didn't know was that Japan and the United Kingdom actually had a secret to improve their scores. Terms content.

The secret clause actually stipulates that the British and Japanese navies should cooperate to maintain their superiority in the Far East Sea and at least balance the balance of power among regional powers. The Anglo-Japanese alliance is a military offensive and defensive alliance against the Tsarist Russian Empire and the two countries' opponents. Britain supports Japan's ambitions against the Qing Dynasty and Goryeo, while Japan supports Britain's war tool to counterbalance the advantages of confrontation. Before and after the signing of the alliance, Japan is stepping up its expansion preparations these days. According to the agreement between the two countries, Japan First, it attacked the ambitions of the Tsarist Empire, the common enemy of Britain and Japan, in the Far East and maintained the rise of Japan in East and North Asia.

After subsequent success, Japan was willing to accept the British strategy to counter the Dutch's dominant territorial advantage in the Far East.

Therefore, both of them currently have something in their minds, so they did not speak harshly to the head of the Dutch embassy, ​​but instead tried to appease each other first.

After Okuma Shigenobu saw the emperor's eyes, he stood up and said: "Japan's plan to support the development of friendly relations with the Netherlands has never changed. This is also the case for hundreds of years, when Japan is opening up to the outside world, the Netherlands is Japan. -The country that introduced the most capital and the earliest country. The reason is that our two countries have been conducting trade exchanges since the 17th century. In the era of Dutch sea coachmen, Japan was one of the Netherlands' transit stations in the Far East. We respect the Netherlands very much. of,

Previously, the Kingdom of the Netherlands moved its capital from Europe to the south of Japan. Japan celebrated the arrival of our partners with great surprise. Therefore, Japan is willing to have more exchanges with your country. We support the Japanese-Dutch economy. to have more interactions and develop more economic undertakings.”

Morris: "Is it just an economic problem?" Morris, as a strong party, showed no fear even when facing the Prime Minister of a country. He even looked down on him and continued to say forcefully: "Japan... Over the past two hundred years, the Netherlands has used the transportation of the Netherlands to obtain many advanced technologies and capital from Europe, and has developed and strengthened itself. However, the Netherlands increasingly cannot understand the reason why Japan does not protect the interests of the Netherlands.

The attitude of the Netherlands towards the UK is clear. However, on the one hand, Japan tells the Netherlands to respect each other, but on the other hand, it is harming the political and diplomatic interests of the Netherlands. We will not communicate about the separation of politics and economy, because what the Netherlands needs is A stable partner, whether it is economic or political, is a partner that we can negotiate and cooperate with. If we know that the other party does not support the interests of the Netherlands, then the Netherlands will not give up."

Seeing this, Emperor Meiji asked anxiously: "What do you mean?"

It has to be said that the Netherlands’ capital and technology are world-leading. Ten years ago, the UK might have been able to compete with the Netherlands in terms of technology and financial capital. However, after the Netherlands’ total GDP was the same as that of the UK in 1870, the Netherlands The industrial technology of the UK cannot be directly compared to that of the UK. The Netherlands has been rewarded the most in the world for its industrial development in recent years. If Japan wants to develop into a regional or even world power, then without the technical support of the most advanced countries, capital will If we leave the Netherlands again, then Japan will enter a slow development phase. The employment increased by capital investment will be even more terrifying for Japan, and the resulting unemployment rate will be even more terrifying.

So Emperor Meiji was very flustered.

He was afraid that the Meiji Restoration in the past nearly 20 years would return to the pre-liberation period.

Okuma Shigenobu also realized the seriousness, so his attitude was relaxed as never before. He even looked down at the arrogant Morris and said softly: "Japan has no intention of confronting the Netherlands. We just hope to have one more ally. If If the Netherlands agrees, we Japan and the Netherlands will sign the same covenant."

Morris shook his head and said: "The allies of the Netherlands have always supported us unilaterally. They have never been on the fence. We don't want allies to fall on both sides, so we cannot communicate with the Prime Minister."

Morris's face showed an unprecedented firm expression, which shocked Emperor Meiji and Shigenobu Okuma, and a bad premonition of power arose in their hearts.

Sure enough, the Dutch Ambassador to Japan Maurice said extremely seriously: "In view of Japan's serious damage to the interests of the Netherlands, on behalf of the Dutch government, I formally submitted a diplomatic protest to your country. At the same time, we will follow up after this week. Officially lowering the diplomatic relations with your country to the level of agent. At the same time, the Netherlands will stop all new capital operation approvals for investment in Japan.

By reducing relations and access channels, we will prevent Dutch-type industrial technology from entering Japan.”