[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government
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SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[September 21.]
(RE 23 00 5
SECTION 1.
Sir,
India Office to Foreign Office.--Received September 21.)
India Office, September 20, 1905. WITH reference to Sir E. Gorst's letter of the 10th August regarding the joint examination by British and Chinese officials of the Burmah-China frontier north of Manangpum, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Brodrick to request that you will lay before the Marquess of Lansdowne the accompanying copy of a letter from the Govern ment of India, in which they support certain recommendations of the Government of Burmah for the settlement of the question with the Chinese Government.
Mr. Brodrick would suggest, for Lord Lansdowne's consideration, that Sir E. Satow should be instructed to endeavour, in the first instance, to induce the Chinese Govern- ment to agree to accept, without further discussion, the watershed between the Irrawaddy and Salween basins as their boundary up to the confines of Thibet, on the understanding that the Indian Government will agree to pay an annual sum not exceed- ing, say, 1,500 rupecs as compensation for the extinction of all Chinese claims of whatsoever nature on the British side of the boundary.
Lord Lansdowne will, however, observe that the Government of Burmah deprecate any precise statement as to where China ends and Thibet begins, and that they do not desire, should difficulties be raised by the Chinese, to press for the watershed boundary beyond latitude 26° 30′,
Up to that point they recommend that the Chinese Government should, in the last resort, he made clearly to understand that His Majesty's Government intend to regard the watershed as the frontier; and that, failing its acceptance by the Chinese on the occupy and terms now offered, the Government of Burmah will be instructed to administer the country without further negotiations.
It will be seen that the Government of Burmah attach importance to the avoidance, in negotiations on this subject with China, of all terms of local jurisdiction, and prefer the use, as far as possible, of geographical definitions.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
HORACE WALPOLE.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Government of India to Mr. Brodrick,
(Secret.)
Simla, August 17, 1905. Sir,
WE have the honour to refer to our Secret despatch, dated the 30th June, 1904, regarding the joint examination by British and Chinese officials of the Burmah-Chinese frontier north of Manangpum, and to the papers on the subject which have subsequently been transmitted to the Secretary in the Political Department of the India Office for your information.
2. We now have the honour to forward copies of the communications from the Burmah Government, in which they have reported the results achieved by the expedition, and have offered their opinion with regard to the action which should now be taken,
3. We concur in the views expressed by the Lieutenant-Governor in his letter of the 19th June last, as subsequently modified by his letter dated the 24th June last, and support the recommendations made by him. We would therefore suggest that His Majesty's Minister at Peking should be instructed to address the Chinese Government in the sense proposed by Sir Herbert White.
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