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.]
30)
3/2
(F.2846).
To CHINA.
Cypher telegram to Sir M. Lampson, (Nanking),
Foreign Office, 29th May, 1931, 12.20 p.m.
No.130.
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Extra-
Article 16, Reserved
Your telegram No.230 (of May 26th;
territoriality negotiations.
areas.)
The exclusion of Greater Shanghai for so long a period as ten years may appear a tempting bait but the objections to a fixed time limit still seem to be very strong. When the time comes for Shanghai to pass under Chinese jurisdiction the negotiation of adequate safeguards for the vast concentration of foreign interests there will be as important as the negotiations of safeguards in the present treaty. it is now agreed that at some future fixed date foreign jurisdiction will automatically cease in Shanghai it will be difficult, with our hands so tied, to secure in the proposed negotiations the safeguards
If on the other hand that may be really essential.
If
the future of Shanghai is not settled now but is left open for future negotiations this will be an added incentive to the Chinese to make the arrangements in the Treaty now under negotiation work well and actual experience of the working of these arrangements should be a valuable guide as to the safeguards that would be
needed in Shanghai.
2.