Chapter 429 Such a Good Thing?: Witnessing the Announcement of Diplomatic Relations
Unfortunately, Wang Xiaoxin kept sending letters, his words more eloquent than anyone else's, rivaling the literary figures of all ages.
But going back to Moscow is impossible.
It's so beautiful; the land beneath her feet is so beautiful it's practically a miracle.
That wild vitality, along with the sunlight, flows, collides, and blossoms freely.
In August, the biting sea wind sweeps across the rugged reefs of the Cape of Good Hope, whipping up thousands of piles of white foam. The Atlantic and Indian Oceans are locked in a fierce battle here, the boundary between blue and green constantly being pulverized in the towering white foam, only to be reborn again in an instant. The wild power is like the giant axe of Pangu, splitting the sea and the sky time and time again.
In September, as spring awakens, the arid desert of Namaqualand is ignited overnight by a magic wand. Millions of daisies, lilies, and irises, like an overturned palette, glow with their own light, instantly spread across the sky, and vibrant life plays the grandest and brightest symphony on the barren land.
In October, under the warm sun, humpback whales in the Gulf of Hermanus burst forth from the water like moving mountains, their spray creating rainbows in the sunlight. As their massive bodies leap from the sea, creating a deafening spray, their primal power and profound whale songs send shivers down one's spine.
In November, the rainy season arrives as scheduled. Table Mountain is shrouded in mist, and silver waterfalls cascade down three thousand feet from the ochre-red rock walls, nourishing ancient trees and exotic flowers and plants. The rising mist is like a fairyland, and every step you take is on the thumping heartbeat of this ancient earth.
Which month do you think can be missed?
Delicious food, beautiful women, and beautiful scenery are things we should not miss.
By day, she saw the vineyards of the wine country, the vines stretching their new green leaves under the sunlight, the neat rows extending to the azure bay, the air filled with the fresh scent of new leaves and the fragrance of earth. Nature is so generous in its gifts, and humankind is so hardworking; humanity and nature, together, have created each other's beauty.
In the darkness, she gazed up at the unobstructed, dazzling Milky Way across the Karoo Wasteland, a river of South African diamonds flowing across the sky. The Southern Cross was clearly visible, and the vastness and tranquility of the universe enveloped her completely.
In that instant, she thought of Su Shi's "Ode to the Red Cliff": "We are but mayflies in the vastness of heaven and earth, a mere grain of millet in the boundless ocean."
Human beings are but a speck of dust in this boundless magnificence.
Being able to witness such splendor and beauty is enough to fill one with gratitude.
This miraculous land, this unrestrained vitality and sunshine, captivated her and made her linger.
Every time she met Deputy Mayor Dlamini or other South African government officials, she couldn't help but sigh, "You should improve public security and vigorously develop tourism, agriculture, and light industry; otherwise, it's a waste of resources."
Who says South Africa's peak tourist season is only from November to January?
From June to August, its winters are not cold, making it an ideal summer retreat for people from the Northern Hemisphere in today's climate of global warming.
Moreover, it is never short of beautiful scenery during the remaining three seasons of spring, summer and autumn.
If it weren't for the terrible security situation, Wang Xiao would have liked to come here for tourism every year.
Counselor Petrov was a rather astute person.
Because Wang Xiao came to South Africa, he reviewed a lot of information about China, and now he has a question in his mind: "Then why hasn't China vigorously rectified public security? What I mean is, given the Chinese government's control over the country, it shouldn't just rely on a crackdown to clean up social order for a period of time. It could have done much better."
Anyone who has lived through the socialist era knows just how powerful a government can be. They don't need to appease every voter, so they will simply follow the path they believe is right.
It is obvious that this powerful socialist government has not put enough effort into maintaining order, which is completely disproportionate to its capabilities.
“Because the government can’t do that,” Wang Xiao explained. “China’s reform and opening up, like Russia’s, is mainly about liberating thought and transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy.”
"However, in this process, due to the inherent lag of the law, the development of the legal system is far behind social and economic development."
"If the current legal provisions are strictly enforced, many economic activities will be forced to stop. They are reasonable, but they are illegal."
"For the sake of economic development, the enforcement of regulations can only be lenient."
Petrov knew this situation also existed in Russia. Because the collapse of the Soviet Union was so sudden, Russian law was probably even more chaotic than that of China.
He tried to categorize them: "Perhaps we can consider breaking down different problems into smaller, more manageable parts, and loosening them where appropriate."
Wang Xiao shook his head with a smile: "That's unrealistic. For grassroots law enforcement officers, the most terrifying thing is that this is okay and that is okay. Without unified and rigid standards, they will only fall into chaos. It's like during the Great Leap Forward in China. The standards that were initially set sounded good, called 'more, faster, better, and cheaper.' But 'more' and 'faster' have quantifiable indicators, and everyone knows how to implement them. But how do you calculate 'better' and 'cheaper'? If you don't know how to calculate them, then just pretend they don't exist."
She sighed, "Moreover, if the standards are not uniform and the implementation is too flexible, the space for rent-seeking will only be greater."
In this era, without social media, the influence of online platforms is negligible, and ordinary people have almost no way to use the power of public opinion to fight against injustice in law enforcement.
Counselor Petrov sighed, "It's really not easy to establish the rule of law."
"So the most important thing for South Africa right now is stability," Wang Xiao said with deep emotion. "No matter what, the previous white government laid the foundation for the legal system. South Africa has a sound legal system, and as long as it is used well, once public security is stable, the development of the tourism industry will definitely not be a problem."
My goodness, it's a country built entirely of gold and diamonds, it's perfect for tourism.
Petrov laughed: "This is troublesome. If the unemployment problem isn't solved, its security won't improve."
This is a chicken-and-egg problem.
The development of the tourism industry can rapidly boost people's livelihoods and the economy, create countless jobs, solve unemployment problems, and effectively improve public security.
This order is reversed: solving unemployment – improving public safety – attracting tourists – creating numerous jobs.
Wang Xiao nodded: "That depends on what the South African government chooses. If they want to get things done, now is their best opportunity."
President Mandela won the election and won the hearts of the South African people.
Government policies at this time are most likely to gain public support, and even if they do not achieve good results immediately, people are patient enough to wait.
However, if no action is taken, South Africans, who are eager to improve their living conditions, will eventually lose patience.
Petrov suddenly interjected, "The situation in Russia is the same, isn't it?"
Wang Xiao smiled and replied vaguely, "They're all the same."
In fact, the situation in Russia is certainly worse than in South Africa.
The president has already served one term, which has caused widespread discontent among the people.
His popularity is only temporarily high because of the election.
Traffic generated purely through marketing is the most superficial, lacking any substantial content to back it up. If no decent results are subsequently achieved, its approval rating will plummet like a receding tide.
Therefore, Ivan must be having a very difficult time in Moscow right now. The White House is in charge of the specifics of the economic reforms, and this deputy prime minister has no choice but to participate in them, even if it's difficult.
Thinking about it, I really feel sorry for him and want to shed a tear.
So Wang Xiao took pity on him and flew straight back to Moscow?
How could that be? Better to die for your fellow Daoist than for me!
With others bearing the burden, why can't she enjoy a peaceful life?
The land beneath her feet, with its primal, untamed vitality, flows freely under the blazing sun, in the dry or humid winds, in every swaying blade of grass, every galloping antelope, and in every blooming protea.
Every pore on her body opened, greedily absorbing the energy flowing from the wind, the sea, and the sunlight—the energy of primal, vibrant life force.
Of course, she couldn't stay in South Africa eating, drinking, and having fun all the time.
In her spare time, she still visited South Africa's customs allies and other African countries within South Africa's reach to conduct market research.
During her visit to Zambia, she also ran into an acquaintance, Wu Haoyu, who works at the embassy there.
In that instant, bodyguards Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao became like cats with their fur standing on end, every hair on their bodies sounding an alarm.
Oh no, oh no, the boss is having too much fun now, he might just rekindle his old flame with someone else.
Just look at Wu Haoyu's ambiguous eyes. His belt is definitely loose. If the boss gives even the slightest hint, it'll be a sure thing.
Poor Mr. Ivanov is still suffering in Moscow, arguing with people every day.
She has such beautiful scenery and a life of debauchery; it's just too much of a rip-off.
Besides, there's a Russian embassy here, and embassy staff have been with us the whole time.
Even if these bodyguards and assistants tacitly agreed to keep quiet and pretend nothing happened, the people at the Russian embassy are also very perceptive.
Seeing the two of them with teeth growing on the soles of their feet and buttocks, and looking so restless, Lyuba couldn't take it anymore and had to speak up: "Okay, it won't happen."
Xiao Gao instinctively retorted, "That's not necessarily true."
The environment in Africa makes it easy for people to let their true nature shine through. Besides, what's wrong with Wu Zetian and Catherine the Great having a few more lovers?
Lyuba genuinely felt that the two brains working at the same time were not functioning properly.
She looked at the lush greenery on the land, as vibrant as the flowing time depicted in Dali's paintings, and sighed softly: "Anyone could be, but he is absolutely impossible."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao really couldn't believe that their boss's integrity was so high that he wouldn't turn back to eat the grass he had already grazed.
Given the boss's personality, if the grass is delicious, she wouldn't mind eating a few more bites later.
"Have you forgotten? Who is his mother?" Lyuba couldn't take it anymore. "That would be slapping his mother in the face."
Miss Wang has already broken off all ties with Wu Haoyu.
If their relationship progresses further and they become a real couple, then Wu Haoyu's mother, Secretary Fang, would certainly welcome it.
But if the meeting is just a casual one, Secretary Fang will inevitably feel that his son has been reduced to a plaything.
This was an insult, an insult to her, an insult that no person in a high position and with a strong personality could tolerate.
Miss Wang is just bored and has nothing better to do than plant this time bomb for herself?
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao then realized that this was indeed the case.
Those who are easily provoked are usually not likely to cause trouble; those with high potential risks should just stay somewhere cool and stay put.
As expected, the boss simply had a meal with Wu Haoyu, inquired about the situation in Zambia, and then politely waved goodbye.
Xiao Gao also asked with concern, "Boss, are you planning to do business in Zambia later?"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "There's no need for now. Let's focus on establishing ourselves in South Africa first."
Why, you ask?
Firstly, South Africa is wealthy, with an average annual income of $4,000 per capita, providing considerable purchasing power. Secondly, South Africa has well-developed infrastructure, making things relatively convenient. Thirdly, and most importantly, South Africa has a comprehensive legal system, ensuring that no matter the situation, there are laws to follow.
Of all three of these points, only South Africa can achieve them across the entire African continent.
Back to Johannesburg—oh, it's not the capital of South Africa. The administrative capital of South Africa is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein.
Johannesburg is South Africa’s most densely populated and economically developed city, and it is only a 40-minute drive from Pretoria.
Johannesburg in late November is a time of stunning scenery, with summer in full swing and the peak tourist season in South Africa upon us.
Wang Xiao was standing in front of the wall of heads—a new sight in Johannesburg. To describe it this way is actually quite cruel, because the wall depicts people who have recently been killed in Johannesburg.
Since Mandela won the presidential election in 1994, political violence in South Africa has decreased significantly, but at the same time, economic crimes have taken their place and are on the rise.
This trend is also evident on the wall of heads, which depicts the heads of the dead, including Black, Indian, and White people, but Black people make up the majority.
In a sense, violent crime is essentially a bloodbath among the lower classes. For example, slums are always a haven for violent crime.
She silently stared at the photos of people who had passed away, when her phone rang.
Xiao Gao answered the phone and then respectfully handed it to his boss—well, his boss was more rational than most male bosses, at least he didn't let the small head control the big head, and he respected his boss more.
"It's Manager Zhang."
Wang Xiao answered the phone. Manager Zhang's voice sounded both excited and nervous: "Boss, I heard that President Mandela is going to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing. Is it true or false? I heard that he's going to hold a press conference in Johannesburg today. Do you have any news here?"
He heard the news from Lao Huang.
In early September, Manager Huang resolved the issue of his confiscated beans through the newspaper—he eventually sold them to farmers in South Africa at an 85% discount. Although he didn't earn a single rand and even lost money, a small loss is a big gain, and it's better than losing everything.
After that, he finally understood the power of the media and started cultivating relationships with them.
The news that President Mandela was preparing to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing was leaked to him by a journalist he knew well.
His mind went blank. He suspected the person was joking, but he didn't want to keep asking for confirmation, fearing he might offend someone.
So Lao Huang sought advice from Manager Zhang, who, with his extensive network, should know more than he did.
Unexpectedly, Manager Zhang was even more useless than him, having never even heard of this matter.
Old Zhang is a man who cares about his reputation, and besides, this is a matter of national importance, so he didn't hesitate to make a phone call to Deputy Mayor Delamini.
Unfortunately, the deputy mayor of Cape Town was unaware of this matter, only saying that he could help inquire about it.
However, Manager Zhang didn't have the patience to wait and immediately made another call to his boss.
The boss is in Johannesburg and has connections with the Russian embassy, so he should be well-informed.
Completely clueless, Wang Xiao was suddenly confronted with these questions.
But how could she know the answer? Nobody told her.
She turned to ask the Russian embassy military attaché who was accompanying her—Counselor Petrov had other work to do and couldn't stay with her all the time.
After all, she didn't stay in South Africa for three days or three weeks, but for more than three months.
The military attaché was also bewildered, but he had his own channels. After making a few phone calls, he received confirmation: indeed, a press conference would be held at 4 p.m.
Fearing that Wang Xiao wouldn't believe him, he offered, "We can go to the presidential residence and ask."
Everyone present could no longer stand still; they quickly got into the car and headed towards President Mandela's official residence.
Although as a time traveler, Wang Xiao already knew that South Africa would eventually establish diplomatic relations with China, she couldn't help but be excited about it in this era.
Especially since she is currently in South Africa and plans to establish a business there, the presence or absence of official and stable diplomatic relations between the two countries will have a significant impact on her business.
The car stopped, and the Russian military attaché went to greet an acquaintance at the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The latter looked in the direction of Wang Xiao and his group and nodded.
Then Wang Xiao stepped forward and shook hands with the man, Mr. Vannecock, who was in charge of China affairs at the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs, smiled meaningfully and said, "Madam, this is good news, good news for all of us."
The reason he emphasized this is because President Mandela had previously tried to achieve "double recognition," meaning he wanted to avoid offending either side of the Taiwan Strait.
After all, Taiwan's money diplomacy involved sending real money to South Africa, and South Africa also had a large number of Taiwanese companies. Back when South Africa was sanctioned by the world's major countries, it sought to attract foreign investment by recruiting businesses in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and even classified Chinese people as honorary whites.
It sounds really Nazi, especially like the honorary Aryans during World War II.
When it came to President Mandela, in 1993, he went to Beijing and received a head-of-state reception even before he was elected; but then he also went to Taiwan.
It's perfectly normal for him to want to offend neither side while reaping benefits from both. For politicians, so-called morality and sentiment are worthless in the face of self-interest.
International politics is all about interests.
Taiwan may accept the dual recognition, but Beijing will never allow it.
On September 5th of this year, the People's Daily published a signed commentary entitled "The 'Double Recognition' Path is Not a Way Out," making its stance clear and telling the South African government: there are only two options, and nothing else is acceptable.
Now, President Mandela has made up his mind to publicly announce the establishment of diplomatic relations with China through a press conference, which shows that he is determined not to give anyone, including himself, a chance to back out.
Wang Xiao immediately asked, "I want to go to the press conference, what should I do?"
She couldn't wait until diplomatic relations between the two sides stabilized before starting to build her business empire in South Africa. She had to capitalize on information asymmetry and use her own eyes and ears to determine the best time to act.
Mr. Vannecock said he couldn't help, as the press conference was for journalists, and he couldn't force Wang Xiao to become a journalist and squeeze him in.
This is a press conference personally convened by President Mandela, the highest-level press conference in South Africa, and security measures must be at the highest level in all aspects.
But he doesn't stop others from using their own unique methods or approaches, as long as the final result complies with the regulations.
Without hesitation, Wang Xiao placed his hopes on the Russian embassy.
Counselor Petrov was indeed very helpful; he went out of his way to connect her with someone, turning her into a special correspondent for TASS during lunch.
Wang Xiao wiped his mouth and followed them to President Mandela's official residence in Johannesburg.
Perhaps it was because of the poor security situation in South Africa, or perhaps it was because journalists themselves come from a very diverse background, but in any case, Wang Xiao experienced the most stringent security check process of her two lives, which was much more complex than the security check she had undergone at the Kremlin.
But it didn't matter; the atmosphere around her was so captivating that she couldn't be bothered by it.
After going through the usual security check procedures, she was allowed into the garden along with Tassett's representative in South Africa and other journalists.
That's right, it's the garden. The press conference was held in the garden.
Under the lush green shade of trees, on a verdant lawn, five sofas were placed together, which served as the venue for the press conference.
While the reporters were busy scrambling for the best camera angles, Wang Xiao was busy observing her surroundings.
She saw the reporter wearing a Xinhua News Agency badge, but didn't go up to greet him—there was no need; everyone should just do their own thing.
Wang Xiao observed the garden closely and came to only one conclusion—this South African president was quite relaxed; he wouldn't just sit cross-legged on the sofa and announce the news with a grin, would he?
As it turned out, Wang Xiao was overthinking it. At 4:20 p.m., President Mandela, accompanied by the South African Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister, arrived at the press conference venue. He did not take off his shoes and sit on the sofa, but instead sat with his legs crossed to show his leisurely demeanor.
He even joked with the reporters, "Why are you all so nervous today?"
It has to be said, Black people really look like they age gracefully.
He was 78 years old, with gray hair, but he didn't look old and frail at all, but rather energetic, despite wearing a dark floral shirt.
Only when he picked up his glasses to read the documents did everyone realize that he was indeed an elderly man.
Most people his age would have retired long ago.
He is still fighting in South African politics, trying his best to steer the country and prevent this giant ship from capsizing under the impact of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
History has proven that he succeeded. At least South Africa, under his rule, did not descend into war. This is remarkable in itself for an African nation.
President Mandela read a statement in which he announced on behalf of the South African government that South Africa would establish diplomatic relations with China within the next 12 months.
The press conference erupted in chaos. Although the reporters had come prepared, none of them expected the president to be so resolute.
They thought he would at least try to evade the issue and say something ambiguous, leaving himself room to maneuver later.
Moreover, he had stated on several occasions before that South Africa would not abandon its relationship with Taiwan.
Reporters pressed for answers, but President Mandela remained firm. He even posed for a photo with Xinhua reporters, expressing his resolute stance in full view of the public.
TASS reporters muttered to themselves, "This is going to cause an uproar."
Then, with great interest, he asked her, "Would you like to take a picture together?"
Since we're already here, we have to take a picture.
After taking the photos, Wang Xiao left President Mandela's official residence.
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao were quite envious. President Mandela was an idol of this era, with countless fans all over the world, almost to the point of being a totem.
Wang Xiao was amused by their comments and reminded them, "Stop watching this spectacle and see how people react."
If the reporters at the press conference reacted so strongly, what must it be like from Taiwan? It must be the sound of frying fish.
Wang Xiao had no idea how the lights in Taiwan's "embassy" remained on.
However, on December 3, Taiwan's "foreign minister" rushed to South Africa to meet with President Mandela, trying to persuade him to retract his decision.
Looking at the photo of the "Foreign Minister" in the newspaper, Wang Xiao felt a pang of sadness.
Because before she traveled through time, this Mr. Zhang later changed his surname back to Jiang and then returned to his ancestral home in Guilin.
The changing times are so dramatic that they make you look up at the sky and only say: "What a fine autumn day!"
However, December in South Africa is the height of summer, with the sun blazing and the heat reaching its peak.
The emotions of Taiwanese businesspeople in South Africa also reached a fever pitch.
When politics fails to solve a problem, they decide to exert pressure through economic means. After all, ideologies are meaningless; only business matters.
At Johannesburg's most famous Chinese restaurant, Wang Xiao and his group were busy eating when a sound of slamming tables came from the next private room: "These black guys are going too far! Their words are like farts! No way, we have to show them what's what. All the whites have run away, how many decent companies are left in South Africa? We'll withdraw our investment, we'll leave, let's see how South Africa plans to develop its economy without Taiwan! When there's no food to eat, they might be begging us to come back!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Other voices echoed in agreement.
Xiao He and Xiao Zhao's expressions changed instantly. If that were the case, would the South African government change its mind?
That's very possible.
South Africa's current investment attraction policies are surprisingly favorable, with huge concessions. Isn't this because of the economic downturn, and the country has to find ways to retain capital?
They instinctively looked at their boss. What should they do? This was a matter of national importance.
What was the expression on the boss's face that they saw?
Why does it sound like someone overjoyed and ecstatic?
No, no, no, they must have seen it wrong.
The boss is fundamentally patriotic.
But they should firmly believe in their excellent 5.0 vision in both eyes; Wang Xiao's reaction was indeed that he couldn't help but laugh.
Grandma, she finally felt the aura that transmigrators possessed, that she had actually encountered such a good thing.
Before she transmigrated, after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, a large number of Western companies, including those from Japan and South Korea, withdrew from the Russian market. As a result, Chinese companies entered the Russian market without any competitive pressure and occupied half of the market.
Back then, there was a joke circulating online: "I don't know what happened, they just cut their own major arteries out of nowhere."
Taiwanese businesses are now withdrawing, which is exactly the same thing they're doing.
She didn't even need to do any preliminary research. She could take over their factory, equipment, and even existing market channels. This was ten times easier than building her empire from scratch in South Africa!
Hahaha! I knew she was right to stay in South Africa. If she had returned to the cold, dark Moscow much earlier, she wouldn't have had the chance to snag such a bargain.
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The details of President Mandela's announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations at his official residence in Johannesburg are based on news reports and articles by Wen Xian, a Xinhua News Agency reporter stationed in South Africa at the time.
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