Chapter 2292: Chapter 1456: The Rabbit Gone, the Dog Is Cooked; the Birds Gone, the Bow Is Put Away

The meeting lasted for more than two and a half hours.

It extended a bit beyond the scheduled two hours.

The foreign guests from both countries left, while Jiang Chen was asked to stay behind.

"The trilateral free trade agreement is a cooperation that was envisioned decades ago. At that time, Jiang, you probably weren’t even born yet."

An elderly man named Miao Yu had a look of reminiscence, "Back then, the international situation wasn’t as complicated as it is now, but we were too poor. Others didn’t want to interact with us, and later, to suppress our development, they imposed blockades on us, which led to this plan being shelved indefinitely."

Jiang Chen sensibly refrained from interrupting and listened quietly to the other’s narration.

"Fortunately, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. No matter how others targeted us, through the united and extraordinary efforts of our entire nation, decades have passed, and we have transformed from a poor agricultural country into the focus of the world, creating yet another miracle in world history, and returning to the center of the world stage. This is the pride of all Shen Zhou people."

The other’s voice wasn’t intentionally loud, yet it carried a certain weight and was very compelling, perhaps due to their experience in leading diplomatic work.

After a brief pause, he continued, "But the world is ever-changing. Resting on past laurels will only lead to our downfall. History has already given us painfully clear lessons on this."

He sighed.

"We are now in an era of unprecedented change in a hundred years. The international situation is unpredictable, with unrest across various regions. This is not what we wish to see, but in the torrent of the times, we cannot escape. We have no choice but to be prepared and face it resolutely."

"History has demonstrated countless times that the worst of times can also be the best of times. As the saying goes in commerce, ’Fortune seeks danger, and danger can lose fortune,’ risks and opportunities often coexist; it’s just a matter of how to grasp them."

Having said that, the elderly Miao finally turned to Jiang Chen, who had remained silent throughout, "Jiang, do you think I’m right?"

"Minister Miao’s words are pearls of wisdom and thought-provoking."

Jiang Chen’s quick response without hesitation elicited hearty laughter from the other.

"Don’t laugh at the white-haired wearing flowers; time never defeats beauty."

This poem could also aptly describe a man.

The Minister Miao in his youth was undoubtedly a super handsome man, and at his age, he still laughed heartily, his features exuding a gentlemanly elegance. Even the wrinkles on his face radiated a gentle grace.

"You rascal."

He pointed at Jiang Chen with an unfading smile, a gesture of intimacy, "Turns out you’re also skilled in flattery. I heard you were once unyielding to power. So, have you gone bad now?"

For him and Jiang Chen, today was indeed their first meeting, just like others who have sat in that position recently.

"That might be a rumor, Minister Miao,"

Jiang Chen jokingly replied, making the other’s smile even more radiant.

"Japanese and Korea are our neighbors. No matter how chaotic the world becomes, as long as we manage the neighborhood relations well, at least we can ensure the peace at our doorstep." Miao Yu resumed a serious tone.

Jiang Chen nodded. If he were to take notes in a notebook, it would be quite fitting.

"So the revival of this old case is of significant importance to us in Shen Zhou."

Not remaining silent, Jiang Chen timely responded, "The turbulent world situation affects not only us but also Korea and Japanese, which are caught up in it as well. Minister Miao’s analogy about neighbors is very apt. They are smaller in size and have a weaker foundation; they need unity and mutual support more than we do."

"Well, the logic may be so, but that doesn’t mean they are willing to face reality. You’ve seen it; we’ve negotiated the terms repeatedly, showing sincere intent. The agreement is mutually beneficial for all three parties, yet they still hold different opinions."

After saying that, Miao Yu sighed.

International cooperation certainly isn’t like buying vegetables at a market, nor is it as simple as someone directly confronting Blood Guanyin with a word to finalize things. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The reduction of tariffs, investment protection, intellectual property, digital trade... a considerable range of areas need negotiation.

The interests and political considerations involved are incredibly complex.

By the end of this meeting, some discrepancies still existed among the representatives of Shen Zhou, Korea, and Japanese on certain details.

Moreover.

Fujiwara Reiki, the head of the Japanese delegation, was the most prominent "thorn" among them.

Indeed.

Serving as a bridge between the two sides, and even seen as a traitor by some extremists in Japan, Fujiwara Reiki did not blindly sell out Japanese interests to please Shen Zhou but instead stood on a Japanese perspective to fight for the maximum benefits.

"Since the last incident, America has been brooding and making constant small moves lately, and Chairman Fujiwara also has to account for both domestic and international fronts."

Jiang Chen explained on her behalf, not treating the other as a mere tool for use.

If Fujiwara Reiki were here, she would probably feel touched or gratified.

Miao Yu’s gaze fell on Jiang Chen’s face, "Understandable. It’s all for their own country, just like you, Jiang. The revival of the trilateral free trade agreement is greatly credited to you. However, to successfully conclude the agreement, Jiang, you’ll still need to put in a lot of effort. After all, your personal rapport with Korea and Japanese makes some matters easier to communicate than it is for us."

"Understood."

"Good that you understand."