Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 221

EXTRATERRITORIALITY

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and mutual respect for territorial sovereignty among all nations. My Gov- ernment, therefore, firmly believes that all the signatory Powers will abide by the spirit of the present treaty and remove, at the earliest opportunity, all of China's unequal treaties and encroachments upon her sovereignty, as for instance, the stationing of large numbers of alien troops on her soil. For it is clear that a free and independent China is one of the most vital factors, whereby permanent world peace may be promoted and strengthened.

I avail myself of this opportunity to extend to you the assurance of my highest consideration.

(Signed) WANG CHENG-TING,

Minister for Foreign Affairs.

EXTRATERRITORIALITY.

On April 27, 1929, the Minister for Foreign Affairs addressed Notes to the British, American, Brazilian, Dutch, French and Norwegian Envoys, urging the early abolition of extraterritoriality. The Notes were similar in wording, those addressed to the British, American and French Ministers being identical.

The text of the Notes to the British, American and French Ministers is as follows:-

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Your Excellency :

Nanking. April 27,1929.

I have the honour to recall to Your Excellency that the Chinese Govern- ment, through its representatives, had had occasion to express at the Paris Peace Conference its strong desire for the removal of limitations on China's jurisdictional sovereignty imposed upon her by the old treaty concluded between China and the foreign Powers and that the Chinese Delegation emphatically reiterated the same desire at the Washington Conference, which placed on record its sympathetic disposition towards furthering the aspiration of China for the removal of restrictions on her political, jurisdictional and administra- tive freedom of action.

With the unification of China and the establishment upon a firm founda- tion of the National Government, a new era has been happily inaugurated in the relations between our two countries through the conclusion of the recent Tariff Treaty, and it is to be confidently hoped that the material well-being of our two countries will henceforth be greatly enhanced. But it is the belief and the conviction of the Chinese Government that the promotion of such material well-being will be accelerated by a readjustment of the relations be- tween our two countries on a basis of friendly equality in matters of juris- diction, and if Your Excellency's Government could see its way to meet the wishes of the Chinese Government and people in this regard, it is certain that another obstacle to the full and frank co-operation, in trade or other- wise, between the Chinese people and foreign nationals in this country would be happily removed and that the desire of the Chinese Government for promoting to the fullest extent the material interests of all who choose to associate themselves with our own people would find its early realization.

It goes without saying that extraterritoriality in China is a legacy of the old regime, which has not only ceased to be adaptable to the present-day conditions, but has become so detrimental to the smooth working of the judicial and administrative machinery of China that her progress as a member of the Family of Nations has been unnecessarily retarted. The inherent defects. and inconveniences of the system of consular jurisdiction have been most clearly pointed out by the Chinese Government on various occasions and also by the jurists and publicists of other countries in their official utterances as