The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 579 International Trusteeship, then everyone will rely on their own abilities

Invite the Russians to tear up the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, and have the Far East troops march directly south to attack the Japanese Kwantung Army?

This is undoubtedly the fastest method.

Zhang Chi's gaze also seemed to casually sweep over Uncle Steel.

The Russian leader was smoking his pipe intently, with no expression on his face, but his eyes hidden under his thick eyebrows were deep and unfathomable.

Zhang Chi sneered in his heart.

Before coming to Yalta, after a long period of thinking, he now knows better than anyone what the Man of Steel is planning at the moment.

The core interests of the Russian bear lie in Europe, in ensuring its sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, and in squeezing maximum compensation from Hans.

The Far East? That's a secondary direction.

Without sufficient exchange of interests, such as the White Eagle making concessions in Europe, or clearly promising the Russian Bear special rights in the Far East, the Russian Bear will never easily open up a second battlefield in the Far East and put itself at risk of fighting on two fronts.

Historically, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan at the last moment only after confirming that the White Eagle had dropped the atomic bomb, the Japanese were doomed to defeat, and the European war was completely over, thus achieving huge results at a very small cost.

Now? The European war is raging, and the Man of Steel will never give up easily.

Sure enough, after being silent for more than ten seconds, Commander Luo did not directly propose to invite the Russians to join the war.

After all, we now have the Nanyang United States, which can also provide sufficient help and attack the Japanese mainland from the south together with the White Eagle...

There is no need to invite the wolf into the house and give the Russian bear the opportunity to extend its claws towards Asia.

So he cleverly avoided this minefield full of geopolitical risks and steered the topic towards a more "grand" direction that better reflected his idealistic vision and also contained hidden secrets.

"Gentlemen, the dawn of victory in the war has appeared. In addition to completely defeating the fascist Axis, we also shoulder the heavy responsibility of rebuilding the post-war world order."

Commander Luo raised his voice slightly, with his unique appeal:

"An important principle is national self-determination. The Asian peoples, bound by the yoke of colonialism and trampled under the iron hoof of fascism, deserve the right to determine their own destiny."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over Zhang Chi and Uncle Steel. "Besides the already independent Southeast Asian States, places like the Korean Peninsula, the Luzon Islands, Borneo, and even Sumatra and Java... after the Japanese are driven out, what will be the future of these places? We can't simply let the old colonial empire make a comeback."

coming!

Zhang Chi's spirits perked up; this was the key issue he had been waiting for.

Beneath the cloak of idealism of Commander Luo lies the realistic consideration of the great powers redividing their spheres of influence.

The "great power trusteeship principle" he proposed - that is, the United Nations entrusts one or more major powers to temporarily manage former colonies and help them eventually achieve independence - was simply a stroke of genius.

This not only conforms to his anti-colonial slogan, but also prevents the old colonial empires from directly resuming their rule, while providing a legal cover for the White Eagle, the Russian Bear, and even the South China Sea to intervene in these regions.

"I completely agree with Mr. Franklin's insightful opinion," the Man of Steel declared immediately, his pipe swaying slightly in his hand. His beard twitched as his lips parted. "Colonialism is the root of all evil and must be eradicated completely. Authorized by the United Nations and entrusted to responsible major powers, helping these regions achieve a smooth transition and ultimately true independence is the most reasonable and humane solution."

What he was thinking about was, of course, how the Soviet Union could more easily infuse its influence into these newly independent small countries under the trusteeship system.

Zhang Chi immediately followed suit. This proposal would also benefit Nanyang, so he naturally agreed:

"The President was far-sighted. National self-determination is an unstoppable trend of history. Trusteeship by a major power can not only avoid chaos caused by a power vacuum, but also ensure that local people gradually gain the ability to govern their own affairs under the supervision of the United Nations. As an emerging Asian country, the United States of Southeast Asia deeply understands and supports this."

But his heart was burning with passion.

Hosting?! This is a godsend.

As a time traveler, he knew very well how those trusteeship territories in later generations were actually controlled by the "trusteeship powers" for a long time.

After the end of World War II, areas around New Guinea (such as the Bismarck Islands, Bougainville Island, etc.), Nauru, Papua, etc. were placed under the trusteeship of the Kangaroo Country. If it were not for the huge international objections, the Kangaroos would have almost taken over all these places, and would not have allowed them to become independent until the 6s and 70s.

According to the "principle of proximity" and the "principle of capability", Borneo, Sumatra, and even the area in southern Luzon close to the South Seas may be included in the "trusteeship" scope of the United States of Southeast Asia.

In name, it is to "help the transition", but in reality it is a prelude to legal annexation.

He could have made full use of this period of time to completely integrate these places into the Nanyang system through immigration, economic integration, cultural assimilation, infrastructure construction and other means.

Will it become independent at that time? There is a high probability that the independent country will also be a "confederation member" with its heart towards Southeast Asia.

Almost at the same time, Zhang Chi and Uncle Steel turned their gazes to Commander Luo with tacit understanding.

That look seemed to be saying, we all agree, so, as the leader of the free world, you promised "national self-determination", you always say that you want the whole world to bathe in the sunshine of freedom, you will not treat your own "quasi-colony" - the Luzon Islands differently, right?

Commander Luo is such a great man, how could he not see the deep meaning in the eyes of these two people?

He smiled with understanding yet a hint of resignation. "Of course, gentlemen, the Luzon Islands are included. The United States of White Eagles has pledged to grant independence to the people of Luzon after the war. Prior to that, we are willing to assume trusteeship responsibilities within the framework of the United Nations to help them achieve a smooth transition."

His words sounded high-sounding, but Zhang Chi knew the truth in his heart.

The White Eagles will never let go of their control over Luzon easily. The so-called "trusteeship" and "helping independence" are nothing more than a more decent way that is more in line with their "anti-colonial" persona to continue to maintain their strategic fulcrum in the Asia-Pacific.

The subsequent independence process of Luzon was also full of twists and turns and deep intervention by the White Eagles.

"Then the principle is clear," Commander Luo concluded. "For these former colonies and regions liberated from fascist occupation, the United Nations will authorize them to be entrusted to one or more capable and willing major powers for trusteeship. The trusteeship period will be determined by the United Nations based on local development conditions.

The ultimate goal is to achieve complete independence. The specific areas to be entrusted to whom will require detailed evaluation and discussion after the establishment of the United Nations.”

He cleverly laid the groundwork - "one or more", "detailed evaluation and discussion".

This leaves huge room for maneuver for the White Eagle, the Russian Bear and even the South China Sea in these regions in the future.

The White Eagle has the strongest national strength, the Russian Bear has geographical and ideological advantages, and the South Seas have the convenience of being "close to the water" and having the same language and race as certain regions.

Apart from anything else, if Borneo were to be entrusted to Nanyang, Zhang Chi would definitely first put up the signboard of restoring the Lan Fang Kingdom.

After some discussion, the three of them quickly reached an agreement - first, they would dismantle the colonies of Gaul and John. As for how much they could eat, it all depended on their own abilities.

The atmosphere at the dinner was very good.

"For a new order of freedom!" Commander Luo raised the water glass at hand. His physical condition did not allow him to drink at this time.

"For the liberated people!" The Man of Steel said in a loud voice, raising his glass full of vodka.

"For a peaceful and prosperous future!" Zhang Chi smiled and raised his glass.

The three cups clinked together gently, making a crisp sound.