Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 210

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TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND GERMANY

DECLARATION

The undersigned, being the duly authorized representative of the Government of the Republic of Germany, has the honour to make known in the name of his Government to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China the following:

The Government of the Republic of Germany, animated by the desire to reestablish the relations of friendship and commerce between China and Germany,. Considering that such relations should be based upon the principles of perfect equality and absolute reciprocity in conformity with the generally recognized rules of international law;

Considering that the President of the Republic of China issued a Mandate on September 15th, 1919, concerning the restoration of peace with Germany;

Considering that Germany engages herself to fulfil the obligations towards China, derived from Articles 128 to 134 (inclusive) of the Treaty of Versailles, dated June 28th, 1919, and coming into force on January 10th, 1920;

Affirms that Germany has been obliged by the events of the War and by the Treaty of Versailles to renounce all the rights, interests, and privileges which she acquired by virtue of the Treaty concluded by her with China on March 6th, 1898, and other Acts concerning the Province of Shantung, and finds herself deprived of the possibility of restituting them to China;

And formally declares:

To consent to the abrogation of the consular jurisdiction in China.

To renounce, in favour of China, all the rights which the German Government possessed in the "Glacis" attached to the German Legation in Peking, admitting that by the expression "public properties" in the First Paragraph of Article 130 of the Treaty of Versailles the above-mentioned ground was equally included;

And to be prepared to reimburse the Chinese Government the expenses for the internment of German militaries in the various camps of internment in China.

The undersigned takes this occasion to renew to His Excellency the assurances of his high consideration.

(Signed) H. VON BORCH.

LETTER FROM DR. W. W. YEN, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Your Excellency,

TO HERR VON BORCH

+

May 20th, 1921.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's letter of even date in which it is stated :-

As an explanation to the German Declaration and the Sino-German Agree- ment I have the honour, at the instruction of my Government, to make the follow- ing declarations:

(1.) Customs tariff on Chinese goods imported into Germany. The statement that the import, export and transit duties to be paid by nationals of either of the Two High Contracting Parties shall not be higher than those paid by nationals of the country, as provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement, does not preclude China from the privilege of applying Article 264 of the Versailles Treaty.

Payment of Indemnity

(2.) The payment of indemnity. The statement in the German Declaration that Germany is prepared to reimburse the Chinese Government the expenses on the internment of German militaries in various camps of internment in China is understood to mean that Germany, in addition to indemnifying China for her losses, according to the principles of the Versailles Treaty, is also willing to refund to China the internment expenses. As to the indemnity for war losses, Germany undertakes

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