§ 69. Dr. D. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the outcome of his negotiations with the Chinese Government in regard to the compensation to be paid in respect of pensioners of the Shanghai Waterworks Company.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreAs a result of representations made by Her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Peking, the Chinese
48WDefence Statistics 1957–58 (Cmnd. 130). The necessary adjustments have been made.
Government agreed in May, 1956, to remit to the management of the Shanghai Waterworks Company the sum of £13,710 which was the amount due to pensioners on 30th June, 1952. The Chinese authorities maintained, however, that after the enterprise was requisitioned on 20th November, 1952, the original liabilities and obligations were the responsibility of the enterprise itself. Despite further representations by Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires that, in Her Majesty's Government's view, responsibility lay with the 49W Chinese Government, the latter refused to accept this. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Chinese reply, Her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires on 10th January, 1957, formally reserved all British rights affected by the action of the Chinese authorities and, in particular, the rights of the pensioners.