EXCHANGE OF NOTES BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND RUSSIA 113
2. Great Britain, on her part, engages not to seek for her own account, or on behalf of British subjects or of others, any railway concessions to the north of the Great Wall of China, and not to obstruct, directly or indirectly, applications for railway concessions in that region supported by the Russian Government.
The two Contracting Parties, having nowise in view to infringe in any way the sovereign_rights of China or of existing Treaties, will not fail to communicate to the Chinese Government the present arrangement, which, by averting all cause of complication between them, is of a nature to consolidate peace in the Far East, and to serve the primordial interests of China herself.
The Undersigned, etc.
St. Petersburg, April 16 (28), 1899.
No. 3
(Signed) Count MOURAVIEFF.
Sir C. Scott to Count Mouravie f
In order to complete the notes exchange this day respecting the partition of spheres for concessions for the construction an working of railways in China, it has been agreed to record in the present ad litional note the arrangement arrived at with regard to the line Shinhaikuan-Newchwang, for the construction of which a loan has been alr aly contracted by the Chinese Government with th Shanghai- Hongkong Bank, acting on behalf of the British and Chine-e Corporation.
The general arrangement established by the above-mentionel notes is not to infringe in any way the rights acquired under the said Loan Contraer, and the Chinese Government may appoint both an English engineer an an European accountant to supervise the construction of the lia: in question, and the expenditure of the money appropriated to it.
But it remains understood that this fact cannot be taken as constituting a right of property or foreign control, and t at the line in question is to remain a Chinese line, under the control of the Chinese Government, and cannot be mortgaged or alienated to a non-Chinese Company.
As regards the branch 1 ne from Siaoheichan to Sinminting, in addition to the aforesaid restrictions, it has been agreel that it is to be constructed by China her- self, who may permit European-nt necessarily British-ngineers to periodically inspect it, and to verify and certify that the work is being properly executed.
The present special Agreement is naturally not to interfere in any wa. with the right of the Russian Government to support, if it thinks fit, applications of Russian subjects or establishments for Concessio is for railways, which, starting from the main Man-hurian lue is a south-westerly direction, would traverse the region in which the Chinese line terminating at Simmointing aud Newchwang is to be constructed.
St. Petersburg, April 28th, 1899.
(Signed) CHARLES S. SCOTT.
No. 4
Count Mouravieff to Sir C. Scott
In order to complete the notes exchanged this day respectingthe partition of spheres for concessions for the construction and working of railways in China, it has been agreed to record in the present additional note the Agreement arrived at with regard to the line Shanhaikuan-Newchwang, for the construction of which a loan has been already contractel by the Chinese Government with the Shanghai-Hong- kong Bank, acting on behalf of the British and Chinese Corporation.
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