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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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SOUTH-WEST CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
582
[May 22.]
SECTION 1.
Sir E. Salow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received May 22.)
(No. 112.) My Lord,
IN continuation of my despatch No. 79 of the 9th March, I have the honour to
Peking, April 4, 1905. transmit translation of a note which I have received from Prince Ch'ing in reply to mine of the 7th March with regard to the undelimited portion of the southern section of the Burmah-Yunnan boundary.
Your Lordship will perceive that his Highness refers to an indorsement on the map attached to the Convention of 1894, to the effect that "the line indicated in this map, forming an Annex to the Convention signed in London on the 1st March, 1894, must be considered as approximate only, as the situation of the localities has not yet been precisely ascertained"; and taking his stand on the provision of Article VI that a Joint High Commission to verify and demarcate the frontier, refuses to accept the line laid down by Sir George Scott as a provisional frontier.
Under these circumstances I would suggest that the best course to follow would be to ignore this note for the present, and for the Burmah Government to take measures, as intimated in the letter from the India Office of the 28th September, 1904, to prevent Chinese soldiers and officials transgressing the Scott line.
A copy of this despatch and its inclosure has been forwarded to the Government of Indin.
I have, &c. (Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
(Translation.) Your Excellency,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Prince Ching to Sir E. Satou.
Peking, March 30, 1905.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your note of the 7th March on the subject of the southern portion of the Burmah-Yünnan frontier, and to state in reply that this Board have duly examined the map signed by Lord Rosebery and his Excellency Sieh. This map bears the indorsement that taken to represent an approximately satisfactory line, because the positions of the this can of course only be various places have not yet been exactly determined," and the Convention provided that in order to avoid any local contention, the alignments of the frontier described should be verified and demarcated, and in the case of its being found defective at any point, rectified by a Joint Commission appointed by the High Contracting Parties."
Sir George Scott, being unable to come to an agreement with the Chinese Commis- sioner, made an alignment himself, which was not verified and demarcated. unable to accept this as the provisional boundary, and, on receiving your Excellency's We are note now under acknowledgment, this Board have informed the Viceroy of the Yun-Kuei Provinces of its contents, calling upon him at the same time to make a further careful study of the question in the light of the map and the terms of the Convention, and with due consideration of all the local conditions. When his Excel- lency's reply arrives it will be communicated to your Excellency, for the information of His Majesty's Government, with the request that officers may be appointed to conduct a joint survey, in order that a satisfactory settlement of the question may be made. Before such demarcation is effected each should maintain its old limits of jurisdiction without trespass on either side, so that the welfare of the frontier between the two countries ruay be duly preserved.
I avail, &c.
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