§ 1. Sir JAMES FORTESCUE FLANNERYasked the Secretary of State for-Foreign Affairs whether, inside the eighteen provinces of China, British railway development is governed by any special existing international understandings; and, if so, if he will indicate their nature?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir Edward Grey)The only international understanding with regard to British railway interests in China is the exchange of notes, known as the Scott-Mouravieff Agreement of 28th April, 1899—between Russia and Great Britain—by which Great Britain engages not to seek for' railway concessions north of the great wall of China, or to obstruct applications for similar concessions in that region supported by the Russian Government, while Russia, on her part, engages not to seek any similar concessions in the Yangtze basin, or to obstruct applications in that region supported by the British Government.