Chapter 23: Love in 1971

  Time has quietly arrived at the end of the year, and after Taiwan's economy made a tentative opening last year, everyone is ambitious to create a big scene this year. Just as people imagined, Taiwan's economy also took off this year, with fiscal revenue increasing by 20% over last year, and even crazily reaching 30% this year.

  Taiwan has reduced its daily government expenditure by 50% since the implementation of institutional streamlining last year. Therefore, the government will have more funds to invest in infrastructure construction next year.

  Next year, Taiwan's investment focus will be on railways, highways, ports and airports across the island. The plan includes the north-south highway, international airport, railway electrification, northern circular railway project, Su'ao Port project, Taichung Port project. As Taiwan's economy develops, its original infrastructure is increasingly unable to meet demand, so upgrading existing road systems and building new transportation systems has become a pressing task for Taiwan.

  The mainland and Taiwan will also start building submarine optical cables, which will greatly promote exchanges and cooperation between the two sides of the strait. Historically, the optical cable between Taiwan and the mainland was not completed until 1987.

  By the end of the year, all economic plans set by the government had been over-fulfilled. Among them, several key projects that Lin Feng focused on, such as the engine factory, Taiwan Shipbuilding Factory, and aircraft design and manufacturing factory, were all successfully completed. To ensure sufficient and suitable materials for use, Lin Feng established magnesium alloy, aluminum alloy, and other metal product factories based on the original steel company last year, utilizing local Taiwanese forces. In these companies, Lin Feng only held a small number of shares and was responsible for providing technical and equipment support, while the consumption of minerals was all handled by the China Mineral Company founded by Lin Feng.

  These minerals, except for a small portion that is imported from other regions, are mostly transported from the lunar base. It can be said that the current lunar base is the raw material base for Taiwan's industrial development.

  In the past few days, Lin Feng suddenly remembered that girl who made his heart skip a beat. For a moment, he couldn't help himself and arranged for someone to take care of things around him before boarding a plane to Hong Kong.

  Sitting on the plane, Lin Feng quietly recalled everything with Zhao Yaqi. To be honest, even he himself couldn't figure out what their relationship was. If it's said to be lovers, but there seemed to be no romantic feelings worth enjoying between them? But if they were just ordinary friends, every time they talked on the phone, Lin Feng could feel a sweet feeling lingering between them. He also enjoyed this unspoken feeling. This year, due to work issues, Lin Feng spent most of his time in mainland China and didn't have time to see her. Most of their communication was through phone calls.

  The plane landed steadily at the airport, and Lin Feng suddenly felt a little impatient to see Zhao Yaqi. He took a taxi through several streets and arrived at the door of Zhao Yaqi's house. Lin Feng thought of some movie plots that often appeared in later generations, so he found a place near Zhao Yaqi's house where he could make a phone call, picked up the phone and dialed her home phone number. After a while, he heard Zhao Yaqi's sweet voice on the other end of the phone, "Who are you looking for?"

  At the moment he heard her voice, Lin Feng suddenly made up his mind to marry this girl. So he said gently: "Ah Chi, it's me, Ah Feng. I mailed a gift to you, did you receive it? According to the post office, they delivered it today. Go check your mailbox at home quickly! Okay, I still have work to do, I won't chat with you anymore. Remember, go take a look at the door immediately!" As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng hung up the phone.

  As soon as he came out to make a phone call, Lin Feng quickly ran to Zhao Yaqi's house. When Lin Feng arrived at her door, he found that except for the tightly closed door, there was no one else. He let out a sigh of relief. Just as Lin Feng had just caught his breath, he looked up at the still motionless door again, and his relaxed mood became tense again. Had she already gone out?

  Just as he was at a loss, the courtyard door creaked open and a surprised voice shouted: "Ah, Ah Feng, how did you come?" Lin Feng didn't speak but stared at the girl in front of him and said: "Ah Zhi, be my girlfriend? I'll love you well." Zhao Yazi still hadn't recovered from the surprise of Lin Feng's visit. When she understood what he said, her face showed a shy blush, and she nodded slightly with her head lowered.

  In the following days, Lam Fung stayed in Hong Kong with Cherie Chung, to avoid unnecessary trouble, they decided not to tell their families about their secret relationship for the time being, and wait until next year when Cherie starts working before officially dating. Happy times are always short-lived, when Father Time arrived at 1972, Lam Fung bid farewell to Cherie and returned to Taiwan to attend the new year's government meeting.

  1972 will be a very important year for Taiwan, as Chiang someone will officially step down from the presidential throne, and the President of the Republic of China will be taken over by Yen Chia-kan; Chiang Ching-kuo will formally take charge of the Executive Yuan; Lin Feng will turn to enter the Legislative Yuan as a legislator, and his position in the military has also changed.

  1972 would be the first year of Taiwan's military reform led by Lin Feng, who would serve as deputy leader in this group, with Chiang Ching-kuo as the leader, and the other two deputy leaders being Huang Chieh (Minister of National Defense) and Sun Li-jen (at Lin Feng's request), while chiefs of various military branches and heads of military departments would be members.

  In Lin Feng's plan, Taiwan will formally establish a unified national defense system centered on the Military Commission: The national defense organization is divided into three major systems: the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff Headquarters, and military agencies (i.e. Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces, and later Space Force). The Ministry of National Defense will be responsible for personnel mobilization, promotion, rank, discipline, reserve forces, etc.; Military agencies will be responsible for daily training and management of various military branches; the General Staff Headquarters will be responsible for formulating plans, commanding and coordinating battles during wartime.

  The President, Premier, Minister of National Defense, Chief of the General Staff, and commanders-in-chief of various military branches will form a Military Commission, with the President as its chairman. The reformed Taiwanese Army consists of three parts: the first part is a digitized mechanized group responsible for mobile warfare; the second part is a special forces group responsible for mountainous, airborne, chemical defense, and other unconventional warfare; the last part is a missile group.

  Lin Feng's focus is on building a strong navy and air force. In the future, Lin Feng plans to form a carrier battle group consisting of 2 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, 2 missile cruisers, 8 missile destroyers, 2 attack nuclear submarines, 2 comprehensive supply ships, and 2 anti-submarine patrol vessels. The navy will also have an ocean-going submarine warfare group composed of 18 submarines, including 3 nuclear-powered strategic missile submarines and 15 nuclear-powered attack submarines. The air force will be reorganized and will work together with the space force in the future. The main components of the air force will include fighter squadrons, early warning aircraft squadrons, transport aircraft squadrons, and air defense missile troops. However, these are only temporary transitional formations, and Lin Feng's ultimate goal is to form a space warfare team.

  After several days of intense discussion, the plan was finally passed at the National Defense Conference. General Sun Li-ren also returned to the army, and in fact, since the Indonesian action, with Lin Feng's efforts to mediate, General Sun Li-ren's treatment had improved a lot compared to before. This time, he took office as Chief of Staff under Lin Feng's strong recommendation, Chen Daqing succeeded Huang Jie as Minister of National Defense. Lin Feng continued to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Special Forces, and he resigned as commander of the new 1st Brigade to take up the post of Vice President of the soon-to-be-established National Defense University, with Yu Boquan Army Lieutenant General as President.

  The overall framework of each newly formed troops has been established, and the troops' reorganization and training are being carried out in full swing. After this reorganization, Taiwan's military strength will be upgraded to a new level, with a total force of about 180,000 people, including 90,000 in the army, 40,000 in the air force, and 50,000 in the navy. If the space troops to be formed in the future are included, Taiwan's total military strength will exceed 200,000 people.

  To enhance the theoretical level of Taiwanese military personnel to adapt to the changes in tactical concepts brought about by new technologies, and also to reflect the results of this military reform in the combat effectiveness of the troops. All mid-to-high-level commanders will receive two to three months of training at the newly established National Defense University, which is composed of the current Tri-Service University, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense Management College, and Political Warfare School. The university's main campus is located at No. 56, Zhongxing Road, Longtan Township, Taoyuan County.

  At the time when Lin Feng was busy with military reform in Taiwan, on January 13, 1972, the Central Government of mainland China decided to introduce 8 sets of fertilizer and chemical fiber equipment from abroad. Later, a plan to introduce $4.3 billion worth of complete sets of equipment and single machines (i.e., the Four-Three Plan) was also proposed. These equipment transactions were also part of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US. Originally, these equipment could have been produced in Taiwan, but for the sake of normalizing Sino-US relations, Lin Feng had to painfully give up this lucrative business.

  From February 21 to 28, US President Nixon came to China for a state visit at the invitation of the Government of the People's Republic of China.

  On the 21st, President Nixon and his wife arrived in Beijing. On that day, Chairman Mao met with Nixon.

  On the 28th, China and the United States issued a joint communiqué in Shanghai. The joint communiqué stated that President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai had extensive, earnest, and frank discussions on the normalization of Sino-US relations and other issues of concern to both sides, clarifying their respective positions and attitudes. The Chinese government resolutely opposes any activities aimed at creating "one China, one Taiwan", "one China, two governments", "Taiwan independence" and advocating for "the status of Taiwan is undetermined". The joint communiqué also stated that the social systems and foreign policies of the two countries have fundamental differences.

  However, both parties agree that all countries, regardless of their social systems, should handle relations between nations on the basis of respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression against each other, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

  The issuance of the Sino-US joint communiqué has opened up new prospects for the normalization of Sino-US relations and the continuous expansion of exchanges between the two countries in the future. It marks that after more than 20 years of confrontation, China and the United States have begun to move towards normalizing their relations.

  On the 28th, Nixon and his party left Shanghai to return home. Nixon's sudden visit to China put the Japanese government in an extremely difficult position. Now they have already severely deteriorated their relations with the Taiwanese authorities after the fishing island incident, so they had to think of ways to repair their relationship with mainland China, which was a consensus among all knowledgeable people in Japan at that time.