793.003/481
The Chinese Legation to the Department of State
Memorandum
Considerable time has elapsed since the initiation of negotiations concerning the assumption of jurisdiction by the Chinese Government over American citizens in China. It is to be regretted that no solution has yet been brought about as a result of the labor of the past several months. Much anxiety and uncertainty have consequently arisen in the mind of the Chinese people whose ever growing desire for the immediate recovery of China’s jurisdictional sovereignty must needs be realized for the benefit of all concerned.
The proposals put forward by the American Government for the gradual abolition of extraterritoriality in China having been carefully considered by the Chinese Government and found unacceptable as they stand, the Chinese Minister had the honor on the 7th of December to hand to the Department of State China’s counter-proposals on the subject under negotiation. The Chinese Government is now anxiously awaiting a favorable reply and it hopes that a satisfactory solution of the question will be reached by the end of February.
The Chinese Government still believes that it is possible to settle once for all the question of abolition by negotiation and that it will not be necessary for China to take a different course of action toward that end.