CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 81

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ANNEX (K).

Treaty to stabilise Conditions in the Far East, to safeguard the Rights and Interests of China, and to promote Intercourse between China and the other Powers upon the basis of Equality of Opportunity.

The United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal:

Desiring to adopt a policy designed to stabilise conditions in the Far East, to safeguard the rights and interests of China, and to promote intercourse between China and the other Powers upon the basis of equality of opportunity;

Have resolved to conclude a treaty for that purpose and to that end have appointed as their respective plenipotentiaries :

The President of the United States of America:

Charles Evans Hughes,

Henry Cabot Lodge,

Oscar W. Underwood,

Elihu Root,

Citizens of the United States;

His Majesty the King of the Belgians:

Baron de Cartier de Marchienne, Commander of the Order of Leopold and of the Order of the Crown, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington;

His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India :

The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, O.M., M.P., Lord President

of His Privy Council;

The Right Honourable Baron Lee of Fareham, G.B.E., K.C.B., First Lord

of His Admiralty ;

The Right Honourable Sir Auckland Campbell Geddes, K.C.B., His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America;

and

for the Dominion of Canada:

The Right Honourable Sir Robert Laird Borden, G.C.M.G., K.C.;

for the Commonwealth of Australia:

Senator, the Right Honourable George Foster Pearce, Minister for Home

and Territories;

for the Dominion of New Zealand:

The Honourable Sir John William Salmond, K.C., Judge of the Supreme

Court of New Zealand;

for the Union of South Africa:

The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, O.M., M.P.;

for India:

The Right Honourable Valingman Sankaranarayana Srinivasa Sastri,

Member of the Indian Council of State;

The President of the Republic of China:

Mr. Sao-Ke Alfred Sze, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

at Washington;

Mr. V. K. Wellington Koo, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister

Plenipotentiary at London;

Mr. Chung-Hui Wang, former Minister of Justice;

The President of the French Republic:

M. Albert Sarraut, Deputy, Minister of the Colonies;

M. Jules J. Jusserand, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

to the United States of America, Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour;

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His Majesty the King of Italy:

The Honourable Carlo Schanzer, Senator of the Kingdom; The Honourable Vittorio Rolandi Ricci, Senator of the Kingdom, His

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington; The Honourable Luigi Albertini, Senator of the Kingdom;

His Majesty the Emperor of Japan:

Baron Tomosaburo Kato, Minister for the Navy, Junii, a member of the First Class of the Imperial Order of the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun with the Paulownia Flower;

Baron Kijuro Shidehara, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipoten- tiary at Washington, Joshii, a member of the First Class of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun,

Mr. Masanao Hanihara, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jushii, a member of the Second Class of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun,

Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands:

Jonkheer Frans Beelaerts van Blokland, Her Envoy Extraordinary and

Minister Plenipotentiary;

Jonkheer Willem Hendrik de Beaufort, Minister Plenipotentiary, Chargé

d'Affaires at Washington;

The President of the Portuguese Republic:

M. José Francisco de Horta Machado da Franca, Viscount d'Alte, Envoy

Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington;

M. Ernesto Julio de Carvalho e Vasconcellos, Captain of the Portuguese.

Navy, Technical Director of the Colonial Office;

Who, having communicated to each other their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed as follows:-

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ARTICLE 1.

The contracting Powers, other than China, agree :-

1. To respect the sovereignty, the independence, and the territorial and

administrative integrity of China;

2. To provide the fullest and most unembarrassed opportunity to China to develop and maintain for herself an effective and stable Government; 3. To use their influence for the purpose of effectually establishing and main- taining the principle of equal opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations throughout the territory of China;

4. To refrain from taking advantage of conditions in China in order to seek special rights or privileges which would abridge the rights of subjects or citizens of friendly States, and from countenancing action inimical to the security of such States.

ARTICLE 2.

The contracting Powers agree not to enter into any treaty, agreement, arrange- ment, or understanding, either with one another, or, individually or collectively, with any Power or Powers which would infringe or impair the principles stated in article 1.

ARTICLE 3.

With a view to applying more effectually the principles of the open door or equality of opportunity in China for the trade and industry of all nations, the contracting Powers, other than China, agree that they will not seek, nor support their respective nationals in seeking—

(a.) Any arrangement which might purport to establish in favour of their interests any general superiority of rights with respect to commercial or economic development in any designated region of China;

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