(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.) 401
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[34675]
No. 1.
[October 21.]
SECTION 2.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received October 21.)
(No. 428.) Sir,
IN the course of a recent conversation with one of the Ministers of the Wai-wu Pu,
Peking, September 4, 1907. allusion was made to the recent Franco-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Agreements. His Excellency spoke of the protest which the Wai-wu Pu had addressed to the French and Japanese Chargé d'Affaires, and his account of its terms confirmed the information contained in my despatch No. 400 of the 21st ultimo. He told me that the Wai-wu Pu had received reassuring replies from both Legations in which all intention was disclaimed of trenching in any way upon the prerogatives of China.
As regards the Russo-Japanese Agreement, the document was now being examined by the Wai-wu Pu, and they found its language to be much less objectionable than that of the Franco-Japanese Agreement.
The Minister concluded with the remark that China found it hard to understand why foreign Powers showed such disinterested solicitude in her welfare.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN,
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