§ 30. Mr. Goughasked the President of the Board of Trade if a date has not been agreed for the proposed visit to this country of the Chinese Vice-President of Foreign Trade.
§ Mr. GoughWill my hon. Friend bear in mind that desirable though any trade treaty may be, it should be based on a sound foundation? Before this visit takes place, will he put to the Chinese Government the claims of the pensioners and shareholders of the Shanghai Waterworks Company? This claim has been put forward for ten or fifteen years but has never been considered or met by the Chinese Government. Will my hon. Friend make very strong representations before we discuss other terms of trade with that Government?
§ Mr. GreenI understand what my hon. Friend says, but this visit is in order to show the gentlemen concerned something of British technical achievements and to give us the chance of some informal talks on Sino-British trade. If we make pre-conditions on particular points before the talks start, we shall perhaps never get to the particular points either.
§ Mr. GoughWill my hon. Friend then also show the delegation some British moral achievements in that when we have obligations we carry them out?