Office of the Historian

Mr. Bainbridge to Mr. Hay.

Legation of the United States,
Peking, April 17, 1902.

Sir: In the absence of the minister I have the honor to inclose a copy of the French text of the Russo-Chinese Manchurian convention, which was signed at Peking on the 8th instant.

I have, etc.,

W. E. Bainbridge.
[Page 280]
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

His Majesty the Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, and His Majesty the Emperor of China, with a view to reestablishing and consolidating the neighborly relations which were interrupted by the rebellion that took place in the Celestial Empire in 1900, have named as their plenipotentiaries, for the purpose of establishing an agreement upon certain questions concerning Manchuria,——, —— ——.

The aforesaid plenipotentiaries, provided with full powers which were found sufficient, have agreed upon the following stipulations:

Article I. His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, desiring to give a fresh proof of his love of peace and his sentiments of friendship for His Majesty the Emperor of China, notwithstanding the fact that the first attacks upon the peaceable Russian population were made from various points of Manchuria, which is situated on the frontier, consents to the reestablishment of the authority of the Chinese Government in the aforesaid province, which remains an integral part of the Empire of China, and restores to the Chinese Government the right to exercise governmental and administrative powers there as before its occupation by the Russian troops.

Art. II. In resuming possession of governmental and administrative powers in Manchuria, the Chinese Government confirms, as well in regard to the terms as to all the other articles, the engagement strictly to observe the stipulations of the contract concluded with the Russo-Chinese Bank on the 27th of August, 1896, and assumes, according to article 5 of said contract, the obligation to protect the railroad and its personnel by every means, and also pledges itself to guarantee the security, in Manchuria, of all Russian subjects in general who reside there and the enterprises established by them.

The Russian Government, in view of the assumption of this obligation by the Emperor of China, consents on its part, in case there shall be no agitations of any sort, and if the action of the other powers shall offer no obstacle thereto, gradually to withdraw all its troops from Manchuria so as—

(a)
To withdraw, in the course of six months from the signing of the convention, the Russian troops from the southwest portion of the province of Moukden, as far as the Liao-he River, and again to place China in control of the railways;
(b)
To withdraw, in the course of the six months following, the Imperial Russian troops from the remaining portion of the province of Moukden and the province of Kirin; and
(c)
To withdraw, in the course of the six months following, the remainder of the Imperial Russian troops now in the province of Hei-lung Kiang.

Art. III. In view of the necessity of obviating in future a repetition of the disturbances of 1900, in which the Chinese troops quartered in the provinces adjacent to Russia took part, the Russian Government and the Chinese Government agree to order the Russian military authorities and the dzian-dziuns to come to an understanding for the purpose of regulating the number and determining the places of cantonment of the Chinese troops in Manchuria until the Russian troops shall have been withdrawn therefrom. The Chinese Government further pledges itself not to organize any other troops above the number thus agreed upon by the Russian military authorities and the dzian-dziuns, which shall be sufficient to exterminate the brigands and to pacify the country.

After the complete evacuation of the country by the Russian troops, the Chinese Government shall have the right to make an examination of the number of troops in Manchuria which are subject to increase or diminution, giving timely notice of such examination to the Imperial Government, for the maintenance of troops in the aforesaid province in superfluous numbers would manifestly lead to the increase of the Russian military forces in the adjacent districts, and would thus occasion an increase of military expenses, to the great disadvantage of both countries.

For police service and the maintenance of internal order in this region outside of the territory ceded to the Chinese Eastern Railway Company, there shall be formed, near the local dzian-dzmn governors, a police force, both on foot and mounted, composed exclusively of subjects of the Emperor of China.

Art. IV. The Russian Government consents to restore to their owners the railway lines of the Shan-hai-kwan—Yin-kow—Simminting, which have been occupied and protected by the Russian troops since the end of the month of September, 1900. In consideration of this the Government of the Emperor of China pledges itself:

1.
That in case it shall become necessary to insure the security of the aforesaid railway lines it will itself assume that obligation, and will not request any other power to undertake or participate in the defense, construction, or exploitation of these lines, and will not permit foreign powers to occupy the territory restored by Russia.
2.
That the above mentioned railway lines shall be completed and exploited on the precise bases of the agreement made between Russia and England April 16, 1899, [Page 281] and on those of the contract concluded September 28, 1898, with a private company, relative to a loan for the construction of the aforesaid lines, and, moreover, in observance of the obligations assumed by the company, especially:
Not to take possession of the Shan-hai-kwan—Yin-kow—Simminting line or to dispose of it in any manner whatever.
3.
That if a continuation of the railway lines in the south of Manchuria, or the construction of branch lines connecting with them, and the construction of a bridge at Yin Kow or at the transfer of the terminus of the Shan-hai-kwan Railroad, which is situated there, shall hereafter be undertaken, it shall be done after a previous understanding between the Government of Russia and that of China.

Seeing that the outlays made by Russia for the reestablishment and exploitation of the surrendered railway lines of Shan-hai-kwan—Yin-kow—Simminting have not been included in the sum total of the indemnity, they shall be refunded to it by the Chinese Government. The two Governments shall agree together upon the amount of the sums to be refunded.

The stipulations of all previous treaties between Russia and China which are not modified by the present convention shall remain in full force.

The present convention shall have legal effect from the day of the signing of the copies thereof by the plenipotentiaries of the two Empires.

The exchange of the ratifications shall take place at St. Petersburg within the space of three months from the date of the signing of the convention.

In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries of the two high contracting parties have signed and sealed with their seals two copies of the present convention, in the Russian, Chinese, and French languages. Of the three texts, duly compared and found to agree, the French text shall be the one that shall be authoritative as regards the interpretation of the present convention.

Done in duplicate at Pekin the—— ——, corresponding to the —— ——.