Preface
As we all know, during the period of the Republic of China, the mainland was oppressed by foreign powers, and there were warlords fighting in the interior.
During this difficult period, a group of Chinese laborers were sent to France by coercion by Duan Qirui's government.
When these Chinese laborers were treated inhumanely by France, France actually issued a policy to encourage Chinese laborers to marry local women!
Why did the warlord government send these laborers to France by coercion, what kind of inhumane treatment did these Chinese laborers suffer after they arrived in France, and was there some conspiracy behind the marriage of French women?
Traveled to France
After the end of the First World War, the West was busy repairing its post-war countries, and the need for labor was particularly urgent.
Coincidentally, at this time, there was a surplus of labor on the mainland, and many laborers were worried about finding a place.
At this time, the mainland was under the rule of political warlords, and in order to curry favor with the Western powers, when they proposed that they needed labor, the government headed by Duan Qirui ordered more than 100,000 Chinese laborers to be sent to other countries.
It is even called easy work tasks and generous treatment. If you don't want to go, then you need to think about the safety of yourself and your family.
It was through all kinds of coercion and temptation that they finally embarked on the road to other countries.
In this group, some of them are farmers, some are unemployed workers, some are even young students, and they have only one goal: to get a high salary and improve their lives and their families.
But how can things be so simple? France is far from the mainland, and in addition to the inconvenient conditions at that time, a small number of people died on the road.
And most of the people who survived, they didn't have a good time. It is said that these Chinese laborers are arranged to work in factories, but in fact, seventy or eighty percent of them have been deceived into digging coal mines in the mines!
Not only do they live in cramped dormitories, they work 12 hours or more, and they work in a messy environment with rudimentary meals.
Even so, their wages were still very meager, only five yuan a day, and even the most basic living needs could not be satisfied.
It may sound unbelievable, but even so, they were lucky.
It turned out that after the Beiyang government declared war on Germany, France sent some Chinese laborers to the front to support.
Some of these able-bodied Chinese were forcibly sent to the front line of the battlefield to dig trenches, transport medicine and clothing for France, and perhaps one day be killed by flying shells.
It is said that the trenches that the Chinese workers were forced to dig more than once were extremely close to the German army, and whenever they fought with the Germans, the Germans rushed directly in front of the Chinese workers who were digging the trenches.
The Chinese workers could only fight the Germans with shovels and pickaxes, which also led to ten deaths and nine injuries among the Chinese on the front line. What's even more infuriating is that every time the Chinese workers dig the trenches, the soldiers come in, as if they treat the mainlanders as tools and live targets!
Inhumane treatment
Compared to the treatment in France, the British approach is even more jaw-dropping: not only do they pay Chinese laborers only one-fifth of the French wages.
They were strictly forbidden to enter local cafes and pubs, let alone use the British toilets.
Even important statutory holidays, such as the National Day, have to force Chinese workers to go to work with guns.
If the restriction of personal freedom was nothing, the British soldiers also seriously insulted their human dignity: there Chinese laborers did not even deserve names, and everyone could only call each other by number as if they were prisoners!
If you dare to disobey, you will only end up in a dead end. Even local newspaper advertisements slandered Chinese as lazy and cunning, a slacker and a murderer......
This is not counting, because the mainland's national strength and prestige were low at that time, coupled with the underdeveloped communication technology at that time, many Chinese were displaced in other countries and could not return, even if they had the heart to return, but they could not do anything.
I can't go home, so I can only live in fear day by day. In such a sad environment, those who survived are very lucky.
Just when the people shouted that the heavens were not spiritual, and that the earth and the earth should not be right, an opportunity fell from heaven.
Faced with this opportunity, many Chinese workers in France are faced with a choice: whether to stay here or return to their hometowns......
Married to a French woman?
It turned out that during the First World War, many young men died in France, which also led to the emergence of a large number of unmarried and childless women in society.
There are no ready-made French men of school age, but men have grabbed a handful, that is, nearly 100,000 Chinese men stranded in France.
In order to increase the size of the population and at the same time enable these workers to stay in France permanently and work for France.
As a result, the French government issued a series of preferential policies, and even coaxed Chinese workers to stay in France with money.
And start a new family with French women. In a French newspaper at the time, it was written: "Although Chinese workers have their shortcomings, they are men after all, and in a country that lacks men, it is natural to be scarce and expensive, at least better than wounded soldiers, and more popular than married men."
These workers are also a blessing in disguise, after all, they don't know how lucky they are compared to other foreign workers.
Returning home is good, but nearly half of the Chinese still choose to stay in France, which is why you can see many Chinese families in France today.
They may be the descendants of the Chinese workers of the time, and even France's most famous Chinatown was founded at that time.
"Weak countries have no diplomacy"
The last years of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, which was a period when the mainland was bullied and exploited by foreign powers, left a deep imprint on the collective memory of the Chinese people.
Due to the increased demands of the wartime economy, many Chinese laborers were recruited to work in factories, mines, etc., in other countries, especially in Europe and North America.
These workers face difficult working conditions and discrimination, and many marry and have children in foreign countries, but are unable to return to their hometowns for various reasons.
During this period, the Chinese government faced enormous challenges both domestically and internationally, and the displacement of workers was one of the many problems facing China.
Although the Chinese government has tried to protect the rights and interests of overseas workers through diplomacy and international organizations, it has faced many difficulties and constraints.
In recent years, China has actively participated in international affairs, advocated a foreign policy of peace, development and cooperation, and worked hard to safeguard national interests and the fairness and justice of the international order by participating in the global governance system and advocating multilateralism.
epilogue
War is not only a political and military struggle, but also a catastrophe involving civilian life. Because we cannot escape the shadow of war, we can only face the plight of war, the destruction of our homes, and the difficulty of making ends meet.
Countless families have been destroyed by the war, their loved ones have been separated, and their lives have been plunged into endless pain and anxiety, and they have had to struggle to survive, struggling to survive on the brink of life and death.
This is no longer the case. Nowadays, the mainland is actively promoting the "Belt and Road" initiative and strengthening economic and trade cooperation with other countries, and China's influence on the international stage has been qualitatively improved.
At the same time, China is constantly strengthening its own national defense and enhancing its military strength to ensure national security and territorial integrity.
Although the strength and status of the mainland have been greatly enhanced, the mainland is a peace-loving power and will not despise or even suppress weak countries like the Western powers.
Taking China as an example, all countries need to respect international law and the rules of the international community and coexist peacefully with other countries while safeguarding their national interests.
Resolving differences and contradictions through dialogue and cooperation and establishing good diplomatic relations with other countries are conducive not only to safeguarding national interests but also conducive to promoting regional and world peace and stability.
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