1. Gov. Secur
7.2129
Chinare Castano Hause in H.K.
ні
& Chinese Maritime Customs
This question of the position of
Chinese Maritime Customs in Hong Kong has been
raised in a rather abstract manner several times
in the last few years and was discussed by
Sir C. Clementi with the Foreign Office last
summer. It will probably now be raised in a
more concrete form by an article in the proposed
new Commercial Treaty with China which reads:-
"Goods which are shipped from one
Chinese port to another via Hong Kong and which
remain under Chinese Maritime Customs
supervision in Hong Kong shall not be subjected
to any other duties or charges by the Chinese
Customs authorities than would be levied on
goods shipped directly, provided that no duties
or charges are levied on such goods by the Customs authorities of Hong Kong."
We are consulting Hong Kong about that and for
the moment there seems to be nothing to do with
this despatch except send it to the Foreign Office.
It seems unnecessary to express any opinion on the
matters raised in it.
It appears from Mr. Clutterbuck's minute
of 28th June, 1928 on 30035/27 that Sir C.Clementi
desired to come to some agreement on Customs
matters with Canton. I understand from Mr.
Clutterbuck that the matter was left to Sir C.
Clementi to take up and, as he never reverted to it, nothing was done. I do not think we need
now