The fragrant roasted ribs were served, and even Rockefeller felt he had to eat a few pieces first. The steak was soft and tender, neither dry nor hard, and the spices were well matched. Especially the slight fruity aroma in the barbecue sauce neutralized the pork's gamey taste very well.

After gnawing on several pieces in a row, Rockefeller picked up the accompanying fruit juice drink, took a few sips, and sighed with satisfaction, "I guess I don't need to eat dinner today."

Michael was used to such delicious food long ago. He wiped his hands with a napkin and drank his beverage. As soon as he put down the cup, he heard Rockefeller ask, "Do you hate Chinese people?"

Recalling the Chinese people he had seen, Michael answered, "...I've only seen Chinese in laundries; I don't have any feelings about them."

"Does losing the Chinese market have a big impact on the textile industry?" Rockefeller continued to ask.

Michael nodded. "Cotton sold to China already accounts for more than 10% of our sales. But will the congressmen agree? Congress has recently passed the Tariff Act against China. Looking at their appearance, they want to fight China to the end. I always feel they can't turn around so fast."

"Whether the turn is fast or not depends on whether your speed is fast or not. The workers employed by your textile industry account for the largest proportion of American workers, and the reputation of the textile industry is much better than our oil industry." Rockefeller answered confidently.

Michael, Chairman of the US Textile Association, was amused. During the term of (Theodore) Roosevelt, the problem of American monopoly enterprises that had been criticized for 20 years was resolved. From 1901 to 1909, Roosevelt promoted anti-monopoly under the "Sherman Antitrust Act", and dozens of large monopoly enterprises were split. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company was a famous case among them; Standard Oil was split into more than 30 companies.

Although the enterprise was split, judging from the final result, after Standard Oil was split, the new companies received a large amount of capital injection, and the oil industry became stronger. So much so that a few years later, a group of oil company executives lamented, 'God, split us again.'

Although the Rockefeller family made money, their reputation suffered considerable damage. Even now, the name Rockefeller could not be associated with positive adjectives. Michael laughed because he indeed felt that the 'Chinese Exclusion Act' was harmful to the current US cotton and textile trade. But once Rockefeller publicly supported the abolition of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the American public might feel that the Chinese Exclusion Act was beneficial to ordinary Americans.

"Okay, I will continue," Michael answered. In terms of expanding Sino-US trade, the interests of the US Textile Association and oil enterprises were consistent.

In the morning, Chinese Ambassador to the US Alfred Sao-ke Sze (Shi Zhaoji) came out of the White House. Reporters waiting outside immediately went up to him, "Mr. Ambassador, may I ask if there is any result from your meeting with the President?"

Alfred Sao-ke Sze was born in 1877, exactly 50 years old this year, and was the first Chinese student in the US to obtain an American master's degree. Facing reporters from various countries, Shi Zhaoji looked serious, "Mr. President asked me if China has misunderstandings about the United States. I also asked Mr. President a question: does Mr. President think that Chinese and Americans are the same human beings? If both sides are the same human beings, they should enjoy the same respect and rights."

Reporters immediately asked, "What is your view on the Chinese Exclusion Act?"

"The Chinese Exclusion Act is a domestic law of the United States; we do not interfere in US internal affairs. But we noticed that new proposals have appeared in the US Congress demanding more inhumane measures against Chinese-American citizens in the United States. If the bill passes, the Chinese government will organize a fleet to come to the United States to receive persecuted Chinese-American citizens. As a civilized country, the Chinese government cannot sit idly by regarding such actions persecuting human rights."

"Mr. Ambassador, you also noticed that some people in the US Senate have proposed a bill to permanently interrupt Sino-US trade. What is your comment on this?"

"Trade war is a double-edged sword, hurting others and oneself. We think those senators proposing to permanently interrupt Sino-US trade are irrational. But once the United States passes such a bill, the Chinese government will also handle it according to international conventions."

Inside the White House, US President Coolidge could see through the window Chinese Ambassador Shi Zhaoji being interviewed. The US President, who was leading 'Coolidge Prosperity', walked back to the sofa and did not take the report of the US Ambassador to China from Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg.

"Frank, what suggestions did Nelson make?" Coolidge didn't want to read page by page, so he let Secretary of State Frank narrate.

The current US Ambassador to China was Nelson T. Johnson, a seasoned diplomat who belonged to the dovish faction on China policy. Of course, Great Powers basically chose doves when exchanging ambassadors. If Great Powers chose a hawk as an ambassador, they might as well declare war on each other directly.

Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg put down the report he had studied carefully. "Mr. President, Nelson believes that if we want to restrict Chinese citizens from coming to the United States, there are too many means. The Chinese Exclusion Act is undoubtedly the simplest and crudest way. When the Chinese Exclusion Act was formulated, its negative impact on the United States was not significant, but the current situation has completely changed. Nelson believes it is necessary to comprehensively reconsider the strategy towards China based on the current situation."

Coolidge rubbed his glabella. The powers of the US President are the military and diplomacy of the federal government. In the few years Coolidge had been president, he had felt increasing pressure in these two aspects. Or rather, as the United States wanted to have greater and greater influence on the world stage, it encountered more and more opposition and trouble. Coolidge didn't expect that for more than a year recently, it was the weak China across the Pacific that caused the biggest trouble for the United States.

The US President could declare war. After thinking for a while, Coolidge determined that as President, he couldn't come up with a direct solution to China. He asked, "Frank, what will the worst situation look like?"

Secretary of State Frank answered, "China and Japan are approaching each other rapidly now, and China's relationship with the Soviet Union is also very good. If the situation develops to a very bad degree, the United States will only have the Philippines left in the Western Pacific. In the worst situation, China and Japan might form a military alliance targeting the US West Coast together with Britain."

This was indeed the situation Coolidge wanted to see least. Not only Coolidge, but the US upper class also didn't want to see such a situation. The United States is located outside the World Island, communicating with the World Island through two oceans. Europe tried to exclude the United States from the European continent. If a military alliance against the US was built in the Western Pacific, blockading the United States on the North American continent, the United States would fall into a cage.

"What is the attitude within the Democratic Party?" Coolidge asked.

Secretary of State Frank answered, "I have talked with the members of the Senate Committee on China; they also don't want to see such a situation. However, senators don't want to be seen as weak. As for the representatives, even those proposing hardline plans are just expressing an attitude. They want China to soften first."

"Do they think China will soften first?" Coolidge wanted to sneer. The number of Chinese in the United States currently was only 60,000, much fewer than the Native Americans. Wanting to use these people as bargaining chips was simply a fantasy.

As for Sino-US trade, US industrial products were dominant commodities worldwide. Once China and the US fully lifted trade restrictions, the United States had the ability to dump goods on the Chinese market. From any angle, it was the United States that wanted to open the Chinese market. Unless the United States could defeat China militarily and force China to sign the Boxer Protocol again. Otherwise, no reason could be found for the Chinese government to soften.

Secretary of State Frank certainly knew these things. He wanted to smile bitterly but still answered in a serious tone, "Mr. President, the State Department now judges that the He Rui government is very likely seeking a compromise from the British side. And the British side is also considering whether this compromise is reliable."

The last sentence made Coolidge feel somewhat strange. "Why does Britain need to consider China's sincerity?"

Secretary of State Frank hesitated for a moment but still said bravely, "Mr. President, the Chicago School and scholars from a few universities have proposed a hypothesis. If China and the US on both sides of the Pacific can reach some consensus, it is possible to build an international organization unrestricted by the Versailles system."

Coolidge frowned again. He certainly knew that a Sino-US alliance couldn't be built in a short time and operate effectively. Just considering the prospect of Sino-US cooperation was already astonishing.

If just looking at the map, the combined land area of China and the US is as much as 20 million square kilometers. Moreover, China and the US are located on both sides of the Pacific. Once they cooperate to oppose the Versailles system, it would be a huge force of 600 million people. The United States has the same naval tonnage share as Britain, while China has actually defeated Britain in the Sino-British War. The space for Sino-US cooperation is extremely huge.

Asking the United States to release goodwill to China already made Coolidge feel very incongruous. Promoting deeper cooperation between China and the US was even more unacceptable to Coolidge in intuition and feeling. Even though military and diplomacy were within the President's purview, Coolidge did not answer immediately. The depth and breadth involved in the Sino-US cooperation strategy were not just military and diplomatic fields. In Coolidge's intuition, such cooperation was already a global strategy. Just thinking about this strategy, Coolidge felt his thinking ability could no longer construct such a strategic panorama.

Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg looked at President Coolidge but said nothing. Secretary of State Frank felt he could understand the President's feelings. When hearing the strategic suggestion of Sino-US cooperation against the Versailles system, Frank B. Kellogg also felt it difficult to accept immediately. Recalling the changes He Rui had brought to China in just twelve years, Secretary of State Frank had to think more about it.

After a silence, Coolidge reached out and took the report from US Ambassador to China Nelson T. Johnson, asking at the same time, "Frank, does Nelson describe the Chinese public's attitude towards the United States in the report?"

"Mr. President, Nelson described it in the report, but I think it's not detailed enough. We have too few materials for studying China."

"Then ask Nelson to send a detailed report as soon as possible."

"Mr. President, I think it is best to immediately establish a specialized research institution. If necessary, a presidential special envoy can be dispatched."

"Do you have a candidate?"

"There is a candidate, but he is still on a ship returning to the United States from China."

"What is his name?"

"John Leighton Stuart. An American citizen born in China, with a Chinese name called Si Tu Lei Deng."