[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty'a Kovertook
C. O.
32445
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Reco
44
[July 8.]
Deel 10 SEP 07
SECTION 1.
[22357]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received July 8.)
(No. 132.) (Telegraphic.) P.
Peking, July 6, 1907. WITH reference to your telegram No. 76 of the 27th ultimo, and my telegram No. 181 of yesterday's date, I have the honour to inform you that at an interview with Prince Ching to-day I adduced the intolerable delay in giving effect to the Peking Syndicate's Shansi Agreement and our various Railway Concessions as instances of China's wilful disregard of her engagements, and I earnestly impressed upon the Prince the very serious view taken by His Majesty's Government of the manner in which she is trifling with her obligations to us.
His Highness replied that the Chinese Government were determined to give effect to these undertakings so far as lay in their power, and fully recognized them as Imperial obligations.
Wang, the late Minister in London, was already actively engaged in paving the way for the Soochow-Ningpo negotiations; the Tien-tsin-Yang-tsze negotiations were, he understood, making progress; he had personally conferred with the Provincial Judge of Shansi, and hoped that he would shortly arrange that question.
I pressed strongly for a more definite statement on each of these points, explaining that promises were not what we wanted, but performance. The Prince said, however, that he could do no more than assure me that the Wai-wu Pu would make every effort to expedite matters as far as in them lay.
The risk of a boycott, or other serious trouble incommensurate with interests involved, renders it difficult to suggest any form of pressure which would prove effective, but the step best calculated to make the necessary impression upon the Central Government without provoking danger of concerted popular retaliation would, perhaps, be a forward movement on the Burmah-Yünnan frontier. I do not, however, recommend any measures of this nature for the present.
[2670 h-1]