This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C. O.
212
CHINA RAILWAYS.
19974
[April 17.]
CONFIDENTIAL
RECE
REG 5 JUN 07
SECTION 3.
[11367]
No. 1.
Sir,
Foreign Office to British and Chinese Corporation.
Foreign Office, April 17, 1907. I AM directed by Secretary Sir Edward Grey to inform you that upon receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo the Chinese Central Railways were informed that, subject to any observations which they might wish to make, he proposed to instruct His Majesty's Minister at Peking to give precedence to the loan project for the Soochow- Ningpo Railway, and to take up the Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze Railway negotiations as soon as the others were concluded.
Sir E. Grey has now received and considered the observations of the Corporation, which were communicated to him in a letter dated the 8th instant, a copy of which, it is understood, has been sent to you.
His Majesty's Minister at Peking has accordingly been informed by telegraph that precedence should be given to the negotiations respecting the Soochow-Ningpo line, but that he should lend his support to his German colleague in the Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze negotiations, which the Syndicate propose to continue independently, so far as he can do so without detriment to the former negotiations.
I am to add that Sir J. Jordan reports that on the 12th instant he requested the Wai-wu Pu, both by letter and verbally, to appoint negotiators for the Soochow-Ningpo Railway.
[2449 - -31
I am, &c.
(Signed)
F. A. CAMPBELL.
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