Peting, March 9.
China has replied further to the Russian Note..I am authoritatively informed that China contends that free trade in the New Dominions, according to Article XII of the Treaty of 1881, is confined to the import of foreign and the export of native produce. As tea is a native product it is ineligible for sale in the New Dominions. The establishment of Consulates entails, according to Article X, the simultaneous application of duties. Mixed Court procedure has already been applied.
The Reply concludes with the hope that Russia will appreciate China's repeated attempts at the preservation of friendly relations.—Our Own Correspondent, A STRONG HINT, London vid Bombay, March 13.
The " Nove Vremya" declares that farther discussions with China are useless and that an ultimatum must be presented.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.