§ Mr. Attlee(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make on the situation in China?
§ Mr. EdenThere was some sporadic firing in and around Peking yesterday, but my latest information is that the situation there appears to have quietened, although naturally there is an undercurrent of nervous apprehension. The Japanese Embassy in Peking announced yesterday that certain terms which they refer to as an agreement had been signed by representatives of the Hopei-Chahar 1258 Council and the Chinese 29th Army, and communicated to the Japanese authorities. The full text was not disclosed, but it appears to be on the lines reported in the Press this morning.
Meanwhile I have been in touch with the Japanese and Chinese Governments. I have made clear to both that His Majesty's Government are conscious of the anxieties of the situation, which they are watching closely and have expressed to them our concern lest hasty action by either shall lead to a clash which should be avoided if the situation is handled with due caution on both sides. I have also been in consultation with the Governments of the United States of America and France as to the situation generally. We propose to continue such consultation and, in the meanwhile, His Majesty's Government will lose no opportunity that offers of making any contribution in their power towards the peaceful solution of these difficulties.