CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 104

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Draft.

calculated to assist the Chinese Government

in securing that the decrease of the growth

and consumption of opium in China itself

keeps pace with the decrease of the import

The Imperial Decree of the

from India.

Chinese Government confirms this view.

With regard to the action of His Maj-

esty's Government in opposing the estab-

lishment of monopolies in the open ports,

owing, as the Memorialists are aware, to

certain Treaty provisions, His Majesty's

Government are bound to uphold British

Treaty rights to which such monopolies would

clearly constitute a contravention.

But,

while opposing such proposals as this,

Ніб

Majesty's Government have been careful to

make it clear to the Chinese Government that

they have every desire to support "bona

fide" steps for the suppression of the evils

arising