This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government
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CHINA TRADE.
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CONFIDENTIAL.
[29340]
No. 1.
535
34815
[August
SECTION 4.
23 SEF 08
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received August 24.)
(No. 311. Confidential.) Sir,
Peking, July 8, 1908. WITH reference to my despatch No. 266 of the 10th June I have the honour to inclose copy of the Treaty which was signed by the Swedish and Chinese Plenipotentiaries, M. Wallenberg and his Excellency Lien-fang, on the 2nd July, and which has been communicated to me confidentially.
There is little of importance to notice in this document, which in the main provides for most-favoured-nation treatment. Article 7 is based on Article 22 of the old Swedish Treaty of 1847, which is the same as Articles 22 and 26 of the United States' Treaties of 1844 and 1808 respectively. The requirement under Article 8 that ships of war shall give previous notice before admission into the Treaty ports of China, is, I believe, new. The limitation of most-favoured-nation treatment stated in the second paragraph of Article 13 is similar to that contained in Article 1 of the German Supplementary Convention of 1880, and is identical with the last paragraph of Article 6 of the Mexican Treaty of 1899.
It may be noted that the English text of the Treaty is authoritative, and that, under Article 2, notes or despatches from Swedish officials to Chinese must be written in English.
I have, &c. (Signed)
J. N. JORDAN,
!
Inclosure in No. 1.
Treaty between China and Sweden, signed at Peking, July 2, 1908.
HIS Majesty the King of Sweden and His Majesty the Emperor of China, desiring to maintain firm, lasting, and sincere friendship, and to extend further the commercial relations between their respective countries, and having resolved to conclude a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, have for that purpose named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: His Majesty the King of Sweden, Gustav Oscar Wallenberg; His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Peking; and His Majesty the Emperor of China, Lien Fang; His Majesty's High Commissioner Plenipotentiary and Senior Vice-President of the Board of Foreign Affairs; who, having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles:
ARTICLE 1.
There shall be, as there have always been, perpetual peace and friendship between His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Majesty the Emperor of China, and between their respective subjects, who shall enjoy equally in the respective countries of the High Contracting Parties full and entire protection of their persons and property.
ARTICLE 2.
It is agreed by the High Contracting Parties that His Majesty the King of Sweden may, if he sees fit, accredit a diplomatic Representative to the Court of Peking, and His Majesty the Emperor of China may, if he sees fit, accredit a diplomatic Representative to the Court of Stockholm.
The diplomatic Representatives thus accredited shall enjoy all the prerogatives, privileges, and immunities accorded by international usage to such Representatives, and
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