P 6570/52/10
Sir,
18
PORRIGE OPPICS.
S.. 1.
28th December, 1929.
49
I am directed by Mr.Secretary Henderson to refer
to your letter C.R.T.3021/29 of the 11th December and to
30 your previous letter C.R.T.3021/29 or the 13th November
addressed to the Colonial office, in which are raised
the questions of the treaty obligations of Hongkong and
China respectively that may be involved in article V of
the proposed agreement relative to the Chinese Customs
Administration.
2.
Kr.Henderson is advised that under article V
of the proposed agreement the government of Hongkong appear
not to grant any privileges at all but only to receive them
so that it becomes unnecessary to consider Hongkong's
obligations under the most-favoured-nation clauses of
treaties concluded with Japan or other Powers. The whole
of the past prohibition of trading between Hongkong and the
Chinese inland waters has come from China. It is the
Chinese who now propose to remove the ban and the treaty
obligations of Hongkong cannot offer any obstacle to the
removal of the ban either in respect of Chinese vessels
only or in respect of British as well as Chinese vessels.
3. As regards the treaty obligations of China
in respect of any privileges which she may grant by article V,
The Secretary
to the Board of Trade.
it