Chapter 9: The Seven Major Iron Ore Regions of China

Since he is prepared to lead a revolution himself, in a certain sense, Yan Guang is already positioned in opposition to both the Beiyang government and the Tongmenghui—although neither of the latter is aware of the existence of such a figure as Yan Guang, and even if they were, they might not necessarily regard him as a rival

The year 1911 was not only the year of the Xinhai Revolution, but also the year when the Hanyeping Ironworks was subjected to the control of the Japanese.

After eliminating Shilu in Hainan, the options left for Yan Guang are reduced to just two: one is Panzhihua in Sichuan, and the other is Daye and Ma'anshan iron mines in Anhui

As for Ma'anshan, it is quite nice; however, it is unfortunately too close to Nanjing, practically within arm's reach. Although my understanding of modern history is not extensive, I do have some knowledge of the predicaments faced by the Nanjing government after its establishment. As long as there are those who take issue with this non-allied faction and incite discord, the ironworks in Ma'anshan would be rendered unnecessary.

The remaining three are Daye and Ma'anshan in Anhui, Panzhihua in Sichuan, and Shilu in Hainan

Is it so easy to borrow money from Japanese people

In this situation, Yan Guang's choices were limited to the Ma'anshan and Daye iron mines in Anhui, however

Since 2008, the Japanese have been transporting 60,000 to 70,000 tons of iron sand from the Daye Iron Mine each year. In such a situation, what use is it for Yan Guang to guard the Daye Iron Mine?

This year, Sheng Xuanhuai submitted a memorial to the Qing court, requesting the merger of the Hanyang Iron Works, the Daye Iron Mine, and the Pingxiang Coal Mine in Jiangxi into the Hanyeping Coal and Iron Company. At the same time, it was proposed to transition from the previous government-supervised, merchant-operated model to a fully merchant-operated one. This should be considered a positive development, as government-supervised, merchant-operated enterprises rarely yield significant results, especially during the late Qing period.

Suiyuan was also promptly excluded. Although Suiyuan boasts the Baiyun Obo mining area in Baotou, rich in iron ore and other minerals, it is too close to the influence of Beiyang. Moreover, even if the Mongolian brothers in Suiyuan do not mind their own situation, the population there is only one to two million, making it fundamentally unsuitable for development

Han Ye Ping ... '' Looking at Anhui Province, Yan Guang's smile was filled with bitterness

Unfortunately, during this period, the total population of Northeast China was less than 20 million. Even with the fertile black soil, it was of little use, especially when facing the threat from Yuan Shikai. The Russians also eyed this land covetously, while the Japanese had stationed an entire division of troops directly in Northeast China

"Benxi, Anshan, and Baiyun Obo, three of China's seven major iron ore regions have already been crossed off by me, leaving only four locations to choose from." Looking at the two areas he had already marked off on the map, Yan Guang habitually stroked his chin

As for directly reclaiming through force, Yan Guang believes that it is unnecessary for the Japanese to take action themselves. There will be plenty of people from the Beiyang faction and even the Tongmenghui who would want to seize this opportunity to eliminate their own rivals. Do not forget that you do not belong to either of these factions, and Anhui happens to be situated between these two powers

Unfortunately, the iron ore in Panzhihua happens to be high-titanium vanadium-titanium magnetite. In order to utilize the high-titanium vanadium-titanium magnetite from Panzhihua, our country did not figure out how to smelt it until the 1970s

As for directly landing on Hainan Island ... let's forget it and discuss the next place instead

During the period when the government supervised the commercial operations, the Han Ye Ping Company, managed by Sheng Xuanhuai, did borrow some funds from the Japanese, but the amount was relatively small, and there was still an official supervisor in place. Therefore, although the Japanese were displeased with him, they had no means to intervene. However, when it transitioned to a completely privately operated business, the Japanese saw their opportunity arise

Even if Sun Yat-sen and others intervene to stop it, can they control their subordinates

Then ...

As the largest steel mill in China, Hanyang Iron Works can produce nearly 70,000 tons of steel annually, accounting for over 90% of China's steel output at that time, while Japan's steel production during the same period was only about 140,000 tons. Do you think the Japanese could view this ironworks favorably

Sichuan is geographically well-positioned, with neighboring Yunnan being the territory of Cai E. Guizhou seems to have been occupied by Tang Jiyao, who was with him, around the year 1912. It is also adjacent to Gansu, Shaanxi, and Hubei. Sichuan is also very rich, renowned as the Land of Abundance. During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Sichuan had a population of over fifty million, with a wealth of various mineral resources, as well as the beloved giant panda

Unfortunately, the iron ore in Panzhihua cannot be utilized in this era, as it consists of vanadium-titanium magnetite. If it were a low-titanium type of vanadium-titanium magnetite, it could be smelted using conventional methods. However, if it is a high-titanium type of vanadium-titanium magnetite, then even any country of the same era would be unable to process it.

Of course, Yan Guang can also buy it back with money. The problem is that even if those rubber stocks can indeed earn Yan Guang five million dollars next year, that would only amount to a little over fifteen million silver dollars. Although it cannot be considered a drop in the bucket, it is still insufficient. Moreover, even if he were to invest all his money, the question remains: would the Japanese sell the shares to him?

Sigh... Yan Guang marked an X on the map of China he bought, crossing out the Northeast.

Although Yan Guang hails from 2012 and has produced over 100 inventions, earning the title of "King of Chinese Inventions," matters related to metallurgy in the twenty-first century are fundamentally unrelated to Yan Guang. The situation itself is quite complex, and Yan Guang does not believe that he can resolve issues that will only be addressed after more than sixty years within just a few years by relying solely on himself

Hainan was the first place to be marked off by Yan Guang. Although Hainan has a very pleasant climate and is highly suitable for tourism, during this era, the tourism industry could not make a country strong, especially since the concept of tourism did not yet exist. Moreover, Hainan currently belongs to Guangdong, which is the territory of the Tongmenghui. If one were to rashly initiate a rebellion in Guangdong without any foundation, it would certainly lead to being driven out, and the results of all efforts might end up benefiting others.

The annual steel production of Hanyang Iron Works accounts for over ninety percent of China's total steel output. Controlling Hanyeping is equivalent to controlling China's heavy industry. Under such circumstances, how could the Japanese, who have long harbored ambitions towards China, possibly act foolishly

Four are left, three remaining

By this time, the loans from the Japanese had simply transformed into investments

Nevertheless, Yan Guang still intended to find a suitable feng shui site for his development.

Next, Yan Guang crossed out Hebei. Although Hebei has the Qian'an mining area, unfortunately, like Suiyuan, it is too close to Beijing. Moreover, this place is fundamentally within the sphere of influence of Yuan Shikai from the Beiyang government. Unless Yan Guang intends to align himself with Yuan Shikai, it would be impossible for him to choose this location as his base.

Certainly, the Hanyang Iron Works is located in Wuhan. After the Wuchang Uprising, it became associated with Li Yuanhong and had no relation to Yan Guang. The issue is that Sheng Xuanhuai used the Daye Iron Mine as collateral for a loan, and the Japanese merchants included a condition in the loan contract with the Hanyeping Company and the Library Bureau. This condition stipulated that the loan would be secured by the assets of the factory and the iron sand, with a term of thirty years. Except for the iron sand used by the Hanyang Iron Works, it should be sold first to the Japanese. The price of the iron sand would be determined by both parties and would not be influenced by the international market, allowing the Yawata Iron Works to make advance purchases. The issue is that Sheng Xuanhuai used the Daye Iron Mine as collateral for a loan, and the Japanese merchants included a condition in the loan contract with the Hanyeping Company and the Library Bureau. This condition stipulated that the loan would be secured by the assets of the factory and the iron sand, with a term of thirty years. Except for the iron sand used by the Hanyang Iron Works, it should be sold first to the Japanese. The price of the iron sand would be determined by both parties and would not be influenced by the international market, allowing the Yawata Iron Works to make advance purchases.

Unfortunately, in 2009, Sheng Xuanhuai originally planned to raise 20 million silver dollars from commercial stocks, but he only managed to raise about 8 million. With no other options, he had to borrow money from the Japanese, but the problem was...

Where should I choose?

In fact, Yan Guang's favorite region is Northeast China, as it is the most suitable area in China for the development of heavy industry. It not only possesses a large quantity of iron ore and coal but also holds half of China's oil reserves. Most importantly, the black soil belt in Heilongjiang and Jilin is considered the most fertile land in China. With this black soil, even the cold Northeast region can sustain a large population

Starting from 1908, the Han-Yeping Iron Works borrowed a total of twelve loans, six of which were from the Japanese. By 1911, the company's total expenditure amounted to 32 million taels of silver, of which 10 million taels was the principal, while the remaining 22 million taels was entirely borrowed, with the Japanese accounting for the vast majority of this amount

Among the seven major iron ore regions in China, two are located in Northeast China (Benxi and Anshan). Nowadays, Northeast China has been excluded, leaving only five regions available for selection