African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1260: Chapter 269: 50,000 Square Kilometers

In terms of population, the inhabitants of the Tapi River Plain are genuine Siamese, distinct from those in the more southern regions who believe in the Arabian Sect.

As for trade, although the rise of the Malacca Strait has greatly diminished the value of the Tapi River Plain, its importance remains significant.

After all, since this area is under Siam’s control, no one can sever Siam’s trade with the East and West.

This leads to the clear strategic value of the Tapi River Plain, which is essentially a crucial component of the historical ”Kra Canal” concept.

Rama VI said, ”The Tapi River Plain is impossible to hand over to your country, other southern areas can be negotiated.”

Sir Claire, who had been ”observing” the negotiations, jumped in, saying, ”Aside from the Tapi River Plain, other places can be given to East Africa, Sir Ande. I think East Africa also needs to consider the Siamese government as this is, after all, Siam’s core region, and Siam still owes East Africa a large sum of money; if this area is lost, the amount of compensation would need to be recalculated.”

Siam indeed owes East Africa sixty million Rhine Shields, and the Tapi River Plain is a financial and tax center of this country, so Sir Claire’s words seem to have some reasoning.

However, this is clearly not his true objective; the reason why Sir Claire suddenly jumped in to obstruct Ande.

This is because after analyzing their negotiations, a bold idea sprang up from the depths of his mind.

That is, why the East Africans are fixated on this piece of land; combined with Siam’s terrain and some rumors, he suddenly thought of a project.

That is the Panama Canal, the opening of the Panama Canal can be considered a major historical event, but the timing of its opening was not very favorable, considering the Panama Canal officially opened in 1914. During that time, the world’s attention was attracted by the contemporaneous European wars.

And East Africa’s aggressive demand for the Tapi River Plain this time reminds Sir Claire of the ”almost forgotten” Panama Canal.

As the structure of the Kra Isthmus is so similar to the Panama Isthmus where the Panama Canal is located.

Does this mean East Africa wants to build a maritime route similar to the Panama Canal on the Kra Isthmus, thus connecting East Africa with Nanyang?

Although, just by looking at the map, building a canal connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean in the Kra Isthmus is no less difficult than the Panama Canal, but what if East Africa truly intends to do so!

Sir Claire’s idea is absolutely not unfounded; it is rational and evidenced.

Why the United Kingdom can maintain maritime dominance, besides the mighty Royal Navy, is primarily because of holding numerous crucial maritime strategic passages worldwide.

The Malacca Strait is one of them; it can be unapologetically said that as long as Malacca Strait is firmly controlled, all trade between Europe and Indian Ocean coastal countries and the Far East must be under the discretion of the UK.

And will East Africa, as a new power, willingly submit to the United Kingdom?

The Malacca Strait, along with the Suez Canal, Mand Strait, and Cape of Good Hope, serve as strategic points where the United Kingdom can restrain East Africa.

Therefore, Sir Claire has ample reasons to believe that East Africa’s provocation against Siam this time is for the Kra Isthmus.

To ensure the British Empire’s interests in the region, Sir Claire certainly cannot allow East Africans’ devious plans to succeed.

Ande, watching Sir Claire’s sudden obstruction, said somewhat displeased, ”Sir Claire, you previously agreed not to interfere in this negotiation.”

Sir Claire, with righteous fervor, said, ”But what I said also has a premise, and that is not threatening the interests of the British Empire.”

”And the Tapi River Plain is such a case; it concerns the safety of the Empire’s Indian colony, so I cannot stand by.”

The Indian colony mentioned by Claire obviously includes the Myanmar region; after all, the Tapi River Plain borders Myanmar, making it possible for Claire to link the two.

This naturally aroused Ande’s silent complaints. During the discussion about the Patani region earlier, why didn’t you jump in claiming the threat to the security of the British colonies on the Malay Peninsula, after all, Patani is partly occupied by Britain too.

Ande naturally wouldn’t give up his demands because of the so-called safety of the British Empire, after all, you have the British Empire behind you, while I have the Rhein Empire behind me!

Ande said, ”Our demands in the area absolutely won’t threaten your country’s interests in Myanmar; after all, geographically, it’s impossible for this area to pose a threat to Myanmar.”

”The area bordering Myanmar and Siam shows significantly higher terrain than the Tapi River Plain region, militarily you have the advantage.”

As to why in ancient times Myanmar couldn’t compete with Thailand, it was because the core region of Myanmar was too far away from here; even occupying the area would result in centrifugal tendencies, making control challenging, logistical transportation inconvenient, and in the Era of Sea Power, this wasn’t a concern, but Myanmar has no chance now, as Westerners have arrived.

But how could Sir Claire allow this area, crucial to British dominance in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, especially the Malacca Strait, to fall into the hands of East Africans.

Even if there is a slightest possibility for the Kra Canal, Sir Claire would never permit East Africa to occupy here.

After all, the Panama Canal proves that the Kra Canal is not a mere fantasy; as long as East Africa is willing to pay the price, the Kra Isthmus could indeed threaten the status of the Malacca Strait.

Although Rama VI didn’t know why Sir Claire suddenly changed his stance at this point, he actively cooperated, leading to the negotiation becoming deadlocked.

In fact, it’s simple to understand after thinking briefly, as East Africa, despite having numerous colonies in the Pacific Region, those colonies share a common colonial drawback, which is their weak connection to East Africa itself.

And it’s precisely the Malacca Strait that is restraining the connection between East Africa itself and the Pacific Fleet, at present, East Africa isn’t willing to antagonize the UK.

And to circumvent the UK and connect the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, the Kra Isthmus is an ideal choice.

In facing Sir Claire’s adamant opposition, Ande said, ”Your Majesty Rama VI, we can further retreat a step, however, since the Tapi River Plain cannot be controlled by us, then other areas, including Wan Lun, Phang Nga, Patani, Lokun, Phuket...all southern regions must be handed to us East Africa.”

”Sir Claire, this constitutes my final concession. If even this ’modest’ demand cannot be met, then we would have no choice but to resolve it through battle.”

Ande still made concessions, and this finally let Sir Claire breathe a sigh of relief, as long as it’s not the Tapi River Plain, everything else could be negotiated.

After all, the Kra Canal cannot be constructed without the Tapi River, otherwise, the project scale would be enormous, costs exceedingly high, Sir Claire at least cannot think of other solutions for the problem.

Though Rama VI wanted to strive for more, he was stopped by Sir Claire’s gaze.

Of course, Rama VI felt distressed, as even though East Africa modified the plan, they are still gaining too much, that’s land of eleven provinces from the previous life Siam, a full fifty thousand square kilometers, almost ten percent of the entire country’s area.

Yet Sir Claire felt no psychological burden, after all, as long as his goal is achieved and ensuring the Kra Canal won’t be constructed is sufficient.

As for the land Siam ceded, as a British person, Sir Claire certainly felt no distress; honestly, apart from the area best suited for constructing the Kra Canal, other places have little value in Sir Claire’s eyes.

Otherwise, Britain would have occupied these areas years ago, rather than being sold cheaply to East Africa now.

The truth is indeed so, a fifty thousand square kilometer territory acquired by East Africa, currently with low developmental scale, featuring vast mountainous regions, swamps, and rainforests, located in tropical areas with low terrain too, thus East Africa seeking to fully develop the area also takes time.

Just looking at the local population, this fifty thousand square kilometer territory probably doesn’t even have half a million population, this is Ande’s most optimistic estimate.