[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government...
CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
514 6167
[December 5.]
The 20 - 08
SECTION 1.
[39866]
(No. 211.)
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 5.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
ERADICATION of opium in China.
Peking, December 4, 1907.
Please see Inclosure 1 in my despatch No. 384 of the 14th August. Following is substance of a note which has been addressed to me by the Wai-wu Pu, under date the 2nd instant, in which the Board express the high appreciation felt by the Chinese Government of the cordial support which they have received from His Majesty's Government and reply to the various points under consideration :--
1. Chinese Government accept proposal made by His Majesty's Government to diminish export annually for a period of three years from January 1908, and agree to proviso which His Majesty's Government have attached to this proposal. They state, however, that, according to the Customs returns, the average annual import of opium into China during the five years 1901 to 1905 inclusive, amounted to 42,327 chests, each 120 catties in weight, and they ask that that figure may form the basis of the proportion of annual diminution.
2. Chinese Government accept stipulation that officer shall have no power to interfere.
3. Chinese Government find it difficult at present to go fully into the three points on which information is required by His Majesty's Government. The Board reserve the question therefore for future discussion, but they propose to postpone levy of the double duty.
4. Wai-wu Pu agree to proposal (please refer to my despatch No. 473 of the 2nd October), and steps to prevent smuggling of prepared opium into China will be taken.
5. Wai-wu Pu accept views of His Majesty's Government as evidence of their intention to accord the fullest measure of support to China in eradicating the evil, and refer to what has been already effected outside the limits of settlements and concessions as evidence of their own action.
6. Chinese Government have secured the co-operation of all the Powers with the exception of Japan.
The note concludes by stating that it is the earnest hope of China to effect the complete eradication of opium, seconded as she is by the assistance of Great Britain.
I have repeated this telegram to the Viceroy of India.
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