CO129-553-5 Japanese activities in Macao and Canton 31-1-1935 - 22-11-1935 — Page 84

Emginal 8 in 0045/4/35 General Secuit.

Extract from Annual Report on Formosa by

His Majesty's Consul at Tamsui.

67 84

10. Relations with South China.

Events on the Chinese mainland and, above all,

in the Province of Fukien, are followed very closely in

Formosa, and there is much coming and going both of

Chinese nationals and of Formosan Chinese, particularly

the latter. This watchfulness on the part of the

authorities is doubtless due to political considerations

in the first place, but to these must be added a large

variety of commercial interests. In addition to

legitimate import and export business, which is always

brisk in normal times, there is quite an extensive

trade, carried out in junks and other small craft,

between Formosa and the China coast, the favourite cargo

being sugar destined to be smuggled ashore free of duty.

Some anxiety is beginning to be felt owing to the

recently much increased vigilance of Chinese coastguard

vessels.

A visible proof of Japanese interest in

South China, and of Formosa's recognised position as the

central point of observation and study, was furnished by

a meeting of Japan's consular representatives at all the

South China ports, organised in 1934 under the auspices

of the Government-General, and attended by delegates from

Shanghai and from the Foreign Office in Tokyo. Such

meetings, it is stated, are to be held every year in

future, their avowed object being the discussion of ways

and means for improving political, economic and

commercial