CO129-521-14 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 31-10-1930 - 10-1-1931 — Page 5

5

4. Goo.

Conf

Tel 182

-

29.10.30

Reforts agreement rocked with Dage, Ask

5. F.P.

JE.x =

or Council

Chamber & Commente

are to be consulted.

28.10.30

65882410.30

To copy Pelting tel 658

1

Mr. Martin and I discussed Nos.3 and

4 with the Foreign Office (Mr. Mackillop of the Far Eastern Department and Mr. Howe of the Treaty Department) yesterday.

I had embodied the amendments

suggested in the memorandum enclosed in No.3 in the working copy of the draft agreement annexed, and I pointed out to the Foreign Office representatives that the effect of their suggested amendments would be to make the draft agreement neither "fish, flesh, nor fowl". According to the amended preamble, the agreement would purport to be between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Chinese Government.

But in the text of the agreement, the only

A

British Government which "undertakes" or "agrees"

to do anything would be the Hong Kong Government (see for example Articles 11, 12, 14, 17, and 23).

Mr. Howe agreed, and furthermore expressed the opinion that it would take some bitha time to devise suitable phraseology to turn the draft into a satisfactory draft agreement between the United Kingdom and China. The Foreign Office agreed accordingly that there

was