CO129-517-2 Correspondence on proposed Chinese and Hong Kong agreements over Customs 13-11-1929 - 28-12-1929 — Page 60

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PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM from the Governor of Hong Kong to the

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Dated 13th December.

(Received, Colonial Office, 2.10 p.m., 13th December, 1929)

2251

31880

380/21

Addressed to Minister at Peking and Consul

General at Shanghai and Secretary of State for the Colonies 13th December. Your telegram No.87 of 9th December Draft

China-Hong Kong Customs Agreement. It seems to be forgotten that it was from Inspector General of Customs that this proposal emanated under express orders from Chinese Government and not from Government of Hong Kong and that it was at his suggestion that we adopted as a basis for negotiation the former draft agreement which was abandoned by Imperial Government and Hong Kong in 1921. Chinese Government of that day was ready to sign the former Agreement; For precis of correspondence see Sir B.Alston's despatch to the

? ? 13th April Foreign Office dated 25th June 1921 (entry) under December 12, 1917. Article V of the old draft is in principle identical with present Article V and if Chinese Government was then ready to concede this principle in return for scheme of revenue protection which

involved only very limited functioning by Chinese Maritime Customs 1

within Hong Kong it is difficult to see why they should now reject it when vastly greater scope for Chinese Customs is asked and offered. Hong Kong realizes that smuggling must be encouraged by...

?

great increase in (Chinese Customs) Tariff and in working out present draft we have given ample evidence of our readiness to

assist

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