693.002/642: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 8—7:30 a.m.]
242. Following communication dated May 6 has just been received from the Foreign Office.
“The Wai Chiao Pu presents its compliments to the American Embassy and has the honor to inform the Embassy that the Chinese Government has just despatched the following communication to the British Government.
‘The Chinese Government has learned that the British and the Japanese Governments have just concluded certain temporary arrangements concerning the Chinese customs. Whatever motives may have prompted the British Government to enter into these arrangements, it is regrettable that the Chinese customs, which form an important part of the administration of the Chinese [Page 705] Republic, should have been taken into consideration, without China’s consent, as the subject matter of an agreement between two foreign states. In this connection the Chinese Government desires to remind the British Government of their formal undertaking not to enter into any treaty or arrangement with any power or powers which would infringe or impair the sovereignty and the administrative integrity of China.
The Chinese Government must declare at this juncture that China is not in any way bound by the arrangements concerning the Chinese customs just concluded between the British and Japanese Governments and fully reserves her rights and freedom of action in matters relating to the customs’.”
Repeated to Peiping and Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo.