This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
344
[March 26.]
C.O. 16234
SECTION 2.
RECE
[11543]
Sir,
No. 14 MAY 09)
Mr. Whitelaw Reid to Sir Edward Grey.~(Received March 26.)
American Embassy, London, March 24, 1909.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that our Legation at Peking was advised by the Chinese Foreign Office on the 28th December, 1908, that China, in order to revise her financial system, desired to implement the Treaty provisions regarding the increase of the Tariff and the abolishing of the li-kin, and to this end had requested the foreign Ministers at Peking that each Government should appoint an official to consult with the Wai-wu Pu with respect to this subject.
My Government sympathizes with this desire on the part of China and considers that the realization thereof would be beneficial to foreign comunerce, and I therefore would be glad to be informed whether His Majesty's Government intend to take any steps in regard to this proposal.
I venture to add that a similar inquiry will be made by our Ambassadors at Paris, Berlin, and St. Petersburgh of the Governments to which they are respectively accredited.
I have, &c. (Signed)
WHITELAW REID,
[2188 cc-2]