CO129-558-11 Mission of Sir F. Leith-Ross to China- proposals for a Hong Kong - China customs... 29-9-1936 - 30-12-1936 — Page 87

C. O.

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Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Sir C. Parkinson.

Sir G. Tomlinson.

Sir C. Bottomley.

Sir J. Shuckburgh.

Permt. U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. of S.

Secretary of State.

DRAFT.

Hints have recently been made

from the Chinese side that the time is

ripe for the negotiation of a mutually

advantageous customs agreement. The matter

was mentioned to Sir Frederick Leith-Ross

by Mr. Sun Fo, now President of the

Legislative Yuan in the Central Government

and from 1921 to 1925 Mayor of Canton, who

therefore speaks with a knowledge of the

interests both of the South and of China as

a whole. In a recent interview in Canton

with the Far Eastern manager of Reuter's

General Chang Kai Shek, the effective head

of the Central Government is reported to

have stated "that it was his lifelong

ambition to promote a relationship of true

and lasting friendship between Great Britain

and China. Now more than at any time in the

FURTHER ACTION.

history of Sino-B ritish relations this

ambition was conditioned on circumstances

entirely favourable to its fulfilment".

It is not improbable that the unvaried

British policy of avoiding any steps liable

to