Chapter 36: The Grand Assembly (Part 2)
The Great Wall computer was like a super bomb that exploded instantly, and businessmen from all countries were inquiring about the specific situation of this computer. The people of Hua Xia Group also hoped that the Great Wall computer would break the record of orders previously held by energy-saving refrigerators. However, the actual situation was shocking, as although the Great Wall computer caused a sensation when it appeared, these days, apart from people coming and going to inquire and some buying small quantities of computers, very few people bought large quantities of computers. Everyone was puzzled as to why this was the case, until finally, a salesperson found out through inquiry that these countries simply did not have any networks, so even if they bought back computers, they would be unable to use them. In the end, only a few Great Wall computers were sold, but other products of Hua Xia Group remained the most popular in the entire electronics industry.
The first phase of the exhibition ended successfully, with Taiwan Province becoming the biggest winner. From April 15th to 19th, on-site contracts worth $1 billion were signed. The second phase of the Canton Fair will take place from April 23rd to 27th, featuring exhibits such as kitchen and dining utensils, daily-use ceramics, handicrafts, home decorations, glass crafts, festival goods, toys, gifts, clocks and watches, eyeglasses, household items, personal care products, bathroom supplies, woven and iron crafts, furniture, gardening products, and outdoor iron and stone products. During this period, the Taiwan Province Pavilion only displayed a few traditional art pieces without any major moves, which disappointed many people. Meanwhile, pavilions from other provinces in China were relatively busy, with several companies signing numerous trade agreements.
The third phase of the Canton Fair will take place from May 1st to May 5th, featuring exhibits on men's and women's wear, underwear, sportswear and casual wear, children's wear, clothing accessories, fur, leather, down and feather products, textile raw materials and fabrics, shoes, bags, carpets and tapestries, home textiles, office supplies, local specialties, food, pharmaceuticals and health care products, medical equipment, consumables and dressings, sports and tourism leisure products and more. This time, Taiwan Province has also prepared many special exhibits, especially in the fields of food, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products.
Lin Feng has sorted out and explored traditional Chinese medicine, and applied for patent protection for some precious prescriptions and pharmacological knowledge that are currently in use and will be used in the future. This has played a huge role in protecting traditional Chinese medicine. Historically, the government would have started this work at least 20 years later, and within 20 years, China would have lost countless ancestral treasures.
The Niu Huang Qing Xin Wan is a traditional Chinese patent medicine, but in order to produce the oral liquid and microcapsule improved formulations of Niu Huang Qing Xin Wan, we need to obtain the consent of Koreans, because they have applied for patents for these two products with the Chinese Patent Office; when we are chewing Wrigley's green arrow gum, Americans are secretly laughing. Currently, 8 patents for Jiangsu's local traditional Chinese medicinal herb Peppermint have fallen into the hands of Americans, mainly used in high-profit markets such as gum, and the American company Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company holds 4 patents alone.
And our country's patents are only mint, peppermint tea and other limited market space. A Japanese company has also applied for patents in the United States for Angelica sinensis and Rehmannia glutinosa, and explicitly stated that Rehmannia is an active ingredient. This means that if China's related traditional Chinese medicine exports to the United States, it may be detained or charged high patent fees on the grounds of infringing intellectual property rights. By the end of the 20th century, Japan and South Korea had become absolute winners in the international market for traditional Chinese medicine, accounting for 80% to 90% of the varieties, while China's preparations accounted for only 3% to 5%. Traditional Chinese medicine was originally a treasure of China's 5,000-year civilization, and among the world's four major traditional medicines, China's traditional Chinese medicine is the only one that has been continued, with thousands of years of history, a perfect systematic theory, and clear and reliable clinical efficacy. It goes without saying that our country should have a large number of independent intellectual property rights for traditional Chinese medicine.
But in the current international production and R&D stage of traditional Chinese medicine, it is subject to the constraints of Japan and South Korea. Now with Lin Feng's arrival, he quickly completed the collection and sorting of all kinds of prescriptions by combining his own data with the strong support of national machinery. At the same time, these protections not only include these precious prescriptions, but also some medicinal materials, medicines, medical classics and the overall protection of the entire traditional Chinese medicine culture.
Taiwan currently has 27 Chinese medicine hospitals, although the number is still less than that of Western medicine hospitals scattered throughout the island. However, all 27 are large-scale hospitals. To cultivate qualified Chinese medicine practitioners, hospitals and Chinese medicine colleges work together to adopt the ancient method of "sitting in a hall for diagnosis", where each doctor brings at least one intern.
This time, Taiwan's pharmaceutical industry has launched over 200 kinds of prescriptions and folk remedies that have been verified through practice. These prescriptions are processed and synthesized using modern technology, made into various forms such as ointments, plasters, tablets, soups, and powders, and then packaged beautifully. Although these Chinese medicine products and health supplements are not selling well in Europe and the US for now, they are still very popular within the Greater China cultural circle.
Countries like Singapore and Malaysia in Southeast Asia also import a significant amount of Chinese medicine, which has led to some medicinal materials blooming with joy. After all, only mainland China has suitable medicinal materials.
Apart from the pharmaceutical industry, Taiwan has also launched its own brands in the food sector. First, it was in the beverage sector that Jianlibao was introduced more than a decade ago. This drink, originally known as "Oriental Magic Water" in history, reappeared before the world after Lin Feng joined the Star Era and integrated some of its achievements. Lin Feng hopes it will continue its miraculous development in history. In addition, there is also the formula for Red Bull, which was acquired from a Thai businessman several years ago. At that time, Red Bull did not have various problems, and under Lin Feng's control, it will also become a healthy energy drink. Now, Red Bull and Jianlibao have become China's own national brands, and they are Taiwan's most popular beverages. Several foreign tourists on the scene opened a can of Jianlibao and took a sip, exclaiming "good, good" nonstop.
The 35th Guangzhou Trade Fair has set a record in both the number of participants and trade volume, with Taiwan Province being the biggest winner. As word spread among businessmen from various countries, China's Taiwan became known as a technologically advanced region, with all sorts of cutting-edge household products entering homes in Europe and America, especially energy-saving home appliances that were well-received by housewives.
"Made in China" became a synonym for high-tech and high-quality, and the following months saw Taiwan's foreign trade multiply several times. After the Canton Fair, economic and military cooperation between mainland China and Taiwan became even closer.
Firstly, on the same day that the Guangzhou Fair ended, more than 50 Taiwanese companies entered the mainland to invest and set up factories. At the same time, the first 50,000-ton dock in the mainland officially started construction.
Secondly, with equipment and technical support from Lin Feng, China's first strategic missile nuclear submarine was named "Changzheng No. 1" and formally joined the naval combat sequence. This type of submarine is built by Lin Feng based on the original 094-type submarine that entered service in the early 21st century, with some advanced electronic command systems and weapon attack systems added. The submarine was delivered to the navy nearly three months ahead of schedule compared to the original historical timeline, and its performance far surpasses that of the original submarine.
The submarine is 135m long, with a surface displacement of 9,000t and an underwater displacement of 11,500t. It has a single shaft, 7-bladed propeller, double hull, and a pressurized water nuclear reactor. The propulsion power is 45,000kw, with an underwater speed of over 35 knots, working depth greater than 700m, crew of 120 people, endurance of 100 days, noise level below 10 decibels (mainly due to the use of mature "raft reduction" technology, greatly reducing noise). It is equipped with 24 JL-2 missiles, third-stage solid rocket boosters, launch weight of 55t, carbon fiber composite hull, and a range of 11,000km. Six 300kt yield nuclear warheads with precision guidance, accuracy within 10m. With this "ultimate weapon", China's three-strong nuclear strike capability has been completed by the People's Liberation Army, with two already in place. When Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping heard the news, he said: "Lin Feng has made a great contribution to the country, we communists cannot forget each other."
On April 25, 1974, a group of discontented middle and lower-ranking officers in Portugal staged a coup, overthrowing the fascist dictatorship of Caetano. On May 15, Spinola became President of the provisional government, with Adelino da Palma Carlos as Prime Minister. After the successful coup, Portugal announced that it would implement a "decolonization policy", abandoning its colonies overseas and granting independence to Angola and Mozambique one after another. Later, Macau was recognized as not being a colony of Portugal but Chinese territory under Portuguese administration as a special area; Macau was declared a "city without fortifications"; it was no longer treated as a colony or so-called "province of Macau", but instead governed by a charter specially formulated to suit its unique situation.
Lin Feng immediately wired Beijing to suggest that the government negotiate with Portugal to recover Macau as soon as possible. Premier Zhou Enlai received Lin's suggestion and, after consideration, obtained Mao Zedong's agreement, and quickly expressed China's determination to recover Macau through a third party to the Portuguese government. Soon, the new Portuguese government responded on the Macau issue, agreeing to return Macau to China. Representatives of the two countries held talks in Beijing, reaching an agreement within a week: 1) Macau would be returned to China on January 1, 1976; after its return, Macau's basic system would remain unchanged for 50 years, and it would be managed by local Chinese people for the time being; 2) The security of Macau would be the responsibility of the People's Liberation Army; 3) Portuguese residents in Macau must abide by all laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, and the Chinese government guaranteed the personal and property safety of law-abiding Portuguese. Subsequently, China and Portugal formally established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.
China and Portugal peacefully resolved the Macau issue, with the British government being the most anxious. During the Sino-Portuguese negotiations, Britain had been exerting pressure on Portugal through various channels, but it was only because the new Portuguese government withstood the pressure that an agreement was finally reached with China. Now, the former colony of Macau has become China's Macau Special Administrative Region, and "Macau people governing Macau" has become the mainstream of Macau's social politics, with the Macau people overwhelmingly supporting the central government's decision. Today, Hong Kong people have found that the policies implemented by the mainland central government in Macau are also very suitable for Hong Kong, so various local media outlets in Hong Kong have expressed their opinions, hoping that Hong Kong will follow the path of Macau. The British government is indeed worried about the Hong Kong issue, and they also know that Hong Kong will eventually be returned to China. As China's strength grows stronger, Britain's trump cards are becoming fewer and fewer.
