Chapter 1697 The Special Relationship between Britain and Germany

Mrs. Thatcher also expressed a warm welcome to Erich Honecker’s visit, and if it had been according to the former character, it would have been inevitable to say something about human rights and other nonsense.

But the old Bush’s heavy blows seemed to be useful, and Alan Wilson also informed the British side of the appeal, this time the Iron Lady’s sermon was not much.

While Margaret Thatcher expressed her welcome to Erich Honecker’s arrival, Alan Wilson was still working on plans for privatization, which were not improvised, and which would have been all but finished for this GDR privatization according to the British privatization experience.

But by chance the Supreme Authority remembered that Britain was still different from the GDR, which was a socialist country.

For example, in this part of the divestment of non-performing assets, there are differences between the two countries, such as the GDR’s enterprises, there is the phenomenon of enterprises run by the community, in addition to the production part, there are a bunch of schools, affiliated enterprises and so on, which are disguised welfare, need to subsidize a large amount of production profits to maintain.

Having lived in the UK for a long time, it’s amazing that Alan Wilson forgot about this and kept getting similar clauses added on an ad hoc basis.

As for Erich Honecker just stepped off the plane and accepted an interview with the British media, he bluntly pointed out that this visit to Western Europe is to learn from the privatization reforms of Margaret Thatcher’s presidency, and also forgot to brag a little bit about the head of the map, saying that this is also supported by Moscow.

Erich Honecker, the visionary leader of the GDR, who came to Britain to learn from the best, was highly praised by the British media, and people from all walks of life regarded Erich Honecker as a national leader with drive, a moral benchmark for another world to take a firm and courageous step forward.

Terry Pence came looking for Alan Wilson to discuss the GDR’s desire to visit British businesses, and then inquired, “Secretary General, do you think we can get what we want out of him?”

“Terry, I don’t think so.” Alan Wilson replied in a tone of certainty, “One thing is certain, with our help, the GDR will see drastic changes.”

The GDR had its own competitiveness, otherwise it wouldn’t have become one of the top ten industrialized countries in people’s minds, but that Soviet system was definitely not heaven on earth, but it was just drawing a line in the sand.

A collective economy is what it is; everyone has food, everyone has a car, everyone can go on vacation, everyone can watch a play, but what is the quality of the food, whether it is enough to satisfy nutritional needs, what is the quality of the car, whether a vacation can really bring relaxation of mind and body, whether a play or a movie serves as an entertainment or not, are all things to be taken into account.

There must be people who like such a country, and when one can’t stand strenuous competition, prefers to work by the book, and has no great desires of his own, it suits the GDR.

Lying youths would actually be a good fit for the GDR, like the current unemployed population in the UK who were made to suffer by Margaret Thatcher’s privatization, and might well want to live in the GDR.

So first of all you can’t let these outcast unemployed know what’s going on over there in the Soviet Union, the next step is more important, make the country over there in the Soviet Union the same as in the free world so that there’s no place to run if you want to, and the disgruntled people will be honest.

“It’s definitely profitable, and we won’t let the citizens of the GDR suffer, lots of flies in the ointment will allow us to buy them off.” Alan Wilson patted the head of the Treasury civil service on the shoulder and expressed his confidence that the citizens were in fact well bought.

Just because Britain got the GDR’s banks, major corporations, and cultivated talent doesn’t mean that the people of the GDR got nothing.

In the GDR, one hundred percent of households owned a washing machine and a refrigerator, ninety-six percent owned a television set, but only fifty percent had a color television set, and fifty percent owned a small car.

Color television is not such a difficult technology to overcome, in fact, this is not even difficult for Xiangjiang, the United Kingdom can completely deploy resources, in the first year of the GDR family’s black and white television sets are replaced, which will not be able to make the average person feel the dramatic change?

The GDR side had to queue up to produce cars, the problem in the free world was overproduction, we all complemented each other’s strengths, this was the true meaning of the two-winged strategy.

“On what exactly?” Terry Pence saw his top boss so confident, and was obviously somewhat curious to inquire, “How can we bring about rapid change.”

“Diligent shell changes will solve a large part of the problem.” Alan Wilson bared his teeth, “Didn’t you see, the countries of the Soviet system, whichever one they are, look as if they haven’t changed in twenty years in terms of aesthetics. That’s our competitiveness.”

It’s like old man music, which can also be designed in the shape of a Land Rover, and Allen Wilson’s home country has that kind of change that doesn’t change much in essence, but looks so much better.

Erich Honecker and Mrs. Thatcher after the negotiation, the next job is Whitehall, the gap between Britain and the GDR is visible to the naked eye, Erich Honecker only need to look at, know that the two countries are not at a level, in the visit to the Comet airliner production line, Erich Honecker can not help but sigh, “once my country can also make airliners. ”

Erich Honecker wasn’t lying, after the war, because the production line of Junkers was in the east, the GDR had the ability to produce airliners, only to be stifled by the Soviet Union later.

Listening to Erich Honecker’s exclamation, Alan Wilson also put his eyes on the Comet production line, and said that in fact, under normal circumstances, the fate of Britain was the same as that of the GDR.

Only the United States and the Soviet Union used different means, the Soviet Union used executive orders to kill off the GDR’s airliner industry.

And the United States raised the banner of market competition, and then blocked orders for airliners in their own country, with their own market to squeeze the competing companies in the UK, which ultimately led to De Havilland unsustainable.

Alan Wilson think about it is a bitter tears, he remembered the Comet airliner even with the richest woman blood transfusion, until the mid-fifties to turn a profit, in the early orders, Britain sold the Comet airliner are not profitable, to the Commonwealth countries almost half-sold half-given away, just to maintain the operation of the aircraft industry for the purpose of this one.

Every colonial independence, Britain will leave the Comet airliner to the independent countries, at least can still earn a little on logistics and maintenance, and as long as the Comet airliner left, these independent countries do not have to buy Boeing, feelings of half a day, Alan Wilson suddenly opened his mouth and asked, “The GDR’s Junkers airliner, I remember that the prototype plane had a plane crash. ”

The GDR’s airliner was called the Baader 152, and it was named for the project’s chief designer, Brunolf Baader. It was also the first jet airliner developed in Germany. On the one hand there was Soviet pressure, but it has to be admitted that the GDR was just as unlucky as the UK in this respect, and was also affected by the crash which led to a loss of prestige.

Erich Honecker just a little bit, after all, he did not know, in fact, the United Kingdom should also be similar to the GDR, from the large aircraft by the United States to the regional airliner, and from the regional airliner hit no. Now he only see can compete with the wave of airliners. Now he saw only Comet, which could compete with Boeing.

Erich Honecker was still impressed with the companies visited, knowing that the UK is considered to have one of the highest standards of living among the big countries, or else it couldn’t afford to support the second largest navy in the world.

As for asking about the topic of privatization, what he heard was naturally that Margaret Thatcher’s privatization campaign had been a great success and that the British economy had been rejuvenated, and so on.

The visit to the end of the trip, and finally came to the most important negotiations, Alan Wilson took out his sincerity, one hundred and twenty British companies, jointly funded one billion pounds as the first investment. This is for the acquisition of the GDR enterprises, of course, will be left to the state-owned shares of the GDR, after reorganization in the British technology and patents to support the completion of the transformation and subsequently re-entered into production.

“Anagnak do not think you lose out, in fact, in the equipment gap between the two countries is huge, in this one billion pounds of capital injection, the replacement of new equipment, this is not even counted. In fact it was all my personal praying around to get the funds together.”

Self-expression of some, Alan Wilson turn of phrase, “There is, in order to maintain the financial stability of the GDR, Britain decided to the GDR’s major banks to inject capital, to prevent financial risks affecting the reforms, but the price is the GDR’s major banks, have to sell twenty-five percent of the shares to the contributors.”

The GDR’s state-owned enterprises is of course a big piece of fat meat, but compared with the GDR’s banks, it is not particularly fat, of course, according to the Bonn government’s argument, the GDR’s banks are negative assets, the loans issued can not be recovered that is not a negative asset what is it as for the GDR banks absorbed, and can be recovered, that is another issue.

This kind of negative assets, Alan Wilson a pro-German faction is never dare to let the Federal Republic of Germany at a loss, after all, he still has two Dragoons live there, and the Dragoons did not suffer, the acquisition of the GDR bank of the money in which a part of the money, is that he managed to Dragoon sisters borrowed.

Erich Honecker obviously also knows the importance of financial sovereignty, and wants to fight for it in this matter, Alan Wilson can understand the other party’s psychology, but he can’t give this opportunity, “Think about it, could the Federal Republic of Germany open up even more favorable conditions? At least Britain is well-intentioned and just wants to make a profit, the Bonn side is not so sure, it may want to liquidate you and your party.”

“A total of three billion pounds, involving finance and privatized businesses, which is definitely quite a lot. It’s probably not all of it, and there may be subsequent inputs.” Alan Wilson felt that Britain was very sincere, “Once this cooperation agreement is signed, the GDR will immediately see a sea change, and the whole world will cheer this change.”

Erich Honecker was silent for a long time, and finally took out a pen and signed his name, back in Berlin he could brightly praise himself for bringing about the great victory.

The Englishmen present rose and applauded the opening of a new chapter in the relations between the two countries, the privatization reforms of the GDR, to begin.