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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[45336]
No. 1.
[December 15.]
SECTION 7.
India Office to Foreign Office.—(Received December 15.)
THE Under-Secretary of State for India presents his compliments to the Under- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and, by direction of the Earl of Crewe, forwards herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State, copy of a telegram from the Viceroy, dated the 14th December, relative to negotiations regarding Pien-ma.
India Office, December 15, 1910.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Government of India to the Earl of Crewe.
December 14, 1910.
(Telegraphic.) P.
EXPEDITION to Pien-ma. See your telegram dated the 13th instant. Reply proposed by Foreign Office shuts the door too effectually, in our opinion, against any further overtures that Chinese Government might make. While main- taining our standpoint, it is desirable that negotiations should be encouraged. A less uncompromising reply would be to the following effect:---
"It is impossible for His Majesty's Government to consider any question of delimitation on any basis other than that of the line notified to China on the 1st May, 1906, so long as any settlement of the frontier on that basis is refused by the Chinese Government. But, as regards the customary presents and dues levied on the western side of the proposed boundary, His Majesty's Government will always be ready to negotiate an agreement for the payment of compensation. There is no intention meanwhile on the part of His Majesty's Government to send troops across the watershed which they have declared to be the frontier."
(1810 p-7]