Executive Agreement Series No. 37
Unilateral Declaration of the Foreign Signatories to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs (C. T. Wang)
Excellency: With reference to the Agreement which we have signed today establishing a new Chinese judicial system in the International Settlement at Shanghai, we desire to point out that such Agreement cannot in any way affect or invalidate rights guaranteed to the Powers concerned and to their nationals under existing treaties between such Powers and China and we accordingly reserve our full rights in this regard.
We further reserve the right to object to the enforcement in the International Settlement of any future Chinese laws that affect or in any way invalidate the Land Regulations or Bye-Laws of the International Settlement or that may be considered prejudicial to the maintenance of peace and order within this area.
We avail ourselves [etc.]
on behalf of the Brazilian Chargé d’Affaires
In the name of the American Minister,
W. Meyrick Hewlett
on behalf of His Britannic Majesty’s Minister
on behalf of the Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires
on behalf of the Netherlands chargé d’affaires
In the name of the French Minister: