CO129-470 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 352

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[F 336/336/10]

10602

350

[January 28.]

Rec

Fec 4 MAR 211

SECTION 8.

No. 1.

Mr. Clive to Earl Curzon,-(Received January 28, 1921.)

(No. 778.)

Peking, November 30, 1920. My Lord,

IN his despatch No. 530 of the 27th November, 1919, Sir John Jordan forwarded the text of the resolutions passe last year at the conference of the Associated British Chambers of Commerce in China and Hong Kong. I now have the honour to enclose was held at Shanghai from the the resolutions of this year's conference, which 3rd to the 6th November, and at which I was present by invitation of the Associated Chambers, and with your Lordship's consent.

Representatives of the British Chambers in all parts of China participatorl in the discussions, which took place in His Majesty's Supreme Court. In aldition to the delegates from the mercantile communities the speakers included the Commander-in- chief, Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Duff, Rear-Admiral Borrett and Mr. E. F. Crowe, Commercial Counsellor of His Majesty's Embassy in Japan, and the debates were highly interesting and instructive.

It will be seen from the resolutions that the subjects under discussion covered practically every major question now at issue in China. The treatment of these problems by the Chambers emphasised the peculiarly political-commercial aspect of most of the questions affecting foreign interests in this country, and I was much struck by the knowledge, moderation and breadth of vision generally shown in their treatment.

This was my first opportunity of meeting the members of the British mercantile communities, and it was gratifying to note the close relations which exist between the official and mercantile world in China, and the confidence which appears to be placed in the opinions and support of the Legation and the consulates by a body of business men who show great independence of thought and are justly proud of their own accomplishments in administration and public service. The tradition of co-operation with our great mercantile interests in China so firmly established by Sir John Jordan is, no doubt, mainly responsible for this satisfactory spirit, which should prove an increasing source of national strength to us in the Far East.

Amongst the functions arranged in connection with the conference was a reception to the Chinese, including representatives of their chambers of commerce and of the bankers and cotton guilds of Shanghai, where I had the opportunity of meeting and hearing the views of some of the Chinese leaders in commerce, industry and finance.

The conference left me with a vivid impression of the multiplicity of problems affecting foreign interests, and of the personal vitality and strength underlying the present political confusion, of which one is apt to grow unduly conscious in Peking. The merchants and industrialists, both British and Chinese, pursue their work of progress steadily and successfully in spite of chronic unrest, recognising that it is useless to hold their hand and await the establishment of order in a country which has an endless history of rebellion against superimposed government and which yet showe a rare stability in its social and economic life.

In addition to the purely commercial resolutions, dealing with technical questions of trade, recommendations were made in regard to conservancy of the Yang-tsze and the Chibli Rivers, currency reform, legislation for distinguishing the nationality of British companies, tariff revision and inland taxation, aids to navigation, the publication of accounts by the Customs Administration, the Russian and ex-German concessions, copyright and trade-marks, internal disorders, opium and morphia, Crown leases, the famine and the surtaxes imposed for famine relief, the education of Chinese on Western lines, railway administration and stan tardisation, the mail service between the United Kingdom and China, the consortium, and the extension of the Commercial Diplomatic Bervice to cover the commercial work of the consulates-general in Hankow, Tien-tsin and Canton.

The resolution in regard to the present position at Tsingtao and in Shantung was treated as confidential in view of the political issues involved. The other resolutions were communicated to the press, but the discussions leading up to them will not be published.

!

[5364 ee-t

B