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(59) m 33740
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efforts to maintain an effective control of the
import into China of arms and munitions of war.
I shall, therefore, pending some international
agreement in regard to what constitutes military
aircraft, continue to apply this definition in
respect to exports to China, unless the continuance
of this procedure should be found to result in
placing American exporters at an unjustifiable
disadvantage as compared with their principal
foreign competitors.
I note that your Government has not as
yet completed its consideration of the subject of
the export of arms to China and that it will not
fail to inform this Government of the conclusions
which are finally reached in the matter. I venture
to express the hope that in studying this matter,
your Government may find it possible to give
special consideration to the possibility of
modifying the procedure now in effect in Hong
Kong in respect to the transshipment of arms to
China. As I pointed out in my note of August 10,
we have, for a number of years, proceeded upon the
presumption that under present political conditions
in China, shipments from the United States to
Hong Kong are destined for China. Unless that
presumption can be overcome by the exporter in the
United States, the exporter has been required to
make application for license to export.
When
the consignees mentioned in such application are firms duly registered by the Hong Kong authorities
as dealers in firearms and when the articles
covered by such applications appear on their face
to be destined for the trade in Hong Kong, export
licenses/