bayedsolid Chapter 361 Collaborative Development of Large Aircraft? You think you can fool me, Zhao Ruilong? No
Chapter 361 Collaborative Development of Large Aircraft? You think you can fool me, Zhao Ruilong? No
"Thank you for your kind invitation, Mr. President."
"I will definitely visit your country when I have the time!"
Zhao Ruilong smiled politely.
Last year, I would never have applied for a visa to go to the United States if it weren't for saving my second brother-in-law.
He was a wealthy and powerful nobleman in the Dragon Kingdom.
But what does that count for in the United States?
Even if you are rich, as a Chinese, you will still be discriminated against.
They might actually be taken advantage of because they have money, becoming easy prey for prey.
Now that my second sister's husband has escaped unscathed, and I myself have no interest in the United States.
They certainly don't want their assets to be suddenly frozen or them to be detained because of the deterioration of relations between the two countries.
However, out of politeness, one should still respond politely.
If you were from China, you would definitely tell that Zhao Ruilong was just being polite.
I'll definitely go to the US whenever I have time...
Isn't this just like having a meal together when you have time?
Most adults in China understand this.
If something isn't explicitly stated on the spot, the subtext is rejection.
It's like saying it's possible in principle, but in reality it's not.
but……
Steve Jobson was an American, and had a typical Western mindset.
When he heard Zhao Ruilong say "I will definitely go," he immediately assumed that Zhao Ruilong really wanted to go.
"Okay, okay, that's great."
"You don't need to worry about the visa!"
As he spoke, Jobson released Zhao Ruilong's hand and beckoned his accompanying secretary over.
"Tell Ambassador Tristy to process Mr. Zhao Ruilong's Category A visa as quickly as possible!"
"Okay, I'll inform him right away!"
Zhao Ruilong frowned.
Who says Westerners don't understand social etiquette?
They're still playing pretty well!
There are many types of visas available in the United States.
From A to R, different visas are issued based on the different individuals and their travel purposes.
But regardless of whether it's a B-type business/tourist visa, a C-type transit visa, a D-type crew or seaman visa, or an EFGH visa issued for investment, study, news reporting, sports competitions, visiting relatives and friends, etc.
They're all trash compared to A-type visas.
Because Category A visas are also known as diplomatic or official visas.
It is primarily issued to diplomatic and consular officials and their family members stationed in the United States by other countries.
Of course, high-ranking officials from other countries and their entourages may also receive partial payments.
Category A visas not only have a long validity period, but also offer a certain amount of tax-free shopping privileges and diplomatic immunity.
simply put.
Foreigners who obtain an A visa can travel to the United States almost anytime and stay there for an extended period.
You can buy things and take them away without paying taxes, and even if you commit illegal or criminal acts, you won't be arrested; the only recourse is through diplomatic channels.
For the United States, such a convenient and even privileged visa is not issued to foreigners casually. Even countries that have established diplomatic relations with each other are very cautious in issuing such visas.
But now...
They had only met for less than two minutes and exchanged a few words when Jobson instructed his secretary to notify the ambassador to China to personally issue Zhao Ruilong an A-type visa.
this moment.
Zhao Ruilong did not feel proud or elated.
On the contrary, I feel that this world is just that realistic.
He's an ordinary person who has committed crimes and served time in prison, and he's still an unmarried bachelor.
Even if you have money, you may still be deemed to be at risk of overstaying your visa and will be refused a visa.
But when your strength reaches a certain level, you can enjoy extraordinary privileges and treatment.
And they even give out these damn business visas and tourist visas...
It's a Category A diplomatic/official visa!
It allows you to leave whenever you want and stay as long as you want.
They're not afraid that you'll overstay your visa after you go to the US.
If they really wanted to stay and not leave, buying houses and cars, having children, they would be very happy.
Regardless of how much it can contribute to the relationship between the two countries, the various investments and consumption alone can help the US economy prosper.
What Zhao Ruilong didn't expect was...
After instructing his secretary, Jobson turned back and continued:
"President Shen has accepted my invitation and is preparing to visit the United States in the second half of the year. It would be great if you could accompany him."
"..."
Zhao Ruilong was taken aback.
What is this nonsense?
Accompanying on the visit...
Is this something I can just go to whenever I want?
Do you think it's like forming a tour group, paying to sign up and going on a trip abroad together?
Do you, Steve Jobs, think that I, Zhao Ruilong, have already reached this level?
Seeing Zhao Ruilong speechless with shock, President Shen immediately smoothed things over with a smile:
"If he has time then, I will bring him to the United States."
"Lunch is ready, Mr. President and Mrs. President, this way please!"
The group entered the courtyard and arrived at the classically elegant dining room.
On the large round table, a variety of dishes, each with its own unique color, aroma, and flavor, were laid out.
In front of the seats of the Jobsons and their translator.
In addition to Chinese tableware, an extra set of knives and forks was specially prepared.
"Since it's a family dinner today, let's keep it casual."
After picking up his chopsticks, Mr. Shen took the lead in starting to eat.
But it's said to be casual...
Actually?
Zhao Ruilong felt that everyone was still very reserved and polite, and no one was eating voraciously with their chopsticks.
It wasn't like eating at all; it was more like savoring delicious food.
After picking up a little food, chewing it slowly, chatting for a while, and then eating again.
Thank goodness I ate something beforehand.
Otherwise, eating like this, you could eat dozens of dishes and still not get hungry.
What a pity!
What a great opportunity to take photos and show off on social media!
Before I transmigrated, I would never have dared to dream that I would be qualified to attend such a dinner party.
Now I've actually participated, and even had a meal.
Unfortunately, I haven't even developed a smartphone yet, so where would I get WeChat Moments from?
Even though the QQ software has been released and QQ Space allows sharing updates, it's not very meaningful to share if you don't have many friends.
of course.
The idea only flashed through Zhao Ruilong's mind for a moment.
If you've already gotten this far, why pretend anymore?
If I post it out and let others see it, they might say I'm not mature or composed enough.
Even if they aren't openly criticized, many people will probably think they're showing off.
not to mention……
Even if such dinners are not publicly publicized, both parties will still take photos for record-keeping.
After all, this was part of the diplomatic activities between the two countries, and it was a private banquet of historical significance.
After listening to the two discuss counterterrorism cooperation, they then talked about their northern neighbor secretly developing nuclear weapons...
Zhao Ruilong thought he was just there to observe, but listening to the exchange between two top figures would broaden his horizons.
But the topic quickly shifted to economic and trade cooperation.
When discussing economic and trade cooperation, it's inevitable to talk about high-tech industries.
Among the many high-tech industries, the aviation industry, which occupies an important position, was naturally a key focus of Steve Jobs's remarks.
He said that upon learning that with the substantial financial support of Huilong Group, China had restarted its large civil aircraft development program, he greatly admired the indomitable spirit, resilience, and courage of the Chinese people in the face of adversity.
After praising it, he then said that after more than a hundred years of development, the modern aviation industry has become a comprehensive and massive industry with high capital, technology and talent intensity and extremely high technical difficulty.
Even giants like Boeing from the United States and Airbus from the European Union cannot complete the research and development and production of aircraft quickly and well on their own. They all achieve this through division of labor, cooperation, and global collaboration.
Therefore, he suggested that COMAC should follow the example of Boeing and Airbus, and seek out highly professional, strong, and top-notch suppliers worldwide to jointly develop and produce large aircraft in accordance with international airworthiness standards.
The United States has a highly developed and mature aviation industry chain, with world-class and technologically advanced suppliers in many areas such as aircraft power, communication and navigation, avionics control, wheel brakes, and alloy fuselage.
If COMAC of China can cooperate with them, not only will the research and development speed be much faster, but airworthiness certification can also be obtained more quickly, and production costs can be reduced considerably. In the future, when exporting to all parts of the world, customers will also find maintenance and repairs relatively quick and inexpensive.
Listening to Steve Jobs' boasting, Zhao Ruilong almost couldn't help but laugh.
In this era of rampant free trade and increasingly mature global supply chains.
What Steve Jobs said isn't wrong.
At first glance...
It seems that using Boeing and Airbus's mature aviation industry chain, which has been developed over decades, to develop large aircraft is indeed convenient, fast, mature, and reliable.
When the large aircraft project was restarted, many people suggested doing this, thinking that it would be better to first develop the aircraft successfully and accumulate experience before trying to increase the domestic production rate.
Moreover, involving Western suppliers in research and development ensures reliable product quality, guarantees aircraft safety, and they can also help obtain airworthiness certifications from the United States and the European Union…
If Zhao Ruilong hadn't been a time traveler and known that the West could turn on him so easily, he might have actually been fooled by them.
He clearly has the support of a system and a huge amount of funds.
Why should Western suppliers be allowed to participate and get a share of the profits?
It's not like we lack funds or can't handle the technology.
Moreover, their prices are very high, and their service is poor.
As a time traveler, Zhao Ruilong is well aware of the future development trend of the civil aviation industry: the bigger the plane, the better; the cheaper and more fuel-efficient, the better.
Two high-bypass turbofan engines can account for 30% of the total cost of a medium-range jet airliner.
If the engine is imported, then the core components such as the communication system, navigation system, avionics system, cabin entertainment system, and braking system are also imported.
How can this aircraft make money?
Suppliers can easily raise their prices, and when these prices are added together, the total cost can skyrocket.
Moreover, since all the major components are sourced from foreign suppliers, the overall performance cannot be significantly improved compared to Boeing and Airbus.
At that time, the overall performance will be similar, and the operating costs will not differ significantly, because core components rely on imports and production capacity is not yet competitive.
Even with low profit margins and high sales volume, and selling at prices similar to Boeing and Airbus, why would airlines buy Boeing or Airbus aircraft that have been in operation for many years?
To open up sales channels, the only way is to lose money to gain publicity and sell at a loss for the best value.
But the problem is...
Developing large aircraft is already very expensive.
It is estimated that around 1,000 units of a particular model need to be sold to break even.
If we sell at a loss...
Wouldn't that mean the more you sell, the more you lose?
At this rate, even if you were rich, you couldn't afford to lose money.
The core purpose of developing domestically produced large aircraft is to develop and strengthen the domestic aviation industry and to drive the development of other industries such as machinery, electronics, and materials.
So of course, if we're going to do it, we should do it as domestically produced as possible.
If you can't let your own people make money, then what's the point of all the effort?