Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 393: Paying Taxes in Full and Smashing Foreigners’ Privileges

At this time, in the Northern Xinjiang Presidential Office, Foreign Minister Fang Dihu, Deputy Minister of Finance Ye Bufan and others were all present, waiting until Su Zhengyang hung up the phone.

Ye Bufan said excitedly: "President, it seems that the Austro-Hungarian Empire has finally chosen to compromise. After biting off the entire hard bone of Roman Trading Company, other foreign companies will inevitably follow suit and agree to our conditions."

Su Zhengyang smiled. "Foreigners have always bullied the weak and feared the strong. Over the past century, the weak China has left the Western powers with the impression that we are timid and extremely backward. They have always believed that they can bully us at will. As long as we become tough and have enough strength to back us up, they will have to lower their proud heads and become humble."

Ye Bufan's words resonated with everyone present. They knew that this confrontation with the Austro-Hungarian Empire was not only about the interests of a Roman Trading Company, but also an important declaration for China on the international stage. Su Zhengyang's response was even more substantial. His words were full of confidence and strength, as if they had instilled confidence in everyone present.

Su Zhengyang continued, "We want the whole world to see that China is no longer a lamb to be slaughtered. We must use our wisdom and courage to write our own chapter of history. Minister Fang, you are responsible for the subsequent negotiations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You must ensure that our interests are maximized."

As the incident ended, everyone left the office with confidence and hope. They knew that a new era for China had arrived, and they would become witnesses and participants of this era. And Su Zhengyang, as the leader of this era, his wisdom and courage would lead China to a more glorious tomorrow.

The negotiations on the second day went very smoothly. After the Roman Center incident, the major foreign companies had obviously curbed their arrogance. The toughness and determination shown by Su Zhengyang made them realize that this "Crazy Su" was not just a name.

At the negotiation table, Fang Dihu explained the position and interests of Northern Xinjiang with a firm look and powerful words. He made it clear that the Northern Xinjiang government would no longer tolerate any form of privileges for foreigners. From now on, not only would their taxes be paid in full and on time, but the Northern Xinjiang government would also have the right to enter the concessions of major powers and legally perform official duties.

Representatives of major foreign companies and consuls in the concessions felt unprecedented pressure. They had to reassess the strength and determination of the Northern Xinjiang government, realizing that continued confrontation would only bring greater losses. So they began to compromise on their own initiative.

After several rounds of intense discussions and confrontations, the major foreign companies and consuls in the concessions finally expressed their willingness to accept the conditions proposed by the Northern Xinjiang government. Fang Dihu expressed great satisfaction with the negotiation results.

Su Zhengyang stood in front of the window, overlooking the bustling city, with an indescribable feeling in his heart. Although Northern Xinjiang won the battle with the Western powers, he knew that there were too many accidents and inevitabilities behind this victory.

The war in Europe was getting more and more intense. The great powers were busy fighting for territory and interests on the European continent and had no strength to fight against Northern Xinjiang for a long time. Northern Xinjiang seized this rare opportunity and used its own resources and wisdom to successfully launch a beautiful counterattack.

But Su Zhengyang also understands that this victory is not permanent. On the international stage, the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak still applies. Only by constantly strengthening oneself can one gain a foothold in this world full of competition and challenges.

As the storm was completely calmed down, China's mainstream media published articles one after another, conducting in-depth analysis of the incident. These articles analyzed the benefits and impacts of the incident on Northern Xinjiang and even the entire China from multiple angles, which aroused heated discussions and high evaluations from the general public.

In an article titled "Northern Xinjiang Rising: A New Era of Proudness", Huashang Daily pointed out that this incident not only completely weakened the privileges of foreigners in China, but also demonstrated the Northern Xinjiang government's firm determination to safeguard national interests and national dignity. The article emphasized that this victory marked that China's status on the international stage was gradually improving, and the people of Northern Xinjiang also felt the taste of pride.

In an article titled "The Wisdom and Courage of Northern Xinjiang in the Confrontation", Zhenxing Daily analyzed in detail the wisdom and courage shown by the Northern Xinjiang government in the confrontation with Western powers. The article pointed out that the Northern Xinjiang government made full use of the changes in the international situation and won the victory in this confrontation with clever diplomatic means. This not only demonstrated the outstanding ability of the Northern Xinjiang government, but also provided valuable experience and inspiration for China's future diplomatic work.

The Dahua Daily emphasized the positive impact of this incident on China's economic development. The article pointed out that as foreign companies pay commercial taxes normally in Northern Xinjiang, the market environment in Northern Xinjiang will become more fair and open, which will attract more capital for commercial investment and promote the sustained and stable development of Northern Xinjiang's economy.

The Northern Xinjiang People's Daily analyzed the significance of this event from the perspective of national spirit with the title "The Northern Xinjiang People Stand Up: Behind Their Proud Face is the Awakening of the National Spirit". The article pointed out that the victory of this event is not only a political and economic victory, but also a victory of the national spirit. It has inspired the national pride and self-confidence of the people of Northern Xinjiang, allowing them to move towards the future more firmly.

Since Su Zhengyang took office, a series of drastic reforms have gradually put the entire Northern Xinjiang on the right track. The development of Northern Xinjiang is booming and changing with each passing day. In recent times, a large number of business companies that used to rely on foreign shareholdings to engage in tax evasion and tax exemption operations have also been dealt with by Su Zhengyang with thunderous means. Once such a situation is discovered, criminal responsibility will be directly pursued, the business will be sealed, and high economic penalties will be imposed.

It is foreseeable that starting from this year, taxation in northern Xinjiang will be greatly increased. As for land annexation, Su Zhengyang, after discussing with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, also came up with his own plan, which is to increase land tax and the so-called agricultural assistance loan.

As the name suggests, the increased land tax means that the more land you own, the higher the agricultural tax you have to pay. This is similar to Wang Anshi's equal tax system for each field during the Northern Song Dynasty in China. The agricultural assistance loans allow farmers to apply for almost interest-free loans from local governments to sustain their lives when there is a gap between the harvests and the crops are poor. They can then repay the loans with the crops.

This can effectively prevent lower-class farmers from being forced to sell their land to wealthy landlords due to natural disasters or food famine.

At the same time, Su Zhengyang sent out 20 to 30 large and small inspection teams with hundreds of people to conduct a comprehensive land inspection in all provinces under the jurisdiction of the entire Northern Frontier, and record the results in a register to prevent landlords who hold large amounts of land from concealing the facts and falsely reporting the amount of land to evade taxes.