[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
0
# CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
5682
[September 23.
SECTION 4.
607 26 OCT 04
Acting Consul Fox to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received September 23.)
Wuchow, August 6, 1904.
(No. 11) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to forward for your Lordship's perusal extract of a Report which I have addressed to His Majesty's Minister in Peking, on a recent journey to Nanning in His Majesty's ship "Moorhen."
$5
I have, &c. (Signed)
HARRY H. FOX.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Extract from Report by Acting Consul Fox on a Journey from Wuchow to Nanning in His Majesty's Ship "Moorhen,"
## Section II--Nanning as a Treaty Port.
ALTHOUGH Nanning was declared an open port by Imperial Decree on the 3rd February, 1899, no office of the Imperial Maritime Customs has yet been opened there and the port may, to all intents and purposes, still be considered an "inland" place. My visit to Nanning confirmed the opinion I had previously formed as to the advantages which British trade in South China would be likely to derive from the effective opening of the port and the appointment of a British Consular officer to reside there, namely, that from a commercial point of view, the advantages would be quite inconsiderable. It appears to me that Wuchow, situated at the limit of ocean-going steam navigation on the West River, sufficiently meets Hong Kong's requirements as a distributing centre. Foreign goods are imported by steamer to Wuchow and there transhipped, under transit-pass, into junks (which may be towed by steam-launches) for all the principal towns in the West River basin, as far as Lungchow and Posé, and thence overland into Yunnan and Kueichow. Similarly native produce is brought down from these places under outward transit-pass and transhipped into the Hong Kong steamers at Wuchow. The trade, which is steadily increasing, has been carried on for some years past without serious interference on the part of the native Customs authorities. Steam-launches can, under the new Regulations, carry passengers and cargo between Wuchow and Nanning, calling at all recognized way ports; they may, with the permission of the Chinese Government, ply between inland places exclusively, say, between Nanning and Posé. British merchants may lease go-downs for the storage of their goods at Nanning and other riverine towns, and may, I take it, under this clause appoint native hongs their agents for the care and sale of their merchandise.
The Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce have pressed for the establishment of a foreign custom-house at Nanning because they say that foreign goods could then be laid down there on payment of one import duty only; but this applies only to goods consumed in Nanning itself, an inconsiderable quantity; transit-passes would still have to be taken out, or native Customs dues paid on, goods destined for the surrounding districts. The same remark applies in the case of native produce, the bulk of Nanning's exports come from the country districts and in order to be shipped at the port would have to pay the same transit dues and the same native dues, as they do at Wuchow.
On the other hand, for political reasons, I venture to think that the effective opening of Nanning would be to the advantage of British interests. There is at the present moment a temporary lull in French railway enterprise in this part of the world, but at any time an energetic Governor-General in Tonquin may decide to
[2156 s-4]
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
0
CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
5682
[September 23.
SECTION 4.
607 26 OCT 04
Acting Consul Foz to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received September 23.)
Wuchow, August 6, 1904.
(No. 11) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to forward for your Lordship's perusal extract of a Report which I have addressed to His Majesty's Minister in Peking, on a recent journey to Nanning in His Majesty's ship "Moorhen."
$5
I have, &c. (Signed)
HARRY H. FOX.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Extract from Report by Acting Consul Fox on a Journey from Wuchow to Nanning in His Majesty's Ship" Moorhen,"
Section II--Nanning as a Treaty Port.
ALTHOUGH Nanning was declared an open port by Imperial Decree on the 3rd February, 1899, no office of the Imperial Maritime Customs has yet been opened there and the port may, to all intents and purposes, still be considered an "inland " place. My visit to Nanning confirmed the opinion I had previously formed as to the advantages which British trade in South China would be likely to derive from the effective opening of the port and the appointment of a British Consular officer to reside there, namely, that from a commercial point of view, the advantages would be quite inconsiderable. It appears to me that Wuchow, situated at the limit of ocean-going steam navigation on the West River, sufficiently meets Hong Kong's requirements as a distributing centre. Foreign goods are imported by steamer to Wuchow and there transhipped, under transit-pass, into junks (which may be towed by steam-launches) for all the principal towns in the West River basin, as far as Lungehow and Posé, and thence overland into Yunnan and Kueichow. Similarly native produce is brought down from these places under ontward transit-pass and transhipped into the Hong Kong steamers at Wuchow. The trade, which is steadily increasing, has been carried on for some years past without serious interference on the part of the native Customs authorities. Steam-launches can, under the new Regulations, carry passengers and cargo between Wuchow and Nanning, calling at all recognized way ports; they may, with the permission of the Chinese Government, ply between inland places exclusively, say, between Nanning and Posé. British merchants may lease go-downs for the storage of their goods at Nanning and other riverine towns, and may I take it, under this clause appoint native hongs their agents for the care and sale of their merchandize.
The Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce have pressed for the establishment of a foreign custom-house at Nanning because they say that foreign goods could then be laid down there on payment of one import duty only; but this applies only to goods consumed in Nanning itself an inconsiderable quantity; transit-passes would still have to be taken out, or native Customs dues paid on, goods destined for the surrounding districts. The same remark applies in the case of native produce, the bulk of Nanning's exports come from the country districts and in order to be shipped at the port would have to pay the same transit dues and the same native dues, as they do at Wuchow.
On the other hand, for political reasons, I venture to think that the effective opening of Nanning would be to the advantage of British interests. There is at the present moment a temporary lull in French railway enterprise in this part of the world, but at any time an energetic Governor-General in Tonquin may decide to
[2156 s-4]
B
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