CO129-331 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 403

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SOUTH-WEST CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

ETupeľby "Vi This "DitTTAG MILjusby a

No. 1.

396

14

[September 30,

RECR SECTION 401 05!

(No. 219.) Sir,

The Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir E. Satow.

Foreign Office, September 30, 1905. WITH reference to my despatch No. 172 of the 4th August last respecting the joint survey by British and Chinese officials of the Burmah-China frontier north of Manangpum, I transmit to you the accompanying copy of a letter from the India Office, together with a copy of a letter from the Government of India,* in which they support certain recommendations of the Government of Burmah for the settlement of the question with the Chinese Government,

The Secretary of State for India suggests that you should endeavour, in the first instance, to induce the Chinese Government to agree to accept without further discussion the watershed between the Irrawaddy and Salween Basins as the boundary up to the confines of Thibet, on the understanding that the Government of India will agree to pay an annual sum not exceeding, say, 1,500 rupees as compensation for the extinction of all Chinese claims of whatsoever nature on the British side of the boundary. You will, however, observe that the Government of Burmah deprecate any precise statement as to where China ends and Thibet begins, and that they do not desire, should difficulties be raised by the Chinese Government, to press for the watershed boundary beyond latitude 26° 30′.

Up to that point they recommend that the Chinese Government should, in the last resort, be made clearly to understand that His Majesty's Government intend to regard the watershed as the frontier; and that, failing its acceptance by China on the terms now offered, the Government of Burmah will be instructed to occupy and adaninister the country without further negotiations.

In the opinion of His Majesty's Government, the proposal submitted by the Government of India for a settlement of this long outstanding question is a reasonable In such cases as this, particularly when the country in dispute is sparsely inhabited, the watershed is the only possible frontier,

one.

I accordingly request you to submit to the Chinese Government the proposals on the subject recommended by the Government of India.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

LANSDOWNE.

* India Office, September 20, 1905.

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