African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 335: Chapter 18 Zhuhai Trade Region

The Ndebele rebellion disrupted Constantine’s good mood while continuing his tour of Dodoma City. If it was a rebellion by other local tribes, Constantine himself would think it was only natural. After all, the natives may be underdeveloped, but they are not fools—they know to resist.

Yet in Zimbabwe, East Africa gave sufficient respect to the Ndebele people, functioning as co-governors of the Matebele Plateau with them. Both East Africa and the Ndebele were invaders to the local Shona Tribe, which made up over eighty percent of the population on the plateau.

Just like the British who used Indians in Africa, the East African government’s intention was to use the Ndebele as Indians to suppress the local Shona Tribe. However, that seems to have backfired.

Although the Ndebele’s rebellion was extensive, it posed no real threat to the East African Kingdom. The Ndebele’s origins were militaristic, just as the East African Kingdom’s were, and the Ndebele didn’t outnumber the East African military forces in Zimbabwe by much.

They had only developed from the Zulu Kingdom to the Matebele Plateau over four to five decades, and despite decades of intermarriage and growth with the local Shona Tribe, the entire ethnic group, including mixed-race individuals, numbered no more than about a couple hundred thousand.

For the Shona Tribe, the Ndebele army was unbeatable when it reached ten thousand, but the Ndebele couldn’t even defeat the Boers, so East Africa didn’t regard the Ndebele highly.

However, to punish the Ndebele for their ungratefulness, Constantine had already decided to send the entire Ndebele tribe to the eastern part of East Africa to dig canals for ten years.

...

April 3rd, 1871.

The Zhuhai Trade Region is located in the coastal area east of Tang Family Town in Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture, on the west coast of the Zhujiang River Estuary. It faces Qiaowu Island across the sea and was established following diplomatic relations between East Africa and the Far East, according to the ”Treaty of the Two Easts.”

At that time, the city of Zhuhai hadn’t yet existed. East Africa arrived here earlier than Jiaozhou, but its development was much slower in comparison to Jiaozhou.

There was no particular reason; in Jiaozhou, as long as East Africa could placate the local bureaucrats, they could act recklessly. But in Xiangshan, merely pacifying the officials was a bit challenging, as the locals were quite informed, especially with the Portuguese occupied Australia and Macau colonies to the south, and the presence of the British nearby.

When East Africa finally managed to bluff the Qing Government for local privileges, they ran into powerful local clans—the Tang Family.

The Tang was a prominent surname locally, with the Tang Clan from Tang Family Bay in Zhuhai tracing back to 1205, when Tang Jujun led his family from Nanxiong Zhujixiang (now in Shaoguan) to settle in Fuyong, Xiangshan (today’s Tang Family Bay, Zhuhai). Tang Jujun, styled Shaoyao, was the ninth-generation descendant of Tang Jie, Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty, and the founder of the Tang Clan in Tang Family Bay.

The Tang surname might not dominate local affairs, but it certainly held a commanding presence such that for East Africa to work in this place, they needed to talk both to Xiangshan officials and negotiate with the leaders of the Tang Family.

The Tang Family was quite wary of East Africa establishing a trading port here, wary due to the precedent set by the Portuguese. No one could guarantee that the East Africans wouldn’t take over like cuckoos in the magpie’s nest.

Moreover, the Tang Family held considerable influence within the Qing Government, with comprador figures like Tang Tingshu, Tang Tingzhi, Tang Tinggeng, Tang Jichang, and Tang Qiaoqing further elevating the Tang Clan’s economic power through their careers, resulting in rapid growth in clan assets and temple properties.

Take Tang Tingshu for example; he was one of the civilian representative figures of the Far East Modernization Faction, very close to Li Hongzhang. He achieved greatness by founding China’s first private enterprise—the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company—and its first coal mine—the Kaiping Coal Bureau—and its first sizable insurance company—Renjihe Insurance Company. He supervised the building of the first railway—the Tangxu Railway (Tangshan Xu Gezhuang)—and performed drilling for the first oil well and laid the first telegraph line in China. He also founded the prominent modern Far East publication ”Huibao,” being among the ”Four Great Compradors” in the Late Qing.

Currently, Tang Tingshu is working under the British as the chief comprador for Jardine and Matheson, managing considerable assets and numerous investments, and he is just one of the more representative figures of the Tang Family in the business world, making it incredibly inconvenient for the East African Consulate in Xiangshan to conduct its work here.

For instance, in terms of land, East Africa couldn’t purchase any without the Tang Family’s approval, and when the Xiangshan Consulate protested to the Xiangshan County Government Office, they were all in cahoots, constantly procrastinating and failing to reply. Meanwhile, they privately pressured the locals not to engage with East African merchants or officials in business or regular communication. Okay, is that how we’re going to play?

Then, on March 7th of this year, an East African Kingdom company was dispatched to land at Tang Family Bay, marking the East African Kingdom’s first deployment of troops to an overseas nation.

Although Jiaozhou had armed personnel from East Africa, at least not nominally East African troops, East Africa showed greater respect to local officials there, as they cooperated well, deserving some respect.

East Africa’s dispatch of troops to Xiangshan alarmed the then Guangzhou Prefect, Mei Qizhao, who came from Guangzhou specifically to mediate the situation.

Xiangshan County Government Office.

Mei Qizhao scolded the Magistrate of Xiangshan: ”Look at what you’ve done! You insisted on squabbling with foreigners; aren’t you afraid of a diplomatic incident?”

The Magistrate of Xiangshan stammered: ”Land is freely traded, we cannot intervene. Plus, the people’s sentiments keep them from interacting with foreigners, and we dare not ask too much...”

Mei Qizhao: ”Stop with the excuses. I’m well aware of the nature of local clan influences. How many benefits have you taken from the Tang Family?”

Magistrate of Xiangshan: ”I—your subordinate...”

Mei Qizhao: ”Hmph! If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it. The current dynasty is at a crossroads of Spring and Autumn reform, the court is intent on reform and learning Western techniques to control foreign powers. We need a period of peaceful development. If you provoke troubles and undermine the national agenda, can you bear the responsibility?”

Magistrate of Xiangshan: ”Then what does Your Excellency suggest?”

Mei Qizhao: ”Prepare generous gifts and accompany me to apologize to Consul Humus. As for the Tang Family, warn them not to provoke foreigners. If a real conflict arises, leading to diplomatic issues, they should be careful their official hats don’t remain secure.”

Magistrate of Xiangshan, sweating: ”I’ll handle this immediately.”

...

Tang Family Town.

Mei Qizhao: ”Consul Humus, this whole matter is a misunderstanding. The local people were once deceived by the Portuguese, hence the unintended harm to your country. I apologize on behalf of the local people to your nation.”

Humus: ”Alright, our East African Kingdom never intended to escalate matters, but the Tang Family, as the local decision-makers, kept blocking our normal transactions, intimidating the local populace and forbidding interaction with our country’s merchants. I believe they deserve harsh punishment.”

Mei Qizhao: ”Cough, cough, cough!”

Clan Leader Tang: ”Consul Humus, this entire incident is a misunderstanding. It entirely arose because I was away on business and unaware of clan matters. Now that it has come to this, I deeply regret it. Regarding your nation’s rent for land to construct ports and conduct trade, our Tang Family fully supports it!”

Humus was about to speak.

Clan Leader Tang suddenly produced a cheque from HSBC, handing it over: ”This is a token of goodwill from our Tang Family. I hope Your Excellency will accept it to resolve the misunderstanding between our countries.”

Humus accepted the cheque without displaying emotion and then said: ”Misunderstanding aside, about the land issue...”

Clan Leader Tang: ”We’ll lease it to you!”

With that, he brought out a map, pointing to the southeast of Tang Family Bay: ”Right here is the best location for the port at Tang Family Bay. We fully support your nation’s development of this area.”

Humus: ”Very well, Mr. Mei Qizhao, our development in this area hopes for convenience from Guangzhou Prefecture. Once this trade hub is established, we will surely ensure trade fairness.”

Mei Qizhao: ”Naturally, Consul Humus, I will actively promote it to commercial figures in Guangzhou. But Consul Humus, now the misunderstanding is resolved, what about your country’s troops...?”

Humus: ”Rest assured, we act in accordance with our treaty with your country and will never act out of line. This is about the spirit of the contract, which you must also adhere to, otherwise stirring up trouble like this wouldn’t be good.”

Mei Qizhao: ”Certainly, certainly.”

Under the military threat from East Africa, the Zhuhai Trade Region finally settled stably, primarily managing the export of East African industrial goods and grain throughout the Zhujiang River region while importing necessary East African resources.