Chapter 1673 Iron and Steel Complex
In Alaska, Japan obeys China's instructions. What Japan has is nothing in the face of China's miracle. Perhaps it cannot be used in Japan. However, Alaska is a brand new place. If it is built here, it can rely on new experience.
Japan has heard before that the Chinese are the world's best in terms of labor capacity. In terms of production efficiency and labor use, in Alaska, everything is guided by China, and almost relying on China to build a basic industry. If you look closely, it is actually better than Japan's construction. Not only is it more reasonable, but it is also more efficient.
The experience of building a city and a system that China has formed in the past eight years is undoubtedly revealed here. Some experiences that can only be understood but not expressed in words have been used in Alaska. China has reserved and relaxed it. After all, for China, as long as Japan enters the Americas and immigrates a certain amount, the contradiction between Japan and the United States will be irreconcilable.
Americans can ignore Canada. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth. During World War I, Britain was the most powerful country in the world and had to give face. In this way, the United States also restricted Canada's development in all aspects. Canada has developed to this point, even Australia is not as good as Australia. This is why the natural conditions are only a small part. The key is that the United States does not want a superpower to appear next to it.
Japan is different. Japan is originally a great power. Its status in the world is above Canada. Once Japan gains a firm foothold in the Americas, the United States will have an eternal enemy, just like France, Russia and Germany in Europe. The geographical relationship makes them fight each other endlessly. Instead, Britain, which is lonely overseas, has taken advantage of their conflicts and has always weakened them.
If Japan is too weak and is driven into the sea by the United States at once, it is inconsistent with China's interests. If so much energy is spent, it is not to send Japan to the end. To a certain extent, if Japan can beat the United States or even destroy the United States, it will be in line with China's wishes. After all, what China lacks the most is time. Even if Japan destroys the United States, it will take at least more than ten years to digest and absorb the Americas. This period of time is China's best development opportunity. Under the same state, China, which has reservations for Japan, will definitely develop faster than Japan.
China's support has given Japan a huge impetus. Since infrastructure construction, especially cement, bricks and stones, it can be built on its own, the construction speed has increased rapidly. After all, no matter how cheap the things are, if they are completely shipped by sea, they will really occupy a large amount of transportation capacity and cost a lot. They are necessary in the early stages, but in the long run, they will need to produce them on their own.
When Japan came to Alaska, it also brought great changes to Alaska. From the time when Japan landed in Japan last year, Alaska was still a barren land with sparsely populated areas and only a few precious metals developed. Although it is rich, it lacks popularity.
But now, there are signs of modernization, and various minerals have been explored and reclaimed by many Japanese. In addition to the basic construction industry, Alaska has basic production capacity. Especially now, the second batch of steel projects have been successfully put into production. China has prepared a 6.5 million tons steel consortium for Alaska. However, after the construction of this steel consortium, its output has exceeded several times the original Japan's steel output. Once this is completed, Japan will become the fifth largest steel-producing power in the world after China, the United States, Germany and Britain. In an era when steel represents the potential and strength of war, this data indicator fascinates the Japanese emperor and government leaders.
Japan has been developing for decades since the Meiji Restoration, but after all, it was a backward country. At first, it only relied on labor and light industry to earn meager income. It was only with the support of the United Kingdom that it could exist in the world and have the ability to produce warships and basic weapons.
On the eve of World War I, Japan's steel production was more than 1 million tons, which was much stronger than the old China. After all, there was only one Hanyang Iron Factory in the old China, with an annual output of 80,000 tons of iron and 40,000 tons of steel. It has stopped much better because of its loss. At this point, Japan's pursuit of heavy industry has been improving. Unfortunately, heavy industry cannot take effect overnight. It must be long-term investment and requires a lot of technology.
But times are changing. China already has the foundation for large-scale production of steel. After understanding some of the things from Williams Laboratory, China's steel consortium gradually developed to a larger and stronger level, 5 million tons, 10 million tons, and even climbed to 100 million on the eve of World War I. China has become accustomed to large steel bases of more than 5 million tons. What it takes out casually is 6.5 million tons, but Japan has never thought about it.
This means that it was a great leap forward for Japan at once. After knowing China's intentions, they fully supported this matter, asking for money and people. Alaska's iron ore is not as famous as zinc, lead, gold, silver, and coal. However, an iron ore with a total reserve of 800 million tons is still OK. This is enough to support consumption for at least decades. There are many other world-class resources, but at the moment of war, steel is still the most important, which represents Japan's basic foundation for laying.
Such generous support for Japan does not mean that China is not short of money, but is very good to Japan. In fact, China's intentions have always been there. On the one hand, if Japan wants to persist in the Americas, the necessary steel is a must. Steel is the foundation of everything. Without steel, there will be no weapons, no cannons, bullets, and no shells. China cannot always support Japan like this. Japan's harvest from Alaska will always be spent on the day. Without a basic production capacity and industry, it is impossible for it to confront the United States.
On the other hand, China has also begun to reduce production capacity. Australia's occupation, especially the O'O, where large iron ore was discovered. To a certain extent, it gradually replaced China's iron ore. China's iron ore is wide and thin. To a certain extent, the same steel consumption will transport Australian iron ore to produce, which is cheaper than mining itself. In this case, the steel plant gradually moves to the coastal and along the river, where transportation is convenient, and can be transferred to the places where sea ships can be docked. Baiyun Obo Steel Group, this carries the entire Chinese steel
The foundation of the iron industry, which has nurtured the entire China's huge steel industry group, has also begun to fall behind and the costs remain high. This is about to be eliminated in China at present. In addition, Baiyun Obo is too close to Baotou. After adjustment, except for a small number of rare earths that are still developing, the remaining steel mills have begun to shrink, gradually reducing from the annual output of more than 130 million tons in the extreme era to between 2 million and 3 million, and the scale has been reduced to the extreme, so that they can find a balance between comprehensive utilization and cost.
This time, Baiyun Obo Steel Group was the main force. The first phase of the project was demolished with a production capacity of about 300,000 tons, and the flat road with a capacity of more than 300 tons had been perfectly protected. The first phase of the project, a steel project of 300,000 tons, was completed in the December issue of 1916, before Christmas. The steel they produced was mainly ordinary rebar and carbon steel, and the quality could only be used for civil use. These were enough to make Alaska no longer need more steel for construction to a certain extent.
After the first phase of the project was established, the next speed was significantly accelerated. On January 12, 1917, the second phase of the project, the 960,000-ton steel project was also completed and put into production, which was only 20 days later than before. However, the scale was 4 times faster than before. The more than 1 million tons of steel suddenly made Japan feel dazzled. They heard that the total amount was 6.5 million tons, but the project was not implemented, and they were always nervous. But now, it really had a production capacity of one million tons. Looking at the burning steel furnace and the steel that kept coming out, the Japanese really believed it.
China is really different. China supports Japan casually, which is such a huge steel industrial base. What about China's own? Only then did Japan realize that the gap between itself and China is not just about military thought and weapons and equipment, but is in all aspects. When steel is regarded as the industrial strength of a country, when Japan uses steel for military purposes and keeps swaying between the navy and the army, China already has enough steel. If you want to lean towards that aspect, just lean towards that aspect.
How many years has it taken Japan to form the steel industry in just a few months, in another period in the distant Pacific Ocean, which made Japan very excited. After knowing the history of China's Baiyun Obo, it even regarded this Alaska Steel Group as the hope for Japan's future rise, hoping that this will become the seed of Japan's steel industry and grow branches and leaves.
In addition to the increase in the total amount of steel, the most important thing is that among the 960,000 tons, 100,000 tons are steel projects. This is a steel that can make cannons and guns. Japan has almost never owned such high-end steel. In the past, Japan's cannons were either imported or imported cannon steel for processing. Japan once tried every means to obtain these technologies, but both Britain, the United States, Germany and Italy were all self-refined. They studied themselves but did not have the strength to do so, and they have been troubled. Unexpectedly, it has been completely solved. China has given equipment for a fee and trained them to produce advanced steel. With these, Japan's strength in steel and heavy industry has taken a big step forward. (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!