This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
C.O. 16121
299
DECO
CP 13 MAY OC
[April 26.]
SECTION 1,
[14175]
No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to the Spanish Ambassador, April 26, 1909.
WITH reference to the inquiry from the Spanish Embassy of the 5th instant, His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has the honour to state that Sir J. Jordan, His Majesty's Minister at Peking, reported on the 10th January last the receipt of a note from the Wai-wu Pu on the subject of Tariff and H-kin. Sir J. Jordan was authorized at the time to inform Yuan Shi-kai in reply that His Majesty's Government were ready to support the proposal of the Chinese Government, which amounted to a request for assistance to render operative Article 8 of the Anglo-Chinese Treaty of the 5th September, 1902, on condition that the latter carried out practical measures for the reform of the currency, the issue of Mining Regulations, and the enforcement generally of the provisions of the Commercial Treaty of 1902 between Great Britain and China. As regards currency reform, it is evident that the Chinese Government will be able to effect nothing of practical value without expert foreign assistance, and Sir J. Jordan was instructed to stipulate for such assistance. He was further requested to make it clear that compliance with the Chinese request did not derogate from the right of His Majesty's Government to insist on the status quo as regards Tariff and li-kin being maintained, if the co-operation of other Treaty Powers could not be assured.
Owing to the fall of Yuan Shi-kai, His Majesty's Minister was unable to make a communication in the above sense to that statesman, and the situation was in his opinion too obscure at that time to make it desirable to open negotiations on so important a subject with the Wai-wu Pa. Sir John Jordan intended, however, to pursue the matter further as soon as he considered the moment opportune.
Foreign Office, April 26, 1909.
-1]
[2236 cc--
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.