Speaking of the Dutch West India Company, the relationship with the East Coast has also experienced ups and downs over the years.

In the early days of the East Coast, this Dutch colonial trading company played an extremely critical role. Their trade with the East Coast was extremely critical to the East Coast Republic's early difficult years. Of course, the company also made huge profits for itself, and the relationship between the two sides was a win-win situation.

Later, as the strength of the East Coast Republic grew, the Dutch West India Company's dependence on the East Coast became increasingly greater, and gradually changed from an equal cooperation relationship to a trade relationship with strong hosts and weak guests. Therefore, the East Coast trade object became more and more widespread, and its dependence on the Dutch West India Company was increasingly reduced. However, at that time, the company opened plantations in the wilderness of Brazil and the business of selling black slaves in West Africa was still very helpful to the East Coast.

In the past decade, perhaps because of the rapid political cooling of the United Provinces and the East Coast, the relationship between the West India Company and the East Coast has also experienced some twists and turns. Specifically, there have been no new investments for many years, and the number of Dutch merchants that were originally seen everywhere in Hue Port has also decreased greatly. Instead, the company's policy changes have been seen. After all, the shareholders of the West India Company, based on Zeeland Province, are not as energetic as the bigwigs behind the East India Company. When facing Prince Orange's cold gaze, they are not able to withstand the pressure.

Members of the Conelis family, who represents the boss behind the West India Company, arrived on the East Coast again today, which has been an icebreaking move that has not been seen in years, which may mean some change in attitude among the company's senior executives.

"...Chairman Ma, as I said just now, our company is willing to increase investment in your country's Brazilian region and expand more plantations." After drinking two cups of coffee, Hugo, the newcomer of the Conelis family, looked at Ma Wenqiang, chairman of the East Coast Executive Committee sitting on the sofa opposite, and said with a smile: "In recent years, our company's plantation investment in Hue area has been providing stable profits. The company's shareholders are very happy about this and have been asking for increased investment."

After hearing this, Ma Wenqiang laughed. The plantations developed by the West India Company in the area of ​​Hue Harbour have indeed provided them with a lot of sugar, tobacco and coffee for many years, which have indeed made them profitable. The problem is that these have been making stable profits for more than ten or twenty years. Have you never thought about additional investment? Yes, when the former Chairman Liao was on stage, he really disliked the opening of a large number of plantations in the local area, corroding the domestic atmosphere and forcing local companies to start transformation. But this is not the reason why your West India Company suddenly did not invest! Brazil is no longer possible, can't New China Island be invested? People in the East Coast are open to any businessmen who are willing to invest in the island. As a result, the Dutch are like they have never heard of them, watching the Italians make a fortune there, and they have robbed a lot of their markets in the Mediterranean.

Now that time has passed, the Dutch seem to have finally "awakened" and wanted to invest in the fertile land of the East Coast. If there is no change in this, I am afraid that none of the people here will believe it. In the 17th century, the overseas business environment was dangerous. If there was no political power to support it and rely solely on commercial power, it would only be eaten up. Commercial investment is definitely not just a business behavior in this era!

Ma Wenqiang is not a fool. After a little thought about the meaning, he will understand three points. After all, this matter is related to the current situation in Europe. To be more precise, it is related to the French's increasingly aggressive attitude!

Let’s talk about culture first. As the French Kingdom reached its supreme status in Europe, the Paris Parliament publicly declared King Louis XIV of France as the "Great Emperor", the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor both agreed to this and said nothing; many arts, including foreign painters, were working to paint Louis XIV as a god who descended to earth, and they were on the palace of Versailles, which shows that there are more and more "spiritual Frenchmen" in the continent; some theologians argued that Louis XIV's achievements proved the existence of God, which shows the degree of slandering of the flattery.

In other words, Europe now has a very strong strength touting France, and Louis XIV has also become "a great king, a recognized glory of our time, and a rare gift in later generations" by many influential figures. From north of the Pyrenees and the Alps, west of the Vistula River, the intellectual class in all continents has begun to speak French language, imitating the palace of Paris, imitating French art and everything!

In such a culturally crazi environment, how could it be impossible for the Union Province, which has always been very vigilant about the Kingdom of France, not to feel creepy?

Let's talk about religion. The most sensational thing in the continental religious circle recently is undoubtedly the naked and unconcealed hostility revealed by King Louis XIV of France! As we all know, there are currently about 1.5 million Huguenots, namely Protestants in France. From Richelieu to the era of Mazaran, all the highest powers in France have confirmed the validity of the Nantes decree issued in 1598, that is, to protect the religious freedom of Huguenots, as long as they are politically obeyed the central government.

In 1652, Louis XIV also confirmed the validity of the Nantes edict issued by his grandfather Henry IV, and in 1660 publicly praised the loyalty of the Huguenots during the rebellion of the Stones. His confidant Colbert also expressed his marvel at the contributions made by the Huguenots in industry, business and art.

Everything seems normal! Although the French church has never recognized the Nantes edict, under the majesty of the royal power, they cannot independently challenge this political correctness and can only pretend to be invisible.

However, the problem ultimately lies in the attitude of Louis XIV himself. Yes, after stabilizing the throne of power, Louis XIV began to no longer hide his tendency to religious beliefs. So, with his acquiescence, the French Catholic Church began to become active again: the 1660 Religious Council requested the king to close the colleges and hospitals of Huguenots and not allow them to join public office; the 1670 Religious Council suggested that children of Huguenots, age 7, should be separated from their parents in order to accept the correct belief; the 1675 Religious Council required that all intermarriages between Catholics and Huguenots be deemed invalid, and that children born from such marriages should be regarded as illegitimate children.

Some of the above suggestions were accepted by Louis, and some did not, but what he and his government did have actually been gradually abolishing the Nantes edict: In 1661, he first tried the waters and declared the Protestant worship in the city of Jex illegal, with the reason that the city was incorporated into France after the Nantes edict was promulgated, with 17,000 Protestants and 400 Protestants in the area; in 1665, boys over 14 years old and over 12 years old.

Aged girls were authorized to convert to Catholicism and leave their Huguenot parents, whose parents had to pay an annuity to support their lives; in 1666, Huguenots were forbidden to build any new colleges or educational institutions; in 1669, Huguenots were prohibited from immigrating, and those who assisted them in immigrating would also be sentenced; in 1677, Louis XIV personally donated funds to establish a repentance fund, and each converted Huguenot can be divided into 6 livres.

Therefore, although the French gave Dutch goods a very low tariff rate to appease, the Dutch did not buy it at all! When it comes to life and death of the country, this is not a matter of money! What's more, Louis XIV is too domineering, and various policies, including the measures in the Dutch occupied areas, also showed his extreme hostility to Protestants and Protestant countries. The Dutch pushed others and themselves, of course, afraid of being ruled by people like Louis XIV. What's more, they now vaguely heard that this man actually came together with Archbishop Cologne, the elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and formed an alliance. The expansion ambition really shocked everyone.

Therefore, the Dutch thought about it and learned from the pain, and felt that they had to find ways to unite the majority of people to curb the ambitions of the French. Because the East Coast Republic's increasingly powerful influence and unique geopolitical advantages over the years have controlled the Cape of Good Hope, they were also worried that this country would be swept by the French in the past and they did not doubt the possibility of the French forming an alliance with the pagan state. There was the Ottoman in front, and there was no East Coast Republic behind it. This was still a bit troublesome for the United Provinces. So, after a long time of struggle, they finally decided to send envoys to cross the ocean to the East Coast to contact the leadership on the East Coast to see if there was any possibility of cooperation.

Don’t blame the Dutch for being so cautious. It’s really that the relationship between the two countries has become too stiff in the past few years. Moreover, the East Coast people are still supporting the republican political forces in the United Provinces to make things difficult for Prince Orange. It’s already quite good that the Dutch can finally put their faces on and send people over. It is indeed a certain sincerity.

Of course, Ma Wenqiang also knew that the Dutch came from afar and was not for continuing to invest in Brazil. Their intentions were not to be drunk and they were most concerned about the attitude of the East Coast in the possible future continental war. It is naturally excellent to be able to win over, but if it cannot be done, then it is second to make the East Coast people neutral. This is the Dutch's wishful thinking. As the highest leader of the East Coast, Ma Wenqiang is clear about this.
Chapter completed!