SINO-JAPANESE UNDERSTANDING ENTERED INTO IN 1905
Made Public, January 14, 1932
In 1905, when the Treaty concerning Manchuria and the supplementary agreement to it were concluded, the Japanese Government insisted on the insertion in the text of the Treaty definite engagements on certain matters. Since, however, the Chinese Government found it difficult for internal political reasons to consent to the publication of such engagements, it was agreed that these should be merely recorded in the Minutes of the Conference, which were drawn up both in Japanese and Chinese and signed by the Japanese and Chinese Plenipotentiaries. These unpublished understandings totalled sixteen in number. An English version summarising these provisions was submitted, in February, 1906, to the British and the United States Governments in strict confidence by the Japanese Government.
Inasmuch as there seems to be some doubt as to the existence of these understandings in the Minutes of the Conference, and as people even in positions of influence in China have openly denied it, the Government think the present a fit occasion to publish the abovementioned communication made to the Governments of Great Britain and the United States.
Whereas the protocols of the Conference recently held between the Plenipotentiaries of Japan and China with regard to Manchuria are to be kept strictly secret in deference to the desire of the Chinese Government, only such portions of those Protocols as
possess the character of executory agreements are given in the following summary :
1. The railway between Changchun and Kirin will be constructed by China with capital to be raised by herself. She, however, agrees to borrow from Japan the insufficient amount of capital, which amount being about one-half of the total sum required. The contract concerning the loan shall, in due time, be concluded, following, mutatis mutandis, the loan contract entered into between the board of the Imperial Railways of North China and the Anglo-Chinese Syndicate. The term of the loan shall be twenty-five years, redeemable in yearly instalments.
2. The military railway constructed by Japan between Mukden and Hsinmintun shall be sold to China at a price to be fairly determined in consultation by Commissioners appointed for the purpose by the two Governments. China engages to reconstruct the line, making it her own railway, and to borrow from a Japanese corporation or corporations one half of the capital required for the portion of the line east of Liao-ho for a term of eighteen years repayable in yearly instalments, and a contract shall be concluded, for the purpose following, mutatis mutandis, the loan contract entered into between the Board of the Imperial Railways of North China and the Anglo-Chinese Syndicate.
All the other military railways in different localities shall be removed with the evacuation of the regions.
3. The Chinese Government engage, for the purpose of protecting the interest of the South Manchuria Railway, not to construct, prior to the recovery by them of the said railway, any main line in the neighbourhood of and parallel to that railway, or any branch line which might be prejudicial to the interest of the above-mentioned railway.
4. China declares that she will adopt sufficient measures for securing Russia's faithful observance of the Russo-Chinese treaties with regard to the railways which Russia continues to possess in the northern part of Manchuria, and that it is her intention, in case Russia acts in contravention of such treaty stipulations, to approach her strongly
[Page 1306 was transcribed with GPT (Codex CLI), not Claude.]
with a view to have such action fully rectified.
5. When in the future, negotiations are to be opened between Japan and Russia for regulation of the connecting railway services (Article VIII of the Treaty of Peace between Japan and Russia), Japan shall give China previous notice. China shall communicate to Russia her desire to take part in the negotiations through commissioners to be despatched by her on the occasion, and Russia consenting, shall participate in such negotiations.
6. With regard to the mines in the Province of Fengtien, appertaining to the railway, whether already worked or not, fair and detailed arrangements shall be agreed upon for mutual observance.
7. The affairs relating to the connecting services as well as those of common concern in respect of the telegraph lines in the Province of Fengtien and the cables between Port Arthur and Yentai shall be arranged from time to time as necessity may arise in consultation between the two countries.
8. The regulations respecting the places to be opened in Manchuria, shall be made by China herself, but the Japanese Minister at Peking must be previously consulted regarding the matter.
9. If no objection be offered on the part of Russia respecting the navigation of the Sungari (by Japanese vessels), China shall consent to such navigation after negotiations.
10. The Chinese Plenipotentiaries declare that immediately after the withdrawal of the Japanese and Russian troops from Manchuria, China will proceed to take, in virtue of her sovereign right, full administrative measures to guarantee peace in that region and endeavour, by the same right, to promote good and remove evil as well as steadily to restore order, so that the residents of that region, natives and foreigners, may equally enjoy the security of life and occupation under the perfect protection of the Chinese Government. As to the means of restoring order, the Chinese Government are to take by themselves all adequate measures.
11. While relations of intimate friendship subsisted as at the present time between China and Japan, Japan and Russia had unfortunately engaged
in war and fought in the territory of China. But peace has now been re-established and hostilities in Manchuria have ceased. And while it is undeniable that Japanese troops, before their withdrawal, have the power of exercising the rights occurring from military occupation, the Chinese Government declare that certain Japanese subjects in Manchuria have recently been observed to sometimes interfere with the local Chinese administration and to inflict damage to public and private property of China.
The Japanese Plenipotentiaries, considering that, should such interference and infliction of damage have been carried beyond military necessity, they are not proper acts, declare that they will communicate the purport of the above declaration of the Chinese Government to the Government of Japan, so that proper steps may be taken for controlling Japanese subjects in the Province of Fengtien and promote the friendly relations between the two nations, and also for preventing them in future, from interfering with the Chinese administration or inflicting damage to public or private property without military necessity.
12. In regard to any public or private property of China which may have been purposely destroyed or used by Japanese subjects without any military necessity, the Governments of the two countries shall respectively make investigations and cause fair reparation to be made.
13. When the Chinese local authorities intend to despatch troops for the purpose of subduing native bandits in the regions not yet completely evacuated by Japanese troops, they shall not fail to previously consult with the Commander of the Japanese troops stationed in those regions so that all misunderstandings may be avoided.
14. The Japanese Plenipotentiaries declare that the Railway Guards stationed between Changchun and the boundary line of the leased territory of Port Arthur and Talien, shall not be allowed, before their withdrawal, to unreasonably interfere with the local administration of China or to proceed without permission beyond the limits of the railway.
15. Chinese local authorities, who are to reside at Yingkou, shall be allowed, even before the withdrawal of the Japanese troops, to proceed to that place and transact their official business. The date of their departure is to be determined, as soon as possible after the definite conclusion of this Treaty, by the Japanese Minister to China in consultation with the Waiwupu. As there is still in that place a considerable number of Japanese troops, quarantine regulations as well as regulations for the prevention of contagious diseases, shall be established by the authorities of the two countries in consultation with each other so that epidemics may be avoided.
16. The revenue of the Maritime Customs at Yingkou shall be deposited with the Yokohama Specie Bank and delivered to the Chinese local authorities at the time of evacuation. As to the revenue of the native Customs at that place and the taxes and imposts at all other places, which are to be appropriated for local expenditures, a statement of receipts and expenditures shall be delivered to the Chinese local authorities at the time of evacuation.