Supplementary Treaty of Commerce and Navigatoin [sic]
Signed at Shanghai, October 8, 1903
ARTICLE I Whereas China, with the object of reforming its fiscal system, proposes to levy a surtax in excess of the tariff rates on all goods passing through the Custom Houses, whether maritime or inland and frontier, in order to compensate in a measure for the loss incurred by the complete abolition of likin, Japan consents to pay the same surtax as is agreed upon between China and all the Treaty Powers. With regard to the production tax, consumption tax and excise, and the taxes on native opium and salt, leviable by China, Japan also consents to accept the same arrangements as are agreed upon between all the Treaty Powers and China. It is understood however that the commerce, rights and privileges of Japan shall not, on account of the above, be placed at any disadvantage as compared with the commerce, rights and privileges of other Powers.
ARTICLE II The Chinese Government agree to permit Japanese steamship-owners to erect, at their own expense, appliances for hauling through the rapids of that part of the Yang-tze-kiang between Ichang and Chungking. But as the interests of the population of the provinces of Szechuen, Hunan and Hupeh are involved, it is therefore necessary that the approval of the Imperial Maritime Customs be obtained before such appliances may be so erected.
These appliances, which shall be at the disposal of all vessels both steamers and junks, shall not obstruct the waterway nor interfere with the free passage of junks or of persons on the banks of the river. Such appliances shall be subject to special regulations to be drawn up by the Imperial Maritime Customs.
ARTICLE III The Chinese Government agree that any Japanese steamer capable of navigating the inland waterways, upon reporting at the Imperial Maritime Customs, may proceed for the purpose of trade from a treaty port to places inland, so reported, on complying with the Original and Supplementary Regulations for Steam Navigation Inland.
ARTICLE IV In case Chinese subjects conjointly with Japanese subjects organize a partnership or company for a legitimate purpose, they shall equitably share the profits and losses with all the members according to the terms of the agreement or memorandum and articles of association and the regulations framed thereunder, and they shall be liable to the fulfilment of the obligations imposed by the said agreement or memorandum and articles of association and the regulations framed thereunder as accepted by them and as interpreted by Japanese Courts. Should they fail to fulfil the obligations so imposed and legal action be taken against them in consequence, Chinese Courts shall at once enforce fulfilment of such obligations.
It is understood that in case Japanese subjects conjointly with Chinese subjects organize a partnership or company, they shall also equitably share the profits and losses with all the members according to the terms of the agreement or memorandum and articles of association and the regulations framed thereunder. Should such Japanese subjects fail to fulfil any of the obligations imposed by the said agreement or memorandum and articles of association or by the regulations framed thereunder, Japanese Courts shall in like manner at once enforce fulfilment of such obligations by them.
ARTICLE V The Chinese Government agree to make and faithfully enforce such regulations as are necessary for preventing Chinese subjects from infringing registered trade-marks held by Japanese subjects.
The Chinese Government likewise agree to make such regulations as are necessary for affording protection to registered copyrights held by Japanese subjects in the books, pamphlets, maps and charts written in the Chinese language and specially prepared for the use of Chinese people.
It is further agreed that the Chinese Government shall establish registration offices where foreign trade-marks and copyrights, upon application for the protection of the Chinese Government, shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of the regulations to be hereafter framed by the Chinese Government for the purpose of protecting trade-marks and copy-rights.
It is understood that Chinese trade marks and copy-rights properly registered according to the provisions of the laws and regulations of Japan will receive similar protection against infringement in Japan.
This Article shall not be held to protect against due process of law any Japanese or Chinese subject who may be the author, proprietor or seller of any publication calculated to injure the well-being of China.
ARTICLE VI China agrees to establish itself, as soon as possible, a system of uniform national coinage and provide for a uniform national currency which shall be freely used as legal tender in payment of all duties, taxes and other obligations by Japanese subjects as well as by Chinese subjects in the Chinese Empire. It is understood, however, that all Customs duties shall continue to be calculated and paid on the basis of the Haikwan tael.
ARTICLE VII As the weights and measures used by the mercantile and other classes for general and commercial purposes in the different provinces of China vary and do not accord with the standards fixed by the Imperial Government Boards, thus resulting in detriment to the trade of Chinese and foreigners, the Governor-General and Governors of all the provinces, after careful inquiry into existing conditions, shall consult together and fix upon uniform standards which, after a Memorial to the Throne for sanction, shall be adopted and used in all transactions by officials and people throughout all the Empire. These standards shall be first used in the places opened to foreign trade and gradually extended to inland places. Any differences resulting from divergence between the new weights and measures and those now in vogue shall be equitably settled, whether, by way of increase or decrease according to the amount of such difference.
ARTICLE VIII The Regulations for Steam Navigation Inland of the fifth moon of the twenty-fourth year of Kuang-hsü and the Supplementary Rules of the seventh moon of the same year having been found in some respects inconvenient in working, the Chinese Government hereby agree to amend them and to annex such new Rules to this Treaty.
These Rules shall remain in force until altered by mutual consent.
ARTICLE IX The provisions of all treaties and engagements now subsisting between Japan and China, in so far as they are not modified or repealed by this Act, are hereby confirmed; and it is hereby expressly stipulated in addition that jects, Commerce, Navigation, Shipping, Industries and Property of all kinds shall be allowed free and full participation in all privileges, immunities and advantages which have been or may the Japanese Government, Officers, Subhereafter [sic] be granted by His Majesty the Emperor of China or by the Chinese Government or by the Provincial or Local Administrations of China to the Government, Officers, Subjects, Commerce, Navigation, Shipping, Industries or Property of any other nation.
The Japanese Government will do its utmost to secure to Chinese Officers and Subjects resident in Japan the most favourable treatment compatible with the laws and regulations of the Empire.
ARTICLE X The High Contracting Parties hereto agree that, in case of and after the complete withdrawal of the foreign troops stationed in the province of
Chihli and of the Legation guards, a place of international residence and trade in Peking will be forthwith opened by China itself. The detailed regulations relating thereto shall be settled in due time after consultation.
The Chinese Government agree to open to foreign trade, within six months from the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty, Ch'angshafu in the province of Hunan on the same footing as the ports already opened to foreign trade. Foreigners residing in this open port are to observe the Municipal and Police Regulations on the same footing as Chinese residents, and they are not to be entitled to establish a municipality and Police of their own within the limits of this treaty port, except with the consent of the Chinese authorities.
The Chinese Government agree that, upon the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty, Mukden and Tatungkow, both in the province of Shengking, will be opened by China itself as places of international residence and trade. The selection of suitable localities to be set apart for international use and occupation and the regulations for these places set apart for foreign residence and trade shall be agreed upon by the Governments of Japan and China after consultation together.
ARTICLE XI The Government of China having expressed a strong desire to reform its judicial system and to bring it into accord with that of Japan and Western nations, Japan agrees to give every assistance to such reform, and will also be prepared to relinquish its extraterritorial rights when satisfied that the state of the Chinese laws, the arrangements for their administration and other considerations warrant it in so doing.
ARTICLE XII The present Treaty is signed in the Japanese, Chinese and English languages. In order, however, to prevent future discussions, the Plenipotentiaries of the High Contracting Parties have agreed that in case of any divergence in the interpretation between the Japanese and Chinese Texts of the Treaty, the difference shall be settled by reference to the English Text.
Annex I
Inland Waters Steam Navigation (Additional Rules)
Shanghai, October, 1903.
1. Japanese steamship-owners are at liberty to lease warehouses and jetties on the banks of waterways from Chinese subjects for a term not exceeding twenty-five years, with option of renewal on terms to be mutually arranged. In cases where Japanese merchants are unable to secure warehouses and jetties from Chinese subjects on satisfactory terms, the local officials, after consultation with the Governor or Governor-General or Minister of Commerce, shall arrange to provide these on renewable lease, as above mentioned, at current equitable rates.
2. Jetties shall only be erected in such positions that they will not obstruct the inland waterway or interfere with navigation, and with the sanction of the nearest Commissioner of Customs; such sanction, however, shall not be arbitrarily withheld.
3. Japanese merchants shall pay taxes and contributions on these warehouses and jetties on the same footing as Chinese proprietors of similar properties in the neighbourhood. Japanese merchants may only employ Chinese agents and staff to reside in warehouses so leased at places touched at by steamers engaged in inland traffic to carry on their business; but Japanese merchants may visit these places from time to time to look after their affairs. The existing rights of Chinese jurisdiction over Chinese subject shall not by reason of this clause be diminished or interfered with in any way.
4. Steam vessels navigating the inland waterways of China shall be responsible for loss caused to riparian proprietors by damage which they may do to the banks or works on them, and for the loss which may be caused by such damage.
In the event of China desiring to prohibit the use of some particular shallow waterway by launches, because there is reason to fear that the use
of it by them would be likely to injure the banks and cause damage to the adjoining country, the Japanese Authorities, when appealed to, shall, if satisfied of the validity of the objection, prohibit the use of that waterway by Japanese launches, provided that Chinese launches are also prohibited from using it.
Both Foreign and Chinese launches are prohibited from crossing dams and weirs at present in existence on inland waterways where they are likely to cause injury to such works, which would be detrimental to the water service of the local people.
5. The main object of the Japanese Government in desiring to see the inland waterways of China opened to steam navigation being to afford facilities for the rapid transport of both foreign and native merchandise, they undertake to offer no impediment to the transfer to a Chinese company and the Chinese flag of any Japanese steamer which may now or hereafter be employed on the inland waters of China, should the owner be willing to make the transfer.
In the event of a Chinese company registered under Chinese law being formed to run steamers on the inland waters of China, the fact of Japanese subjects holding shares in such a company shall not entitle the steamers to fly the Japanese flag.
6. Registered steamers and their tows are forbidden, just as junks have always been forbidden, to carry contraband goods. Infraction of this rule will entail the penalties prescribed in the treaties for such an offence, and cancellation of the Inland Waters Navigation Certificate carried by the vessels, which will be prohibited from thereafter plying on inland waters.
7. As it is desirable that the people living inland should be disturbed as little as possible by the advent of steam vessels to which they are not accustomed, inland waters not hitherto frequented by steamers shall be opened as gradually as may be convenient to merchants and only as the owners of steamers may see prospect of remunerative trade.
In cases where it is intended to run steam vessels on waterways on which such vessels have not hitherto run, intimation shall be made to the Commissioner of Customs at the nearest open port, who shall report the matter to the Ministers of Commerce. The latter, in conjunction with the Governor-General or Governor of the province, after careful consideration of all the circumstances of the case, shall at once give their approval.
8. A registered steamer may ply within the waters of a port, or from one open port or ports to another open port or ports, or from one open port or ports to places inland, and thence back to such port or ports. She may, on making due report to the Customs, land or ship passengers or cargo at any recognized places of trade passed in the course of the voyage; but may not ply between inland places exclusively except with the consent of the Chinese Government.
9. Any cargo and passenger boats may be towed by steamers. The helmsman and crew of any boat towed shall be Chinese. All boats, irrespective of ownership, must be registered before they can proceed inland.
10. The above Rules are supplementary to the Regulations published in the fifth and seventh moons of the twenty-fourth year of Kuang-hsü, which remain in full force and effect in so far as they are not modified by the Rules now agreed upon.
The present Rules and the Regulations of the fifth and seventh moons of the twenty-fourth year of Kuang-hsü may hereafter be modified, as circumstances require, by mutual consent.