§ Mr. VIANTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the state of affairs regarding the negotiations 1065W between the British authorities at Hong Kong and the Canton Government for the removal of the boycott and regarding the compensation for the 52 Chinese killed and 117 wounded in the Shameen shooting outrage; what terms were offered by each side; what compensation was proposed; and what was the reason for the breakdown of the negotiations?
§ Mr. AMERYVery little can usefully be added to the statement which has been made to-day by my Right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The Shameen incident is one with which the Colonial Office is not directly concerned. The unofficial negotiations which have broken down were conducted on the side of Hong Kong with the object solely of bringing an end to the present violation of the Treaty rights of the Colony. They broke down because the Cantonese side did not confine themselves to matters affecting the strike and boycott, and sought to impose on Hong Kong irrelevant conditions of a political nature which, for the present, it does not seem expedient to set out, though I hope I may be able to give fuller particulars at a later date. The Government of Hong Kong is still willing to negotiate an honourable and permanent settlement with the Government of Canton, but the latter has persistently declined to enter into negotiations.