This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[F 5058/933/10]
No. 1.
59
[November 25. 1926.]
SECTION 1.
Brussels, November 23, 1926.
Sir G. Grahame to Sir Austen Chamberlain.—(Received November 25.) (No. 1073.) Šir,
WITH reference to my despatch No. 1033 of the 11th November regarding the Sino-Belgian dispute, I have the honour to inform you that, according to a communiqué herein enclosed which appears in this morning's newspapers,* the Chinese Minister in Brussels has handed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs a note declaring that the Chinese Government refuse to enter into an agreement to bring before the Permanent Court of International Justice the conflict regarding the right of denunciation of the treaty of 1865. The Belgian Government have consequently decided to bring the matter themselves before The Hague Court, the Chinese Government having recognised the competence of that court.
2. The statement continues to the effect that China, having already proceeded to acts violating the obligations entailed upon her by the treaty, the Belgian Government are led to ask The Hague Court, pending its final decision, to indicate the steps which appear to it necessary for safeguarding the rights of Belgium and of Belgian nationals. As the Belgian Government have previously stated, this resort to arbitration on a Juridical point does not exclude their intention to negotiate in a friendly spirit in order to arrive at a revision of the treaty, due account being given to the interests and legitimate aspirations of the two countries.
* Not printed.
[1450 bb-1]
I have, &c.
GEORGE GRAHAME.
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