§ Mr. LEACHasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he would inform the House of the steps he was taking or was prepared to take to release China 273 from treaty obliations to admit opium into that empire, seeing that the Chinese officials are anxious to be rid of the traffic?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. McKinnon Wood)As the hon. Member is no doubt aware, His Majesty's Government and the Government of India are prepared to reduce the export of Indian opium pari passu with the reduction of the local trade in China, and are in fact carrying out this reduction notwithstanding the fact that no proof has hitherto been furnished by the Chinese Government of a corresponding reduction in the cultivation of the poppy and the manufacture of native opium. Neotiations on the whole opium question are now proceeding at Peking with a view to meeting the wishes of the Chinese Government in a liberal spirit.