China and the Treaties Last Saturday the Chinese Government at
Nanking issued a Rescript subjecting all foreigners from New Year's Day onwards to the laws of the Nankink Government and of its local representatives. Thus the Nanking Government has torn. up all the Treaties with foreign Powers which confer extra-territorial rights on foreign residents in China. It is possible that China ought to receive the benefit of some .doubt about the meaning of this deplorable action. A few days before the Rescript was issued there had been a correspondence between the Chinese and British representatives, and the British Government had declared its willingness to regard the "process "of replacing the "unequal" Treaties as beginning from January 1st, 1930. The Nanking Governinent, in its reply, thanked Great Britain for her sympathy and remarked in effect that an Chinese decree which might be issued in consequence would probably not be taken amiss.
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