CO129-588-23 China- British extra-territorial rights- negotiations with China 28-3-1942 - 27-11-1942 — Page 56

Copy

(F 7861/628/10)

NOW YO

W.B. L. Monson Esq.,

Colonial Office

92

(This telegram is of particular secrecy and should be retained by the authorised recipient and not passed on.)

(CYPHER)

MOST

WAR CABINET DISTRIBUTION

56

bofied to:

1.0.

MWT

8.0. Adty

D.O.

FROM: CHINA

FROM CHUNGKING TO FORBION OFFICE

BIT Day

Sir H. Seymour No. 1576

D.

3.10 p.m.

R.

5.10 p.m.

20th November, 1942. 20th November, 1942.

20th November, 1942.

86

1

Your telegram No. 1485.

shipping.

You will since have seen Chinese proposal for abrogation of our navigational rights in exchange of notes, see my telegram No. 1551.

2. We realise there can be no question of preserving old unilateral treaty rights in this or any other respect. We submit however that it would be mistake in tactics to assume from the start that abrogation of essential old treaty rights is incompatible with the principles of equality and reciprocity. Inland steam navigation rights of 1898 and 1902 nécessarily imply our exclusion from the coast and river trade in future. I request authority to discuss the matter with Minister for Foreign Affairs with a view to trying for a formula which, while recognising abrogation of our rights in principle, will leave the door open for negotiation, whether in commercial treay of otherwise, of reciprocal post-war arrangement of continued co-operation of British shipping interests in China coast and river transport trade.

OTP.