In China's history, water transport has always made great contributions to economic development. From the Yangtze River water transport to communicate the east and west, and then to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to communicate the north and south, low and convenient water transport has always been valued. So that in modern China, after the great powers invaded China, they firmly grasped China's water transport in their own hands. Because the great powers understand that whoever controls this convenient means of transportation can choke China's throat. Far from it, let's say that the grain eaten by the people and royalty in Beijing was transported from the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
After the great powers took control of China's waterways, the Qing government finally realized the crisis. It is not a good idea to keep your lifeblood in the hands of others. Therefore, under the leadership of Li Hongzhang and other foreign ministers, the Qing government finally decided to set up its own water transport company and take its life into its own hands.
The qing government's initial idea was that the government would pay for the establishment of the company and then have full authority over the ships. But later, I don't know who gave a "sinister move", and the Qing government announced that the money for running the company was out of the government, and the ships docked under the name of the government company did not need to pay management fees, and only needed to help the government to carry out water transportation once a year.
As soon as this news came out, many Chinese ships docked at foreign shipping companies came to join companies run by the Chinese government. This company was founded by Li Hongzhang, the minister of Beiyang, and its original name was "Steamship Merchants Bureau", and even now, this name is very loud.
At the beginning of the establishment of this company, it attracted a large number of merchant ships with preferential policies. In less than a year, the company took over half of the goods transported by the Qing government officials, and successfully took the lifeblood from the hands of the great powers.
Soon after, the company began to enter civilian transportation. With Chinese brands and low prices, foreign companies were crushed at once, and foreign companies were also acquired! It was 1876, and it was a big day in the history of Chinese business!
After that, the steamship China Merchants Bureau expanded its business and set up the Mining Bureau, which was the first large mine in modern China. Later, the Steamship Merchants Bureau financed the establishment of the Commerce and Commerce Bank, which was known as the "Little Four Lines" during the Republic of China period. In 1896, the Governor of Liangjiang and the Steamship Merchants Bureau jointly raised funds to establish a modern university called "Nanyang Public School".
This name may be unfamiliar to many people, this school is later divided into two schools, which can be described as famous, which two? One is called Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the other is called Xi'an Jiaotong University. At this time, the steamship investment bureau has become the largest enterprise in China, and its strength is so strong that even foreign-funded enterprises dare not underestimate it.
After the founding of New China, the Steamship Merchants Bureau was redeemed by the state, and then other companies were set up, involved in many industries. This company was also one of the first enterprises to carry out joint-stock system reform during the reform and opening up. now. Steamship China Merchants Bureau, known internationally as "China Merchants International", is a century-old enterprise that has endured ups and downs. It is one of the world's top 500 enterprises, a business card of China, and a small number of surviving achievements of the vigorous foreign affairs movement a hundred years ago.
Looking back at that year, when successive strong invasions and China were in danger, Li Hongzhang and other Hanchen ignored the fact that the building would fall, and rolled up their sleeves to support this dangerous building when everyone stood by and watched. He tried everything he could to lift the mansion up, but ultimately failed. Li Hongzhang has made immortal contributions to China's modernization, and has also made great contributions to the development of China's civilian and military enterprises, and the Steamship Merchants Bureau is a witness. It is a pity that Li Hongzhang was not born at the right time, and after all, the ship was shallow. What do you think, readers?