(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government]
CO
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
23539
[May 22.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
RECR ALS JT !!
SECTION 8.
[19452]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received May 22.)
(No. 190.) Sir,
Peking, April 30, 1911. WITH reference to my despatch No. 127 of the 22nd March, on the subject of the raid across the Burmese frontier from the Chinese village of Chefang, I have the honour to transmit herewith the copy of a further note which I have addressed to the Chinese Government, bringing to their notice additional information in regard to the occurrence which has reached me from the acting British consul at Tengyuel.
I have also taken the opportunity of showing the Chinese Government that I regard the unsatisfactory state of things existing on the frontier as the result of the unfriendly attitude displayed by Keng P'ao-kuei during his tenure of office as Taotai of Tengyuch.
His Majesty's consul-general at Yunnan-fu has also been in communication on the subject of the raid with the Administrator of Foreign Affairs. From the explanation furnished by the latter it will be seen that the taotai assigns the chief blame to a Burmese bandit.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN,
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Your Highness,
Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
Peking, April 24, 1911. ON the 15th March I had the honour to address a note to your Highness to the effect that the British village of Pangsheng, situated in latitude 25'05 north in the neighbourhood of the Burmah-Yunnan frontier bad been burnt by raiders to the number of some 200 belonging to the Chinese village of Chefaug, and in reply thereto I received your Highness's note of the 20th March.
have now received a telegram from His Majesty's consul at Tengyuch, stating that the raid was of the most serious nature. It appears that the raiders burnt two villages, killed two Burmese subjects, and wounded five others, carrying off property and cattle to China. Further, during the attack on their stockades by the Burmah military police, one man was killed and seven sepoys wounded.
In bringing these details to the notice of your Highness's board, I feel it my duty to point out that the Tengyueh taotai, Keng Pao-kuei, who has consistently pursued an unfriendly policy towards British interests, both in Szechuan and Yunnan, is in great measure to blame for the occurrence of these outrages. On the 11th January Mr. Consul Rose addressed him a despatch, warning him of the possibility of trouble at this point of the frontier, and requested him to take prompt measures to prevent it. The taotai, however, took no action in the matter. Again, in the note of the 21st January, addressed to the taotai conjointly with His Majesty's consul by the officers appointed by the Government of Burmah to attend the annual frontier meeting, it was pointed out to him that, in view of his attitude in failing to settle outstanding questions, it would be extremely difficult to prevent ill-feeling, feuds, and reprisals among the tribes along the frontier.
It must be evident to your Highness that the appointment of notoriously hostile officials of the type of Taotai Keng is not likely to conduce to friendly relations with the British officials in that part of the world. His action, moreover, in refusing to settle the outstanding frontier cases, and thus forcing the British officials to break off the frontier meeting is in marked contrast to the conciliatory disposition of some of his predecessors.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the frontier relations between China and the Government of India have lately assumed such a serious aspect when it is seen that the Imperial Government deliberately select as the agents of its policy officers who
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