Directory_and_Chronicle_1888 — Page 1152

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ADDITIONAL CONVENTION BETWEEN FRANCE AND CHINA.

Art VI.-French and Annamite ships, with the exception of gunboats, and of the vessels employed in the transport of troops, arms, or ammunitions of war, will be able to pass between Liang Shan and Kao P'ing by the rivers (Sung Chi-chiang and river of Kao P'ing) which join Liang Shan to Tung Chou and Lung Chou to Kao P'ing. There shall be levied on these boats, for each passage, a tonnage due of 5 tael cents per ton, but the merchandise composing the cargo shall not be subject to any duty.

Merchandise destined for China may be conveyed by the rivers referred to in paragraph 1. of the present article, as well as by the overland routes, and especially by the mandarin road which leads from Liang Shan to Lung Chou; but until such time as the Chinese Government shall have established a Customs office on the fron- tier merchandise passing these roads by overland routes may not be sold until after having paid the duties at Lung Chou.

Art. VII.-It is understood that France will enjoy full rights, and, without the necessity of previous negotiations, all the privileges and immunities, of whatsoever kind they may be, and all the commercial advantages which may be granted hereafter to the most favoured nation, by the treaties and conventions whose object is the regulation of political and commercial relations between China and the countries situated to the south and south-west of the Chinese Empire.

Art. VIII.-Having by common consent resolved upon the above dispositions, the plenipotentiaries have placed their signature and their seal on two copies, in the French language, of the present convention, as well as on the Chinese translations which accompany each of those copies.

Art. IX. The stipulations of the present additional convention shall be put into force as if they were inserted in the text of the treaty of the 25th April, 1886, from the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the said treaty and convention.

Art. X.-The present convention shall be immediately ratified by His Majesty the Emperor of China, and as soon as it has been ratified by the President of the French Republic, the exchange of ratifications shall take place at Peking.

Drawn up at Peking, 26th June, 1887.

(Signed) E. CONSTANS.

PRINCE CH'ING,

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SUN YU WEN.