CO129-552-6 Traffic of arms to China 2-1-1935 - 27-12-1935 — Page 290

Any further communication should be

addressed to :-

THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY,

at the address given opposite.

The following letters and number should

be quoted:-

C.R.T. 978/35.

Telegraphic Address:

COLASTA, PARL, LONDON.

Telephone No.: Whitehall 5140.

Sir,

BOAR

COPY.

286

COMMERCIAL RELATIONS AND TREATIES

DEPARTMENT,

BOARD OF TRADE,

GREAT GEORGE STREET,

LONDON, S.W.1.

28th March, 1935.

With reference to your letter of 11th March

(31) (F.1512/60/10), about the importation of arms into China,

I am directed by the Board of Trade to state, for the information of Secretary Sir John Simon, that they concur in the proposal that, where British arms exporters are interested, His Majesty's Minister at Peking should

informally support applications made to the Chinese Central

Government for "huchaos" for the importation of war

material where such action can properly be taken.

1 am

to suggest, however, for Sir John Simon's consideration,

that in order to avoid pressing the Central Government to grant "huchaos" in respect of war material which they would

prefer that the provincial Governments should not import and which in fact would not be imported through other channels if the "huchao" were refused for import through the British firm, the proposed instruction to Sir Alexander

The Under-Secretary of State,

Foreign Office,

S.K.1.

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