Condos.
no:
る
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
257
FROM CHINA.
Decode. Sir M. Lampson. (Peking).
January 2nd, 1930.
D.
2.0.p.m. January 2nd, 1930.
R.
9.0.2.m. January 2nd, 1930.
No. 12. (R).
Hongkong customs agreement.
in 51 on
62847
A/29/
1. Not having received opinion of British
Chamber of Commerce asked for in my despatch No.366
to Shanghai I submit my own views before leaving for
the South.
2. You will by now have received or shortly be
receiving copy of Governor's despatch of November 20th
to Colonial Office enclosing revised draft agreement.
Attitude of Hongkong as described therein and in Hong-
kong telegram to me of December 13th is that agreement
in the form proposed by Chinese government gives too much to China and too little to Hongkong. On the other hand I think there is no question of Chinese government accepting any draft including articles 5,6 and 10 as
put forward by Hongkong.
3. Question as I see it turns on two points: (a) how far is it in our own interest that a Chinese-Hongkong customs agreement should be concluded and (b) how
serious are disadvantages to Hongkong of allowing Chinese maritime customs to function in the colony.
4. As regards (b) certain administrative incon-
veniences would no doubt be involved which I am not in
a position to estimate; from point of view of commerce
and.
D •