Chapter 750 Pacific Alliance (two chapters in one)

Speaking of which, making vitamin C is much simpler than making penicillin.

After nearly a year of exploration and research, the pharmaceutical group has realized its plan to mass-produce vitamin drugs and launched the world's first vitamin C-rich drug - vitamin C lozenges.

This is a "medicine" that can be taken orally or soaked in water to give the water a fruity taste.

In order to open up the sales market of this drug, pharmaceutical groups have vigorously publicized the harm of lack of vitamin C to the human body. The example cited is the scurvy that often occurred among crew members on ocean voyages a hundred years ago.

The results are clear. Real events in history are definitely more believable than some experiments.

People are beginning to understand vitamin C and the dangers of lack of vitamin C, and are taking the initiative to supplement themselves with vitamin C.

It is precisely because of this that this lozenge, which can supplement a large amount of vitamin C, has been sold at a sky-high price by major sales channels.

At present, the price of an ordinary box of vitamin C medicine is second only to penicillin medicine, with a profit margin as high as 1,000%.

This is the benefit of exclusive monopoly. Before other pharmaceutical companies developed vitamin C drugs, the pharmaceutical group's vitamin C drugs would be accepted by others no matter how high the price was.

Arthur knew that vitamin C would be discovered by other pharmaceutical companies and organic chemists sooner or later, and Arthur had no intention of monopolizing the production and sales of vitamin C drugs.

Taking advantage of the current market blank period, we can seize as much profit as we can.

Of course, this is all the idea of ​​the pharmaceutical group and has nothing to do with Arthur.

On the surface, the pharmaceutical group has nothing to do with Arthur, except for 1% of the tax paid to the government as an annuity for the royal family.

Speaking of Australasia's special 1% royal annuity rule, I don't know how many European royal families are envious of it at this time.

Originally, at the beginning, the 1% royal annuity was not much, and at least it was only tens of thousands of Australian dollars.

But as Australasia's fiscal revenue continues to rise, the royal annuity has so far reached close to 4 million Australian dollars.

This level exceeds the income of most European royal families, let alone the portion that the Australasian royal family receives from the government.

But in Australasia, no one has any objection to the 1% royal annuity, and even the vast majority of people feel that the 1% ratio is a bit low.

After all, Arthur's status in the hearts of the Australasian people is irreplaceable. Arthur's reign began in the Principality of Australia.

It is no exaggeration to say that Arthur's contribution to Australia's growth to its current level is definitely the first.

Not to mention the 1% royal annuity, even if it is 5%, I am afraid most people will not be dissatisfied.

This also has to mention Arthur's relief for ordinary people. The Royal Relief Committee is still working. Over such a long period of time, Arthur has provided nearly 75 million Australian dollars in relief funds to the people through the Royal Relief Committee.

With so much money thrown at it, it is impossible for the people not to be grateful. Even the royal funds that the royal family has received over the years are almost within this range, which means that most of the money received by the royal family has been used to relieve the people.

Precisely because of such a generous act by the royal family, the people did not feel jealous of the wealth of the royal family, and even felt that it was natural.

The more assets the royal consortium has, the happier the people will be. After all, the people of Australasia all understand that although the royal family has extensive assets, it is definitely not a black-hearted capitalist.

A considerable part of the money earned by the royal family is used to relieve civilians. This money is much better for the royal family than for those greedy and black-hearted capitalists.

Arthur has no control over how the pharmaceutical group sells vitamin C drugs, but Arthur also ordered that the price of drugs sold in Australasia must be lower than abroad. As for how much lower it is, it is left to the pharmaceutical group to control.

A qualified patriotic enterprise should focus on how to make money from foreigners, rather than doing everything possible to defraud locals.

1. Arthur summoned national representatives from the Philippines, the United Sultanate of Kalimantan, the Kingdom of California, the United Kingdom of the West Coast and El Salvador at Fort St. Arthur, as well as important department officials from Australasia.

After all the national representatives saluted Arthur, the meeting officially began.

It can be seen from the number of participating countries and their geographical location that these are several countries within the Pacific and under the control of Australasia.

Australasia is currently considered the largest power in the Pacific, and its control over these countries is relatively strong.

Of course, these countries are also relatively obedient. In the face of real power, they don't have enough strength to resist.

In the Philippines and Kalimantan, which have a slightly stronger population and strength, Arthur has already implemented checks and balances.

Neither President Manuel of the Republic of the Philippines nor Sultan Muhammad of Kalimantan fully grasp the power of the country, which also allows them to face a lot of domestic resistance when they want to resist Arthur's rule.

The reason for this meeting was that in addition to strengthening ties between countries, Arthur also wanted to build a defense alliance in the Pacific between these countries.

Of course, with Australasia's home ground, this alliance treaty can not only be a defensive alliance, but also an offensive alliance.

Except for Australasia, although the other countries are not that strong, they can still muster tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops.

The West Coast United Kingdom, the Kingdom of California, and El Salvador in America have relatively small populations, so it would be good to have a combined army of 100,000.

But the Philippines is different from Kalimantan. The population of the Philippines has reached more than 10 million, and it is possible to forcibly raise an army of 500,000.

The population of the Great Sultanate of Kalimantan is even greater. There are currently no detailed statistics, but after receiving most of the population from Java and Sumatra, Kalimantan's population is at least 30 million.

With these 30 million people, it is no problem for Kalimantan to gather an army of one million. In this way, it is perfect that these few small countries alone can gather together at least 1 to resist the attack of the islanders.

Yes, Arthur's purpose in forming the Pacific Offensive and Defense Alliance was to allow these countries to become the first line of defense against the attacks of island countries.

To be precise, the armies of the Philippines and Kalimantan are the first line of defense, and several countries in the Americas are logistical harassment and reserve forces.

Coupled with the size of the Australasian army, this is already a mobilizable combat army of up to 2 million.

In this way, Arthur is confident that after the war breaks out, the islanders will be directly trapped in his own homeland, and then the indigenous populations of the Philippines and Kalimantan will be used to consume the islanders.

Although the population of island countries will be larger, the resources of island countries will definitely not be as good as Australasia.

For such a long period of consumption, apart from spending more money and resources, Australasia will basically not affect the overall national strength.

Before coming to Australasia, these countries also understood Arthur's purpose and ideas.

Of course, even if they don't want to, they don't have any means to resist at this time.

The good news is that they are relatively happy to form the Pacific Offensive and Defense Alliance. Because this means that they will have one more ally from the great powers. In addition to ensuring the security of their country, they can also get support from the great powers. This is the benefit that they are really excited about.

After all, except for El Salvador, other countries do not need to worry about their homeland security at all.

Kalimantan and the Philippines are extremely close to Australasia, and no country can threaten them yet.

To the north of the two kingdoms on the west coast is Canada, which is the territory of the British. It is impossible to go to war with them.

To the south is Mexico, which does not yet have the guts to challenge the authority of Australasia. After all, the rulers of the two kingdoms are Arthur's sons.

But El Salvador is different. El Salvador is surrounded by Central American countries and is itself a republic, so it is not so closely related to Australasia.

Although it is also Australasia's sphere of influence, it can be exchanged for benefits at any time. This is also the tragedy of a weak country that cannot control its own destiny at all.

Now that it can sign an alliance with Australasia, it is certainly a good thing for El Salvador.

If other Central American countries want to move themselves, they have to look at Australasia's face, which to a certain extent eliminates many dangers for themselves.

Of course, support from the great powers is what these countries want. After these 30 years of long development, Australasia has made some achievements in industry and economy.

It may not be as good as the United Kingdom, or even the Great Lakes, the essence of the United States, but it is definitely among the best in the world.

A little support to these small countries may help these small countries to further improve their industrial level and have a certain degree of self-sufficiency.

This is what these countries all want to have, especially the Philippines and Kalimantan. Although they have large populations, their industrial levels are really weak.

In fact, it can be seen from the main representatives of these countries participating in the conference that they attach great importance to the conference.

The representative of the Philippines is President Manuel of the Philippines, and the representative of Kalimantan is Sultan Muhammad.

El Salvador is represented by President Carlos María, and the two west coast kingdoms are represented by their respective prime ministers.

In fact, having said that, this is also a choice they don't have. Arthur's personal invitation, could they still send their subordinates to participate?

If you really just send subordinates to attend the meeting, then there is no doubt that you are not giving Arthur face, and it can even rise to the level of provoking Australasia and the majesty of the royal family.

【new】

At that time, they won't be discussing how to form an offensive and defensive alliance, but probably how to unite and expedition against this country that dares to challenge Arthur's majesty.

The good news is that such a guy doesn't exist in reality. Everyone who holds high positions in various countries is not a fool. Few country rulers can ignore an emperor like Arthur.

The monarchs of other countries may only occupy the name, but the monarchs of Australasia occupy the public opinion!

If there were a lot of news provoking Arthur in Australasia, I am afraid that without Arthur taking any action, the people of Australasia would angrily demand severe punishment for those who provoke the majesty of the royal family.

The people's love for Arthur and their identification with the royal family were famous. Tourists in Australasia, if they can't help but admire Arthur's rule, are likely to receive warm hospitality and greetings from the Australasian people.

But if you question Arthur's rule or even insult Arthur, you will be decisively beaten by the people.

This also makes Australasia a legendary country. Although it is a true autocratic monarchy, the people not only do not reject this political system, but also love it very much.

Many people in republican countries can't help but wonder about this. Is the monarchy really completely decadent and backward? Is republican democracy truly advanced?

Arthur actually has his own answer to this. No matter what kind of constitution it is, it is actually the minority that leads the majority.

These 30 years of rule taught Arthur that no matter whether he is a king or a president, as long as he is in office for one day, he should focus on how to develop the country and how to make his people rich and powerful.

The struggle for power is just a sideshow. As long as the goal of making the country prosperous and the people prosperous can be achieved, power will naturally continue to flow.

The reason why Australasia is autocracy is because Arthur wants to better concentrate power on himself and thereby better develop the country.

From a goal perspective, it is also consistent with the ultimate goal of those democratic countries. Of course, judging from the results achieved so far, the Australasian government and royal family have done even more than those countries.

At least people don't lie about their satisfaction with the country and the government. In Australasia, the people love Arthur, are satisfied with the royal family, and trust the government. This is what Arthur hopes for, and this is what other countries admire.

This meeting lasted for a week and discussed many details about the offensive and defensive alliance.

Of course, what they call discussions is actually just these countries fighting for their own interests.

In the face of the terms of the offensive and defensive alliance, they had no room for resistance or opposition. In addition to seeking more benefits for their country, they could not influence Arthur's thoughts on the offensive and defensive alliance and could only accept their fate.

1. The Australasian government, together with a number of countries, officially issued an announcement and signed the "Pacific Strategic Alliance Treaty".

According to the provisions of the treaty, the Kingdom of Australasia, the Republic of the Philippines, the United Sultanate of Kalimantan, the Kingdom of California, the United Kingdom of the West Coast and the Republic of El Salvador jointly formed the Pacific Alliance, and the allies had obligations to provide supplies and troops.

Once any country declares war on any ally, or any ally declares war on any country, it represents a war with the entire alliance.

If war breaks out, all allies should form a Pacific Allied Force. The specific ratio is: United Sultanate of Kalimantan 1.1 million people, Philippines 550,000 people, Australasia 400,000 people, Kingdom of California 100,000 people, United Kingdom of the West Coast 50,000 people and 30,000 people from the Republic of El Salvador, a total of 2.23 million troops.

After the formation of the Pacific Allied Forces, the command of the army was handed over to the Australasian General Staff, and supplies were uniformly allocated by Australasia.

In return, Australasia will use its navy to protect the security of all allied coasts and commit to stationing its air force in each country to maintain the security of its airspace from threats.

Of course, the military content is confidential and will not be made public.

However, countries around the world still see the importance of this treaty in the Pacific, which actually established Australasia's dominance over the Pacific.

Apart from anything else, there are currently only the only powerful island countries left in the Pacific.

The question is, do island countries really have the strength to challenge the entire Pacific Alliance? The British also made special predictions and concluded that as long as the islanders cannot break through the Australasian blockade, they will be dragged down in a long war of attrition.

The British government could not help but frown at such simulation results, but there was nothing they could do about it.

After the demise of the United States, the situation in the Pacific changed from the original advantage of the United States and the island countries to the advantage of Australasia.

Fortunately, the islanders really do not have the means to resist. Moreover, even if a war breaks out in the Pacific, the islanders will inevitably consume some of Australasia's active forces, which is not a bad thing.

Even if Australasia can become the Pacific Overlord, it will definitely be a Pacific Overlord with a weak health.

Until then, if the British support other countries along the Pacific coast or continue to provide blood transfusions to the islanders, they will still be able to achieve balance in the Pacific region.

This is also the consistent practice of the British. Regardless of whether it is a country that is on good terms with itself or a country that is hostile to itself, they all implement a policy of regional balance.

Besides, Australasia is now somewhat out of control. No matter what, precautions and a certain balance are necessary.

Compared to the frowns of the British, the islanders were a little anxious. By doing this, Australasia is undoubtedly directly expressing hostility to the islanders.

Pacific Offensive and Defensive Alliance, who is attacking and who is defending?

There are currently only two Pacific powers, and apart from Australasia itself, there are only island countries left.

Doesn’t this mean that the so-called Pacific Alliance is purely targeting island countries? Looking at the distribution of various countries, the island country is directly locked in the northwest Pacific, and it is still strictly guarded against it.

The island country's government even held a special meeting for this purpose to discuss whether it would be possible to break through the blockade if the two countries went to war.

To break through the Australasian blockade, the navy must have a larger scale and stronger combat effectiveness.

For this reason, the island government decided to continue to build a large number of navies, and to build larger and stronger battleships to crush the Australasian navy.

Although the power of Australasia makes the islanders a little anxious, some extremely crazy islanders also have some crazy ideas.

Although this is a crisis for the island country, it is also an opportunity for the people of the island country. As long as they can break through the blockade of Australasia and defeat this so-called Pacific Alliance head-on, they can hope to get their hands on the mineral-rich Australasia.

Australasia, which is vast in area and rich in mineral resources, has much better conditions than the island countries.

The reason why the island country's industry has remained at the same level for a long time is actually not because the people of the island country don't want industry to grow.

In fact, there are only so many minerals in the country. If we only rely on importing large quantities of ore, even if the industrial scale expands, we will actually still lose money.

But there is nothing we can do. We cannot watch other countries' industries expand on a large scale while the island country's own scale remains a fraction of others.

The small area and lack of resources have also contributed to the ambition of the islanders to a certain extent. They want to occupy a larger area, obtain richer mineral resources, make themselves stronger, and even become the master of the Pacific Ocean.

Compared with the unannounced military terms, the people are actually more concerned about the actual benefits this alliance brings to their country.

In the economic field, it is still the main content of this treaty announced to the outside world.

First, all allies form a unified market, reduce tariffs on allied countries, and improve trade efficiency among allied countries.

This will be of great benefit to many small countries, including the Philippines and Kalimantan, and of course, Australasia will also benefit from it.

Australasia has a developed industry, and a large number of industrial products can easily flow into these countries, creating enough income for Australasia.

Although this will harm the industries of these countries, considering that their industrial levels are very weak or even non-existent, this situation is actually a good thing for them.

Anyway, the industry is already very bad. How much worse can it be? On the contrary, the influx of a large number of industrial manufactured products can not only make up for the shortcomings of its own industry, but also allow the people to have sufficient food and other daily necessities.

Especially for the Philippines and Kalimantan, the scarcest industrial products are clothing and various daily necessities.

After all, it was a colony before. If you want to slowly transform into a civilized country, the first step is to use a large amount of industrial products and enjoy the benefits that industry brings to the people.

This can be regarded as realizing Arthur's expectations for the big markets of the Philippines and Kalimantan. Together, it can be regarded as a very large market with a population of more than 40 million. With a little integration, it can also bring a lot of boost to Australasia's industry.

Of course, in addition to industrial products, these countries are also looking forward to industry.

Arthur also met their expectations and said that he would use various means to support them in building a certain industry.

In fact, the best way is to relocate some industries that are not needed in Australasia or that are too polluting to these countries, especially the Philippines and Kalimantan.

These two countries have large populations, which simply means that labor costs are cheaper. After all, Australasia has laws on minimum guaranteed wages, and labor protection is relatively complete.

But the Philippines and Kalimantan are different. As long as the exploitation lasts, you can exploit to death, which also means that you can squeeze out more oil and water.

Festival, please give me a monthly ticket and support!