793.003/197: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Perkins)
409. Your 1074, December 3, 7 p.m., paragraph 2. The Department has been informed that Chinese Minister at Paris informed Foreign Office that the Chinese Government “desires” to abrogate extraterritorial rights on January 1. French Ambassador here has informed Department that his Government intends to make reply sharply calling attention of the Chinese Government to the undesirability of a unilateral denunciation.
Should the Legation or the American consular officers in China receive any statement from the Chinese authorities that a procedure has been established in matters involving jurisdiction over American citizens in China which is not in accord with the treaties and understandings in force, an immediate report of the occurrence should be telegraphed by the Legation to the Department.
The Department is giving earnest consideration to this whole matter but cannot issue definite instructions regarding what is at present a hypothetical situation. No change in the present legal status of American citizens and their property and interests in China should be recognized by the Department’s officers unless instructions to that effect have been received.