Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[May 21.
SECTION 1.
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received May 21.)
RECO25514£14JUN04)
Peking, April 4, 1904.
(No. 115.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith to your Lordship, with reference to my despatch No. 41 of the 2nd February, a copy of a Report from the officer in charge of His Majesty's Consulate at Kongmoon on the commercial and political advantages to be derived from the opening of the port of Nanning to foreign trade.
I called for this Report from Mr. Fox on receipt of the letter from the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, to which reference is made in my despatch to your Lordship above mentioned.
I have approved the suggestion that Nanning should be visited in the course of the summer by the Consul at Wuchow.
I have, &c. (Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
(No. 2. Confidential.)
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Fox to Sir E. Satow.
Kongmoon, March 17, 1904.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch, Confidential, No. 1 of the 2nd February, addressed to me at Wuchow. I regret that, owing first to illness and subsequently to press of work in connection with the opening of Kongmoon, I have failed to furnish you with the Report called for at an earlier date.
I have not yet had an opportunity of visiting Nanning, but from the information I have gained regarding the foreign trade of the West River above Wuchow, I do not think that the opening of Nanning to foreign trade at the present time would result in any material increase in British trade in South-West China.
As regards shipping, it is, I believe, the accepted opinion that the West River above Wuchow, owing to its numerous rapids and narrow channels, is not navigable for anything but steam-launches and small light-draft steamers, and then, at least above Kueihsien, only during the summer months.
For the last two years launches have been running regularly under Inland Water rules between Wuchow and Kueihsien, 150 miles up river; between the latter place and Nanning two small stern-wheelers made four or five trips last summer.
The above vessels carry passengers and, when feasible, tow cargo boats; the majority fly the British flag, and the trade is in a flourishing condition.
I cannot see that these vessels would be afforded any further facilities were Nanning to be made a Treaty port.
Under the additional Inland Water Navigation Rules appended to the new British Treaty, British ship-owners are at liberty to lease jetties and warehouses on inland waterways such as Nanning; they must, it is true, appoint Chinese agents to reside there, but, having regard to the practice at most of the ports opened to foreign trade of late years, it is unlikely that an exception would be made in the case of Nanning and a European agent appointed to reside there.
Foreign imports from Hong Kong for Nanning are now shipped by steamer to Wuchow, and thence proceed in native boats under transit pass to all parts of Western Kuangsi and the borders of Yunnan and Kueichow.
The transit pass system in Kuangsi, as I have had occasion to point out before, works perhaps better than in any other province.
Were Nanning a Treaty port goods could no doubt be laid down in the city cheaper than at present—that is to say, they would pay one import duty instead of a duty and a-half.
But, as Mr. Twyman pointed out in his Report on Nanning in 1901, Nanning itself is not a large consuming centre, and goods for the districts of which Nanning is the feeder would still require to take out transit passes.
They might possibly reach points further inland than they do at present; but, all things considered, I do not think the resultant increase in the foreign import trade would be at all considerable.
If li-kin and transit passes are done away with, Wuchow at the head of a direct steam communication with Hong Kong will be the most convenient
(1989 -1]
*
is Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[May 21.1
SECTION 1.
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received May 21.)
21011
RECO 255 14 £14 JUN 04)
Peking, April 4, 1904.
(No. 115.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith to your Lordship, with reference to my despatch No. 41 of the 2nd February, a copy of a Report from the officer in charge of His Majesty's Consulate at Kongmoon on the commercial and political advantages to be derived from the opening of the port of Nanning to foreign trade.
I called for this Report from Mr. Fox on receipt of the letter from the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, to which reference is made in my despatch to your Lordship above mentioned.
I have approved the suggestion that Nanning should be visited in the course of the summer by the Consul at Wuchow.
I have, &c. (Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
(No. 2. Confidential.)
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Fox to Sir E. Satow.
Kongmoon, March 17, 1904. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch, Confidential, No. 1 fof the 2nd February, addressed to me at Wuchow. I regret that, owing first to lness and subsequently to press of work in connection with the opening of Kongmoon, I have failed to furnish you with the Report called for at an earlier date.
I have not yet had an opportunity of visiting Nanning, but from the information I have gained regarding the foreign trade of the West River above Wuchow, I do not think that the opening of Nanning to foreign trade at the present time would result in any material increase in British trade in South-West China. As regards shipping, it is, I believe, the accepted opinion that the West River above Wuchow, owing to its numerous rapids and narrow chanuels, is not navigable for anything but steam- hunches and small light-draft steamers, and then, at least above Kueihsien, only during the summer months. For the last two years launches have been running regularly under Inland Water rules between Wuchow and Kneilsien, 150 miles up river; between the latter place and Nanning two small stern-wheelers made four or five trips last summer. The above vessels carry passengers and, when feasible, tow cargo boats the majority fly the British flag, and the trade is in a flourishing condition. I cannot see that these vessels would be afforded any further facilities were Naming to be made a Treaty port. Under the additional Inland Water Navigation Rules appendedto the new British Treaty British ship-owners are at liberty to lease jetties and warehouses on inland waterways such as Nanning; they must, it is true, appoint Chinese agents to reside there, but, having regard to the practice at most of the ports. opened to foreign trade of late years, it is unlikely that an exception would be made in the case of Nanning and a European agent appointed to reside there.
Foreign imports from Hong Kong for Nanning are now shipped by steamer to Wuchow, and thence proceed in native boats under transit pass to all parts of Western Kuangsi and the borders of Yunnan and Kueichow. The transit pass system in Kuangsi, as I have had occasion to point out before, works perhaps better than in any other province Were Nanning a Treaty port goods could no doubt be laid down in the city cheaper than at present-that is to say, they would pay one import duty instead of a duty and a-half. But, as Mr. Twyman pointed out in his Report on Nanning in 1901, Nanning itself is not a large consuming centre, and goods for the districts of which Nanning is the feeder would still require to take out transit passes. They might possibly reach points further inland than they do at present; but, all things considered, I do not think the resultant increase in the foreign import trade would be at all considerable.
If li-kin and transit passes are done away with, Wuchow at the head of a direct steam communication with Hong Kong will be the most convenient
(1989 -1]
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