[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[Agrib 3.]
SECTION OR ||
[12061]
(No. 81.) Sir,
No. 1.
Sir G. Buchanan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 3.)
St. Petersburgh, March 30, 1911. WITH reference to my telegram No. 75 of the 28th instant, I have the honour to transmit herewith a literal translation of the Chinese note handed to the Russian Minister at Peking on the 27th instant. The text of this note was published in the newspapers here yesterday.
I have, &c.
GEORGE W. BUCHANAN.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Note communicated to the Russian Minister at Peking on March 14 (27), 1911.
(Translation.)
I HAD the honour to receive your communication of the 11th March, in which it is said that, in the answer of the 5th (18th) March from the Ministry committed to my charge, the question of the establishment of the consulates provided for by the treaty of St. Petersburgh of 1881, and that of the introduction, contrary to treaties with the Powers, of monopolies in the province of Hsin Kiang are passed over in silence, and that in the same way no regard has been paid to the rights of Russian subjects to carry on trade free of taxes and dues. "Ouly after formal confirmation,” in the words of the communication, "can the Russian Government open a discussion on the question of the imposition of taxes," &c.
The Ministry committed to my charge considers it its duty to declare in reply to the above that it has already pronounced itself categorically in its communications of the 6th (19th) February and the 5th (18th) March as to its attitude with regard to the questions raised above, which, indeed, require no confirmation. In consideration of your Excellency's demands, the Ministry will now proceed to the confirmation required in order to allay misunderstandings in the future.
As regards consulates in Kobdo, Hami, and Gutshong, the Ministry committed to my charge has already expressed, in its first answer, its wish that consuls should be sent to those places in consideration of article 10 of the treaty. In its second answer it consented to the establishment of a consulate at Kobdo in consideration of your declaration in the second note, which declaration was exclusively concerned with Kobdo, and it (the Ministry) did not in any way deny the right to establish consulates other than Kobdo in places mentioned in the treaty.
As regards the question of the monopolies in the province of Hsin Kiang, the Ministry committed to my charge had the honour to state in its second answer that Russian subjects engaged in trade in those parts of China to the north and south of the Tian Shan range beyond the Great Wall should be subject to the same regulations as the Chinese, without further restriction, which shows that the expression same conditions without further restriction means that China is not striving for monopolies.
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The Ministry committed to my charge has declared in its first answer, while discussing the question of untaxed trade by Russian subjects in Mongolia and West China, that China holds firmly to the provisions of article 12 of the treaty of 1881, whereby the right of Russian subjects to trade temporarily in Mongolia and West China without paying taxes is clearly recognised. Such a recognition can certainly not be characterised as an "ignoring of treaty rights."
For the rest, friendly relations have always existed between China and Russia,
[1974 e-1]
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