Jan, 14, Mr. Quo Tai-chi and the China Association happily interchanged views last month at the Associa tion's annual dinner. Complimentary obligations did not pre~ vent the Chinese Minister from making shrewd references to cur ent political problems in the Far East, Mr. Quo Tai-chi was on sound ground in urging that the hanged conditions here did not alter the fundamentals of the situa tion which, twelve years gu, induced the Nine Powers at Wash= ington to come to certain definite resolutions regarding the position of China, Mr. Quo, with reason, pointed out that at' that time the Chinese Government at Peking was 'a shadow Government whose writ did not run much beyond the city walls, The contrast between that and the present administration at Nanking was significantly stressed. by the Chinese Minister. And he was also justified in pointing out that the present Government of China has remained in power for an exceptionally long time despite a succession of grave natural and political calamities. This attitude may be noted as a salutary cor= recilve to views which, at times, seem to dwell unseasonably und morbidly on the shortcomings and failures. which the Government} hhere has not been able to conceal or rectify. It would be easy, for example, to give chapter and verse for a disposition to rebut Mr. Quo Tai-chi's contention that Chinese dependability in commercial trol actions still commands acceptar.ce. Just 4 this moment when the unfavourable trade balance has @rawn pointed attention to the handicaps imposed on the industrial development and export trade of the country by uncon sidered regimentation, unauthorized taxation, imposts levied in dis~ guise, vexatious procedure and fiscal' duties which seem directly to belie official statements of polley, the suggestion that there is nothing tohamper ce-operation be~ tween the foreign trader and the people of this country has a sadly irenic sound.
Yet Mr. Quo Tai-chi and the China Association were right an their general line of approach to Sino-British issues. Sir George Macdonogh happily defined the Position of the reasonable British resident In China when he said "With our large and varied interests in China there are times when the decision of the Chinese Government does not suit us. That inevitable, The same kind of thing happens in "other countries all over the world. And, natural~ ly, st ie part of the duly, Body such as this to do its best for its members. But it is also its duly to seize every possible op= portunity for ce-operation with China...
And Mr. Quo Tai-chi frankly accepted that definition in the opening sentences of his reply: "there fare bound to be differences but need never be cleavages". There can be little doubt that the patriotic Chinese statesman must view foreign ce-operation with considerable diffidence in the light of even recent events—to avoid the arid task of exploring past history. Recognizing the inevit able need of securing foreign assistance in some form or other. the Chinese Government, if only for the protection of " its political reputation, is entitled to scrutinize the methods'and manners by wich that assistance is vouchsafed. So it is probable that, in future veers, a policy will be developed to limit the employment of foreign experts to severely-defined terms and to endeavour, as far as possible, to dispense with that form of assistance to which, for various reasons, strings have been attached, to use' a convenient colloquial ism. This has led to the ultimate contusion of policies and the Jdeteat of benevolent purposes. Even the modern plan of employing advisers deputed by the League of Nations has come in itor criticism. There again a modification of the form of engage ment may eventually be found to be desirable.
But, while admitting the need! for further foreign ce-operation it Is essential to note the obstacles which stand in the way of fulfilling that laudable aim. The Government still seems to lack that} ico-ordirating energy which alone Jean relieve it of the embarrassment of finding the independent, work of one department complete-upsetting the _indepencent Jendeaveur of another. Of what, use, for example, is it to encourage the' development of the distr: bution of chemicals required for the agricultural industries, if, by the Jdevice of setting up an inspection bureau, that distribution is sup-
Jiected fo what amounts to a crush-
Ing form of taxation? Up-country the other day the dealers in weed Jou were suddenly confronted by the creation of a Central Govern ment inspection bureau. The ancial advantages. of this bureau.—from the tax-collectors' point view—inspired the local provincial authorities to follow suit, with the result that an industry which might play a valuable part In. reducing the country's _econcmie distress, is heavily handicapped. This does not apply solely to forjeign enterprises. Chinese industrialists know to their cost that the: creation of a factory is often a temptation to the ingenuity of the: local taxation expert. The result! {is that the infant or adolescent: industry is continually drained of its resources; it cannot maintain Itself in proper trim and its w'ti-mate disappearance is only a matter of time, Industries ought to bear their fair share of contributions to the support of the Govern-_ ment. They should not be mode the milch cows of the improvident administrator. Emphasis carnot be too strongly laid on this need for better ce-ordination for affects the wider issues which Mr.
/Quo Tai-chi raised in his ref-rence to China's political stability in the Far East. Recent controversies have brought into prominent: th. importance of reviewing the present situation under the Nine Power Treaty. It is probable Great Britain and the Urited 'States of America will be led, by the logic of events, to review' the: basis on which ce-operation between them can solve the Far [Eastern problem in the light of the happenings since 1922. This ico-operation will necessarily be Japproached on the lines of full appreciation of Japan's interests In the Pacific, It will presumably:
based on the collective sottlement of differences, In that! endeavour China should play an honourable part, but her own position and that of her well-wishers would be _enormously strengthened if she could present} less untrammelled opportunity to the Influences of ce-operation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.