HC Deb 04 July 1928 vol 219 cc1351-3
1. Mr. DAY

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he 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. CHAMBERLAIN

The 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. DAY

Is 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. CHAMBERLAIN

I 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. MACLEAN

Has 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. CHAMBERLAIN

I 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

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