20
$
Foreign Office for their views on this point from the
angle of international law and the separation of the
commercial from the diplomatic activities of foreign
Governments. I suppose it is true, as the despatch
suggests, that the Chinese Provincial Governments abend
stand on the same plane as the recognised Chinese National
Government for the purpose of obtaining immunities: but
the Foreign Office might be asked about this.
The question of taxation of commercial
activities of foreign Governments also arises. I believe
that within the Empire the various Governments have agreed
not to claim immunity for trading activities: but we do
not seem to have anything helpful about the trading
activities of foreign Governments in the United Kingdom.
It might be the most tactful argument for insisting on
the formation of a Company to say that a bank not subject to
Hong Kong taxation would have an unfair advantage over its
competitors.
In
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