§ 1. Mr. DAYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he 1352 has any facts that will show the value in pounds sterling of arms that have been imported into China for the 12 months ending to the last convenient date; and can he give particulars from which arms-producing Powers this material was shipped?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINThe most recent returns of the Chinese Maritime Customs show that importation in 1926 amounted to a total nett value of Taels 2,120,476, equivalent at the average rate of exchange to £330,220. These figures cover only arms and munitions imported through the Customs at the Treaty Ports, and therefore do not include consignments arriving overland from the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, regarding which no complete statistics are available. With the hon. Member's permission, I will have the detailed particulars circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I should explain that these figures include arms imported for British and other foreign naval and military forces in China as well as for such institutions as the Chinese Maritime Customs and the Shanghai Volunteer Corps; and also that the various countries named are those from which the arms were shipped, and are not necessarily those of real origin.
§ Mr. DAYIs it not a fact that, since the figures for 1926–27, there has been a great increase? Has the right hon. Gentleman had reports to that effect from our representatives, and has not the progress of the country greatly increased, lately?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI am proposing to give the hon. Member all the figures that I have. I do not recall any report to the effect that the hon. Member has stated.
§ Mr. MACLEANHas the right hon. Gentleman any real ground upon which he bases his statement that arms had been or were being smuggled into China from the Union of Soviet Russia?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI did not use the word "smuggled." I said "arriving" from the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.
§ Following are detailed particulars:
| Imported from | Value in Haikuan Taels. |
| Hong Kong | 131,881 |
| French Indo-China | 166,715 |
| British India | — |
| Great Britain | 84,849 |
| Norway | — |
| Sweden | 66,039 |
| Germany | 1,261,252 |
| Netherlands | — |
| Belgium | 82 |
| France | 65,552 |
| Switzerland | — |
| Italy | 4,054 |
| Korea | 209 |
| Japan (including Formosa) | 368,214 |
| Philippine Islands | 19,644 |
| Canada | 225 |
| United States of America (including Hawaii) | 31,907 |
| Direct Gross Import | 2,200,623 |
| Re-exported Abroad | 80,147 |
| Net Import from abroad | 2,120,476 |