(8/41A/1935)
Copy to:-
Hongkong,
Commercial Counsellor,
Canton,
Shanghai,
Trade Commissioner Hongkong,
C-in-C,
FEMORANDUK.
Sub-Legation,
Air Attaché, Foreign Office.
248
His Majesty's Legation have the honour to
refer to the Wai Chiao Fu's Aide Menoire of 27th December
last, in which the Wai Chiao u enquired whether munitions
of war unloaded or trans-shipped at Hong Kong were when
re-exported from Hong Kong regarded as direct exports to
abroad, and whether any cases of smuggling that might
occur in this connexion would be dealt with by the Hong
Kong Government.
His Majesty's Legation referred that enquiry
to the Government of Hong Kong and are now in receipt of
their reply to the following effect.
The Hong Kong Government have always been
most strict in their observance of the arrangements laid
down by the Chinese Government and accepted by Hi»
Majesty's Government, regarding the importation into
China of munitions of war. If, however, a contract for
the purchase of munitions is concluded by any party with
a manufacturer in a foreign country, the passage of the
munitions shipped in accordance with that contract
through the Colony then becomes, in the words of the
Statute on Freedom of Transit adopted by the Barcelona
Conference on 14th April 1981,"only a portion of a
complete journey beginning and terminating beyond the
frontier of the State across whose territory the transit
takes placg" and all intervention is therefore barred,
/ even