893.5034 Registration/12–2845: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Robertson)
2076. Chinese News Service Washington under Chungking date line Dec 27 has released the following:
“In reply to a question concerning the reported revision of the Chinese Company Law, Government spokesman Dr. P. H. Chang70 said that he was told by Dr. Sun Fo that no such modification has been contemplated by the Legislative Yuan.”
American firms with extensive interests in China continue to express concern with regard to possibility being required register Jan 1 in spite of info contained Embassy’s 2191 Dec 20 which has been made available to them. They refer in this connection to previous postponement to Dec 31, 1945 of date for registration of branches of foreign companies (Urtel 1074 June 29) and are apprehensive that foreign [Page 1256] firms will be required to effect registration under existing legislation. Dept has undertaken to convey such assurances as seem implicit in Embassy’s 2191 namely that “deadline for registration of foreign companies would undoubtedly be postponed pending promulgation of new law”.
Several firms currently operating in China have nevertheless indicated to Dept their willingness to register as of Jan 1 if required to do so and have expressed a desire to approach the appropriate Chinese authorities direct and inform them to this effect. Dept has suggested however to these firms that they instruct their representatives in China to keep in touch with and be guided by the advice of Embassy. In this connection Dept has taken note of penultimate sentence Urtel 2191 and desires that Embassy endeavor to obtain definite assurances that deadline for registration will be postponed pending promulgation new law.
- Counselor of the Chinese Executive Yuan.↩