CO129-393 - Governor Sir May - 1912 [11] — Page 233

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Extract from the Far Eastern Review of Seu Bomber DEC 12

1220

To the south of Shanghai the ports of Foochow, Amoy and Swatow

remain under the jurisdiction of China. The fact that China has retained

jurisdiction over these is sufficient evidence of their strategic worth-

-lessness. These ports may serve as the terminii of local railway lines

tapping the adjacent hinterland, but as far as foreign trade is concern- -ed they will always be subsidiary to Hongkong or Shanghai. Hongkong's

position commanding the approaches to Canton, coupled with her natural

advantages as the only deep water port south of Shanghai gives her

control of the entire trade of that part of China, and the Colonial

Government has burdened itself with a large debt to ensure the commerci-

-al supremacy of the port, by the construction of the Kowloon-Canton

Railway at a cost of nearly £50,000 per mile. Any elaborate scheme for

the construction of railways radiating from Canton, must necessarily

offset strengthen this position. To root these advantages Chine could improve

the approaches to the West River, dredge the channel, and develop a deep

water port of her own at Whampoa. And this must be done, unless she is

willing to burden herself with a heavy debt for the glorification of Hongkong. We understand that Dr. Sun has given this phase of the problem serious consideration and nis plans contemplate certain improvements that will free Canton from her dependency on Hongkong. The question

then naturally arises, will the powerful British financial interests

support a scheme of this nature tending to diminish their national

commercial supremacy in South China ? And yet a Southern port under China's jurisdiction is essential to the successful development of her railways. Otherwise the trade of Yunnan will flow out to the sea through French territory at Haiphong, and the vast commerce resulting from the

ain's proposed new trunk lines will be diverted through British vantage point at Hongkong.