Chapter 613: It's All About Interests

Gu Weijun did not believe that Churchill across the table held any advantage in these negotiations.

In the past, when he was in the United Kingdom, it had been very difficult for him to get a meeting with high-ranking officials from various British departments.

But from the moment Gu Weijun joined Nanko to the time he presented his credentials to the United Kingdom, it took no more than ten minutes for him to see Churchill.

Clearly, the British were more anxious about the situation in Southeast Asia than anyone else.

Gu Weijun's tone was calm, but every word rang out with force, striking at the heart of the matter: "Prime Minister Churchill, times have long since changed. Today, we speak not of imperial glory, but of practical realities and interests."

He continued: "Eighty-nine thousand British soldiers are still stranded in Nanyang, toiling day and night on railway construction sites, unable to return home."

"They are British soldiers, and their families are in the British homeland."

"Now, public opinion in London is seething. The entire nation yearns for its soldiers to come home. If the Prime Minister insists on stubbornly holding onto the colonies and refuses to negotiate, you would be disregarding the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and the will of the entire nation."

Gu Weijun looked up, meeting Churchill's eyes directly, and continued his layered analysis: "The situation on the Nanyang battlefield is already decided. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom suffered a disastrous defeat in its engagement with the Japanese Army, completely losing control of the seas in Southeast Asia. The ground forces have been utterly routed. You no longer have any power to control this land."

"This current stalemate only increases casualties and drains national strength. Nanko holds absolute initiative and is willing to release all prisoners of war as a gesture of goodwill in exchange for official recognition from the United Kingdom. This is not coercion; it is preserving the last shred of dignity for the British Empire."

Gu Weijun continued to pour fuel on the fire, "Your Excellency the Prime Minister, if my intelligence is not mistaken, the Japanese Army 33rd Division has already broken through our defensive line and is attacking Yingpar in the Indian region."

"In other words, the Japanese have already entered India. If Japan continues to take India, then the United Kingdom's interests in Southeast Asia will suffer a severe blow!"

Churchill's face grew increasingly dark. His fingers tapped incessantly on the tabletop, his heart full of struggle.

He knew well that every word Gu Weijun spoke was true. The United Kingdom was no longer capable of fighting. Public opinion had spiraled completely out of control, and senior military officials had repeatedly submitted petitions, begging the government to ransom the captured soldiers as soon as possible.

But abandoning vast colonies would undoubtedly sever the hegemonic foundation of the British Empire, causing its international reputation to plummet.

Especially India.

In comparison, Churchill could afford to lose Myanmar, and he could also afford to lose the Malay Peninsula.

But the loss of Singapore was something he found difficult to accept.

Now, the Japanese had even expanded their invasion into India.

Once India fell, it would affect the entire situation on the African battlefield. Because India was not only the hub for British troop and material resources in Asia, but also a crucial supply station for the United Kingdom in North Africa.

The main source of supplies for the British Army in North Africa was transported through India to the African front lines.

"Even so," Churchill retorted through gritted teeth, "Great Britain will never accept a humiliating transaction. We can relinquish some rights and interests, but we will never recognize Nanko's exclusive sovereignty over the entire region. We must retain legitimate rights to port trade and commercial navigation."

Gu Weijun had anticipated this. He conceded gracefully but held his ground: "Trade and navigation can be negotiated. Nanko is willing to open its ports, maintain normal civilian commercial exchanges, and not blockade trade routes. But on the issue of sovereignty, there is absolutely no room for discussion."

On the issue of sovereignty, Gu Weijun would not yield an inch of territory.

Times were still the same. The British had used their great ships and cannons to batter open the gates of the Qing Dynasty.

And Jiang Anguo, along with Nanko, were merely taking back these seized territories from the hands of the British.

To let the Chinese of this land—no, the Han people—once again become masters of their own home.

What, the Han people aren't in Southeast Asia?

Now, in Southeast Asia, the Han people call the shots!

"The full territorial sovereignty of Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, and Singapore must belong entirely to Nanko. The United Kingdom must completely renounce all colonial privileges, garrison rights, and territorial claims, and must no longer interfere in the region's internal affairs."

Concessions were absolutely impossible!

Gu Weijun once again played his trump card, completely shattering Churchill's hopes: "The Prime Minister should be clear that the window for negotiation is only this once. If the United Kingdom stubbornly refuses to recognize Nanko's sovereignty, we will detain all prisoners of war indefinitely."

"As time passes, the soldiers exhausted on the battlefield will ultimately be buried forever in Nanyang. By then, the resentment of tens of thousands of families and the fury of national public opinion will all fall upon the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Weigh the pros and cons; I trust the Prime Minister can make his own judgment."

Initially, Jiang Anguo had wanted to use the British prisoners to build the railway from Huadu to Yangon, but his subordinates kept reporting that the British were being unruly and resisting.

These words struck the vital point, completely shattering Churchill's last vestiges of resolve.

He was silent for a long time. The faint sounds of public protests rising and falling from the streets outside the window drifted into the room, like a final death knell.

The empty prestige of the empire was ultimately no match for the lives of tens of thousands of its citizens and the stability of the domestic political situation.

After weighing the options, Churchill let out a long sigh. The stubbornness in his eyes completely faded, replaced by helplessness and compromise.

Churchill had to ensure the safety of the homeland. As for the other colonies, he had to make concessions.

This was a very difficult decision to make!

"I agree to the terms of the negotiation," Churchill said, his voice low, filled with reluctance and desolation. "The British Empire formally relinquishes all territorial sovereignty and colonial rule over Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, and Singapore, and recognizes the complete and legitimate sovereignty of the South China Republic over the aforementioned regions."

After saying this, the cigar Churchill had set aside had long since burned out.

Just like the British Empire, which had long since passed its zenith.

A vast empire is not easy to sustain for long!

The deadlock was completely broken. Both sides quickly began to finalize the details of the agreement.

After several hours of meticulous consultation, the terms of the treaty were settled one by one: The United Kingdom permanently renounced all colonial rights, garrison rights, and territorial claims over the three Nanyang territories.

Nanko promised that after the agreement took effect, it would unconditionally release all eighty-nine thousand British prisoners of war in three batches, guarantee their personal safety throughout the process, provide ample food and medical supplies, and have Nanko ships escort all personnel back to India.

Both sides agreed to mutual trade, open civilian ports, maintain normal economic exchanges, and not interfere in each other's internal affairs.

That evening, inside the Prime Minister's Office on Tangning Street, both sides formally signed the document and affixed their official seals.

The treaty, written in black and white, completely ended a century of British colonial rule in Southeast Asia and also allowed the newly born South China Republic to formally receive official recognition from a world power, gaining a legitimate national territory and international identity.

Gu Weijun closed the treaty document, his expression calm but his gaze firm.

This was his first battle as Foreign Minister of Nan Hua. Using public opinion as his blade and negotiation as his spear, without expending a single soldier or a single bullet, he secured tens of thousands of miles of territory for Nanko.

This diplomatic victory confirmed Jiang Anguo's foresight in recruiting Gu Weijun and proclaimed to the world that the newly born Nanko already possessed the confidence and strength to stand on the international stage.

With public opinion campaigns leading the way and diplomatic maneuvering sealing the deal, the lands of Nanyang, once carved up by the great powers, were now completely incorporated into Nanko's territory.