793.003/560
The Chinese Legation to the Department of State
Memorandum to the Department of State
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given careful consideration to the suggestion of the State Department that the American Minister to China should discuss with the Minister for Foreign Affairs certain issues referred to in the Department’s Statement handed to the Chinese Minister on March 11, 1931.
The Ministry regrets that it is unable to enter into discussion of the three vital points which were raised in the Chinese Minister’s statement to the Department of February 20, 1931, and on which the Ministry hopes the American Government will unreservedly meet its wishes. The transfer of the negotiations at this juncture from Washington to Nanking would not, in the opinion of the Ministry, serve any useful purpose. If and when the points above mentioned have been satisfactorily settled, while there will be no objection to the transfer to Nanking of the discussion of other matters in connection with the subject of extraterritoriality, the Chinese Government nevertheless desires [Page 759] to see the negotiations which have been held so long in Washington to be continued and brought to an early and successful conclusion there.