Enclosure 2
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, MAY 21st, 1884.
ALL doubt as to the terms of the preliminary convention between France and China signed on the 12th instant by Captain FOURNIER and LI HUNG-CHANG is set at rest by the text of that document reproduced in another column from our Shanghai morning contemporary. The version given is, we fancy, a translation from the Chinese text, and perhaps hardly conveys the exact meaning of some of the clauses. It is, however, sufficiently explicit to show that the telegram received here and in London announcing, among other conditions, that the provinces of Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Yunnan were to be opened to trade is not strictly accurate.
The fact is, as set forth in Article III., China promises that on her frontier which touches northern Annam [meaning Tonquin] she will allow French and Annamite and likewise Chinese goods to come and go and be disposed of freely." Now this is a somewhat different thing to throwing open the three southern provinces of China to trade generally. It is true that the northern frontier of Tonquin touches all three provinces, but it only covers a very small corner of Kwangtung, and it is doubtful whether other foreign goods are to be included in the "exceedingly liberal" tariff under which the French and Annamite goods are to be admitted.
It is at the same time most likely that other goods would be admitted if introduced through Tonquin, and should this prove to be the case England, Germany, and America would not be quite shut out of participation in the benefits of the treaty. The concession has, however, no doubt been obtained by France with the object of attracting the foreign trade of Western China into Tonquin. It remains to be seen to what extent her anticipations will be fulfilled, and whether England will be satisfied to see France secure this trade to herself without an effort to obtain a share of it through Burmah.
At present King Thibaw's dominions interpose as a solid wedge between British Burmah and Yunnan, but that capricious tyrant has nearly run the length of his tether, and must shortly be disestablished. Under British rule it would not be long before a railway connected Bhamo, close to the Yunnan frontier, with Rangoon. The progress of British Burmah has been almost unprecedented, and the railways constructed there have proved highly remunerative. Every inducement exists to abolish the impediment to the extension of commerce caused by the perversity of a vicious prince, who is a scourge to his wretched subjects and the sole trader in his kingdom.
Whenever the British Government decide to annex the King of Ava's territory, they can, we imagine, claim from China the same privilege of trade across the border as has just been granted to France.
The Viceroy of Chihli is to be congratulated upon saving his country any further expenditure of money and in making the best terms possible with France. No indemnity will have to be paid out of the scantily supplied treasury at Peking. That is a great thing in Chinese estimation. It is also a matter for satisfaction to foreigners engaged in trade in China, since there can be no doubt that any indemnity would have formed, in one way or another, a new tax on trade or the trading classes of the people, and thus been certain to act prejudicially on the import trade.
While, however, as we have said, there is solid reason for satisfaction that the claim for an indemnity has been abandoned by France, it cannot be denied that China has conceded all that she at the outset contended for. On the plea of her ancient suzerainty over Annam she claimed the right to intervene in the affairs of that country, to settle the questions in dispute with France, and insisted upon that power withdrawing her forces from Tonquin.
To this end she armed and equipped troops and despatched them across the border to aid the Black Flags and Annamites in resisting the French expedition; she spent large sums in fortifications on her coasts and up her rivers to repel any attack France might make in retaliation, and she imported immense quantities of arms and ammunition. Meantime, through her Ambassador at Paris, she blustered and threatened, and asserted that she would never surrender her claims over the King of Annam.
Then came reverses; one stronghold after another in Tonquin fell into the hands of the French, and the mandarins at Peking began to lose heart. As the danger of an actual attack upon some portion of the vulnerable coast-line of China loomed nearer and nearer, the bellicose spirit of the Chinese Government grew fainter and fainter, until after a whimsical shuffle of the cards—designed to impose upon the nation, and make them believe some persons had grossly mismanaged affairs—the EMPRESS-REGENT instructed the Viceroy of Chihli to make terms with the enemy, of course having "due regard for the prestige of China." LI HUNG-CHANG did his best, but the prestige of his country had necessarily to go to the wall, unless the poor pretence of guarding it which appears in Art. IV. of the Convention will give any solace to the mandarinate.
They have swallowed such a bolus on this occasion that we think there ought to be no difficulty on the part of the British Minister at Peking to persuade them, when conducting the negotiations for the ratification and completion of the Chefoo Convention, to make equally beneficial commercial concessions to Great Britain. Among these we would place in the foremost rank the opening of the Pearl river and its branches to foreign trade.
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Enclosure 2
The Daily
Daily Press.
HONGKONG, MAY 21st, 1884.
ALL doubt as to the terms of the preliminary convention between France and China signed on the 12th instant by Captain FOURNIER and LI HUNG-CHANG is set at rest by the text of that document reproduced in another column from our Shanghai morning contem- porary. The version given is, we fancy, a translation from the Chinese text, and perhaps hardly conveys the exact mean- ing of some of the clauses. It is, however, sufficiently explicit to sbow that the telegram received here and in London announcing, among other condi- tions, that the provinces of Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Yunnan were to be opened to trade is not strictly accurate. The fact is, as set forth in Article III., China promises that on her frontier which touches northern Annam [measing Tonquin] she will allow French and Annamite and likewise Chinese goods to come and go and be disposed of freely." Now this is a somewhat different thing to throwing open the three south. ern provinces of China to trade generally. It is true that the northern frontier of Tonquin touches all three provinces, but it only covers a very small corner of Kwang- tung, and it is doubtful whether other foreign goods are to be included in the "exceed- ingly liberal" tariff under which the French and Annamite goods are to be admitted. It is at the same time most likely that other goods would be admitted if introduced through Tonquin, and should this prove to be the case England, Germany, and America would oot be quite shut out of participation in the benefits of the treaty. The conces- sion has, however, no doubt been ob- tained by France with the object of at- tracting the foreign trade of Western China into Tonquin. It remains to be seen to what extent her anticipations will be ful- filled, and whether England will be satisfied to see France secure this trade to herself without an effort to obtain a share of it through Burmah. At present King Taxe- Baw's dominions interpose as a solid wedge between British Burmab and Yunnan, but that capricions tyrant has nearly run the length of his tether, and must shortly be disestablished. Under British rule it would uot be long before a railway connected Bhamo, close to the Yunnan frontier, with Raugonn. The progress of British Burmah has been almost unprecedented, and the railways constructed there bave proved highly remunerative. Every induce. meat exists to abolish the impediment to the extension of commerce caused by the per- versity of a vicious prince, who is a scourge to bis wretched subjects and the sole trader in his kingdom. Whenever the Bri- tish Government decide to annex the King of Ava's territory, they can, we imagine, claim
12 1534
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11036
from Übinn the same privilege of trade across
the border as has just been granted to France.
The Viceroy of Chibli is to be con- gratulated upon saving his country any fur- ther expenditure of money and in making: the best terms possible with France. No indemnity will have to be paid out of the scantily supplied treasury at Poking. That is a great thing in Chinese estimation. It is also a matter for satisfaction to foreigners engaged in trade in China, since there can be no doubt that any indemnity would have formed, in one way or another, a new tax on trade or the trading classes of the people, and thus been certain to act prejudicially on the import trade. While, however, as we have said, there is solid reason for satisfaction that the claim for an indemnity has been abandoned by France, it cannot be denied that China has conceded all that she at the outset contended for.
On the plea of her ancient suzerainty over An- nam.she claimed the right to intervene in the affairs of that country, to settle the ques- tions in dispute with France, and insisted upon that power withdrawing her forces from Tonquin. To this end she armed aud equipped troops and despatched them across the border to aid the Black Flags and An- namites in resisting the French expedition,she spent large sums in fortifications on her coasts and up her rivers to repel any attack France might make in retaliation, and abe imported immense quantities of arms and ammunition. Meantime, through her Am- bassader at Paris, she blustered and threat- ened, and asserted that she would never surrender her claims over the King of An- nam. Then came reverses; one stronghold after another in Tonquin fell into the hands! of the French, and the mandarins at Peking began to lose beart. As the danger of an actual attack upon some portion of the vul- nerable coast-line of China loomed nearer and nearer, the bellicose spirit of the Chinese Government grew fainter and fainter, until after whimsical shuffle of the carda-designed to impose upon nation, and make them believe some persons had grossly mis- managed affairs-the EMPRESS-REGENT in- structed the Viceroy of Chihli to make terms with the enemy, of course having
"due re- gard for the prestige of China." LI HUNG- CHANG did his best, but the prestige of his country had necessarily to go to the wall, unless the poor pretence of guarding it which appears in Art. IV. of the Convention will give any solace to the mandarinate. They have swallowed such a bolus on this occasion that we think there ought to be no difficulty on the part of the British Ministerat Peking to persuade them, when conducting the negotiations for the ratification and com- pletion of the Chefoo Convention, to make equally beneficial commercial concessions to Great Britain. Among these we would place in the foremost rank the opening of the T'earl river and its branches to foreign trade.
the that
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