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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[March 11.]
TRECO
SECTION 1 6 MAY 05
AMENDED COPY.]
No. 1.
sup4
(No. 8.)
My Lord,
Mr. Jamieson to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received March 11.)
Shanghae, February 3, 1905.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith copy of a despatch and its inclosure which I have addressed to Sir Ernest Satow, on the subject of Germany's interests in China.
I have, &c. (Signed)
J. W. JAMIESON,
Commercial Attaché.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
(No. 3.) Sir,
Mr. Jamieson to Sir E. Satow.
Shanghae, February 3, 1905. IN compliance with the instructions contained in your despatch of January 6th last, I have the honour to forward herewith a Memorandum with regard to the statements contained in the publication of the Central Union for the Preparation of Trade Treaties, Berlin, on the subject of Germany's interests in China.
I am sending a copy of this despatch and its inclosure to His Majesty's Secretary of State.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. W. JAMIESON,
Commercial Attaché.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Germany's Interests in China.
(From the publication of the Central Union for the preparation of Trade Treaties, Berlin, 1904.)
WHAT interests have we in China? We have a great many, and so important that they demand our attention. The argument advanced by some that the Empire should let the East take care of itself, that we should withdraw our troops and ships, that we should give Kaiochau back to the Chinese, is hardly worth considering. It is also argued that efforts to obtain markets in China can only interest a very small group of Germans, and that it can never be of any great interest to the future industrial develop- ment of our people. Let us see how much truth there is in this statement.
Wherever we turn our eyes on China we find German interests, German capital, German intelligence, German thrift, and German effort at work. They are all spinning threads which are bound ultimately to bring us into the closest industrial connection with the Chinese Empire.
Germany's part in the shipping of China during the year 1890 was 5 per cent.; in 1900 it was 10 per cent., and in 1901 it had reached 15 per cent. The German flag has taken second place in Chinese waters. In 1903, 54 per cent. of the shipping interests were under the British flag, 16 per cent. under that of Germany, 13 per cent. under that of China, and 11 per cent, under that of Japan. great part of China's coasting, river, and lake trade is carried on under the German flag. In Shanghae, the centre of China's sea trade, the Germans have lines running north and south as well as far into the interior on the Yang-tsze. There are not less than 25 German steam-ships in the regular coasting trade of the Empire. German steamers run between Hankow and Shanghae, between Hankow and Ichang, and between Hankow
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