[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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AFFAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 30.]
SROTION 1.
[3227]
No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Mr. Lew Yuk Lin, January 30, 1911.
Burmah-Yunnan Frontier.
CONVENTIONS were concluded in 1894 and 1897 between the British and Chinese Governments for the settlement of this question, and the frontier has been delimited in accordance with the provisions of these conventions with the exception of two sections: (a) the Namting-Nalawt section; and (b) the section north of Manang Pum, or the N'Maikha section.
As regards the latter, which forms the subject of the note of the 24th instant from the Chinese Minister, owing to the difficulties and delays on their part, the Chinese Government were informed in May 1906 that His Majesty's Government, in the absence of any evidence of effective Chinese administration west of the watershed between the Irrawaddy and the Shweli Rivers, intended to regard that watershed as the boundary of the two empires in the territory north of latitude 25° 35′ north, until the head waters of the Shweli were passed, and that from thence the frontier should follow the watershed between the Irrawaddy and Salween basins up to the confines of Thibet. His Majesty's Government further offered, on behalf of the Government of India, to compensate the native chiefs of Teng-Keng and Ming-Kwang for the customary presents and dues which they had been in the habit of receiving from certain villages on the western side of the proposed boundary. Failing the acceptance of these terms, the Government of Burmah were to be instructed to occupy and administer the country without further negotiations.
Notwithstanding this intimation, the frontier claimed by His Majesty's Government has been violated by Chinese authorities on more than one occasion since 1906, and the recent action of the Teng-Keng chief in raiding a village to the west of the watershed has forced His Majesty's Government to the conclusion that the time has come to carry out the warning conveyed to the Chinese Government in 1906.
The present tour of a British civil officer with an escort for his personal protection has for its sole object to give effect to the decision intimated to the Chinese Government in 1906.
In these circumstances His Majesty's Minister at Peking has been instructed to reply to the representations of the Chinese Government to the following effect :-
The country in question was jointly examined by Mr. Litton and Mr. Shih in 1905, and examination revealed nothing to modify the views which had previously been communicated by His Majesty's Government to the Chinese Government, and which were accordingly reaffirmed in Sir E. Satow's note of the 1st May, 1906. The Chinese Government having in four years found nothing more effective to propose than further examination of country already examined, His Majesty's Government have now acted on the intimation made in' Sir E. Satow's note. An expedition has gone to Pienma, and the country up to the watershed is now being peaceably administered, It appears to his Majesty's Government to be for the Chinese Government to show cause why this should not be done, and His Majesty's Government are prepared to examine with them at Peking any evidence they may wish to produce in substantiation of claims to dues from particular villages west of the waterslied.
Foreign Office, January 30, 1911.
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