Such a diplomatic event naturally attracted attention from all quarters, with some media on Earth providing special reports and even some political programs going live.
Flashpoint Company’s subsidiary, SSR TV, launched a special news program featuring a host and two guests, adhering to this somewhat dull yet standard form of discussion.
SSR TV operates on a decentralized and populous-friendly approach, so the opinions on their news programs are not very concentrated. One of the guests was a professor of international relations from the United Kingdom, who had evidently shifted his research focus to relations between Universe Civilizations in the Intergalactic Era. The other was a prominent self-media personality.
The host began by stating, "…This diplomatic meeting is of quite a high level, with all parties sending ambassador-level diplomats. This is also the first time the Star Alliance has hosted such a diplomatic event in an official capacity, so it has garnered a great deal of attention. We would like to ask Professor Stacey, what are the main topics of this diplomatic meeting?"
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The professor spoke confidently, "Friends concerned with the development of the Star Alliance should know that not long ago, the Star Alliance government promoted a large-scale exploration operation in the local Bubble Star Region and Xunyi Star Zone to understand our Universe’s environment and find more resources and favorable conditions. Especially since we are facing potential invasions from three major enslaver civilizations at any time, it is even more necessary to have an accurate understanding of our surroundings.
In the process, we also discovered numerous unclaimed planets with great development potential, such as Yujie Star where the meeting is being held. It is an inhabitable planet similar to the environment of Earth. At the current stage, Earth Civilization in terms of civility rank and technological capability, far surpasses more than a dozen civilizations in the Bi Star Cluster. We possess high-level civilization warp speed technology, we have antimatter energy that can provide vast amounts of energy, and we also have Atomic Substance Construction Technology that can nearly manufacture everything. These capabilities give Earth Civilization a huge advantage in external colonization and expansion.
The Star Alliance government has already set up a still unpublicized external colonization plan, and now what we can ascertain is that the Star Alliance has already planted flags and established bases on over forty inhabitable planets and more than twenty non-inhabitable planets with important resources, claiming sovereignty over all these planets.
According to the general principles in the Galaxy, our actions are technically and legally defensible. Since these planets were unoccupied and no claims of ownership existed, our first-come-first-served basis stands considerable ground. However, the situation in the Bi Star Cluster is slightly different, as this star region already has several civilizations, limited by their capabilities and power, not occupying all planets. Once the Star Alliance extends its influence into this star region, they will naturally feel pressured and fearful.
Clearly, the Star Alliance is not a force they can counteract militarily, so the twelve civilizations of the Bi Star Cluster have collectively asked to discuss our position within the Bi Star Cluster."
"So, the main discussion of this meeting is about the Star Alliance’s sovereign claims over a few planets within the Bi Star Cluster?" the host asked the other guest.
"I don’t quite agree with that. As Professor Stacey already mentioned, the practice of sovereignty in the Universe is similar to what we had previously on Earth. There are a few basic principles, first discovery and first occupation grants sovereignty over an unclaimed planet. If discovered first but not effectively occupied, then you do not own the planet. Now, the Star Alliance has effectively occupied three inhabitable planets within the Bi Star Cluster. Given the current military strength of the Star Alliance, even if the twelve civilizations of the Bi Star Cluster combine forces to wage war against us, they wouldn’t stand much of a chance, so the Star Alliance’s acquisitions are definitely not going to be relinquished. The issue of sovereignty over Yujie Star and the other two planets is not something the Star Alliance plans to discuss with the opposition."
"Then what do you believe the discussion topic will be?"
"Firstly, the Star Alliance will aim to establish friendly relations with the civilizations within the Bi Star Cluster. The Star Alliance is peace-loving and does not wish to wage any unjustified and meaningless wars. The civilizations within the Bi Star Cluster are our neighbors, and naturally, we prefer to maintain friendly neighborly relations.
Secondly, the Star Alliance will request that the civilizations within the Bi Star Cluster recognize the Star Alliance’s possession of Yujie Star and others, as well as its presence within the Bi Star Cluster. Broadening this, it is likely the Star Alliance will subtly make the opposition acknowledge the Star Alliance’s influence over the local Bubble Star Region.
Thirdly, adhering to principles of harmony and friendship, the Star Alliance is expected to discuss the division of powers within the star cluster with the civilizations of the Bi Star Cluster. More than a third of the planets within the star cluster remain unclaimed, and the Star Alliance has no intention of occupying them all, thus it is necessary to clarify which planet belongs to which civilization and determine a mutually recognized star map boundary."
The host asked the professor again, "Professor Stacey, do you think the Star Alliance will achieve its diplomatic goals?"
The professor said with a smile, "That’s almost certain. After all, the Galaxy lacks a truly superior arbiter, and the Galactic High Governance Council, the rule-maker, also lacks the capability to fully enforce the rules on all civilizations. So oftentimes, the handling of relations between civilizations is still quite limited by disparities in power. The reality is that the Star Alliance is extremely powerful, so the real question is whether the Star Alliance intends to be more domineering or accommodating, potentially ceding some planets to a few civilizations within the Bi Star Cluster."
…
Bai Zhongqi watched the news program’s commentary and smiled knowingly.
This time, his participation in the meeting was not suitable, but his girlfriend Han Jiaxue, as an official in the Star Alliance Commerce Department, had also attended the meeting.
The commentary in the news was essentially correct. Bai Zhongqi was planning to negotiate with the civilizations within the Bi Star Cluster about how to divide the territory of the Bi Star Cluster. Previously, the Bi Star Cluster was large and there was space in the surrounding star regions, so everyone was vague about this boundary, and whoever occupied it possessed it.
Now that the Star Alliance, an evidently excessively large entity, had moved in, the Star Alliance could quickly occupy all planets if it so desired, and the other civilizations couldn’t compete. Therefore, the other civilizations hoped to formally confirm their own developable planets. At least within the Bi Star Cluster, all civilizations recognized this arrangement.
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But Bai Zhongqi knew that after the Bi Star Cluster was partitioned this way, the growth upper limits of the dozen or so civilizations were essentially capped. Limited resources and insufficient space would prevent them from rising indefinitely. Even if someone wanted to leave the Bi Star Cluster to develop elsewhere, and both star regions are entirely within the Star Alliance’s sphere of influence, they still couldn’t move an inch.
This was also why smaller civilizations within the sphere of influence of a higher-level civilization generally fail to develop and achieve high grades.