—— Henningsen to the construction of telegraph lines in China, June 1, 1881

Petition of the Danish Great Northern Telegraph Company, asking the approval of the six following articles of agreement in regard to the construction of telegraph lines in China.

[Approved by his excellency Li Hung Chang, &c., upon the twelfth day of the moon in the following indorsement: “The plan proposed in the petition is approved, and will hereafter, by the necessary instructions, be carried into effect. Of the two foreign copies, let one be sealed and returned to the petitioners, and the other placed on record.”]

The petition of the Danish Great Northern Telegraph Company to his excellency the northern superintendent of foreign trade respectfully submits that some definite preliminary understanding should be reached in regard to the interests which affect in common the telegraph lines constructed by China and those of the above-mentioned company. They therefore submit six articles for which they pray the approval of His Imperial Majesty, that they may be carried into operation, to the end that this company may receive the benefits arising from the protection granted to it by the Government, and may not be deprived of such advantages as lie within the sovereignty of China. And this company begs leave in support of this petition to submit the following statement. Last year this company, at the orders of the foreign office and the northern and southern superintendents of trade, transmitted over the lines to Russia a sum total of about 10,000 words, and to other points about 6,000 words, making a total of 16,000 words sent. Messages were received amounting to about 8,000 words, making a total received and sent of, say, 24,000 words. The cost of transmission for this number of words amounted to $52,800. If the arrangement proposed in the fourth article had been in operation last year, China in her telegraphic correspondence with Russia would have expended only $7,500, and with other parts only $12,000, being a sum total of only $19,500. The expense of transmission on the lines of this company would have been remitted, and the Government would have saved a total of $33,300.

From this statement it is evident that, under the arrangement proposed of mutual concession, both parties to it will secure great advantages; and if the request of this company be granted the utmost care will in future be taken in all sincerity to protect the interests of China.

proposed articles.

• The Chinese Government guarantees to the Great Northern Telegraph Company an exclusive monopoly for their sea-cables already landed within Chinese territory. Should the company desire to land other cables in China, the consent of the Government of China must first be had.
• For a period of twenty years, reckoned from the date of the ratification of this agreement, the Chinese Government will not permit other Governments or other companies to lay telegraph cables within its territory, nor, within the above-mentioned term of years, to land telegraph cables within the foreign concessions or Formosa.
• Within the same period of twenty years the Chinese Government will not construct telegraph cables or land lines which will conflict with any of the lines of the Great Northern Telegraph Company. Between points where there will be no conflict with the lines of the Great Northern Telegraph Company the Chinese Government will build lines at its pleasure.
• If, hereafter, the Chinese Government should establish additional telegraph lines the Great Northern Telegraph Company will be employed by the Government to construct them, provided their terms are lower than those of other parties.
• Messages of the Chinese foreign office, northern and southern superintendents of foreign trade, Chinese diplomatic agents and consuls-general abroad shall be sent free of charge by the Great Northern Telegraph Company over its lines in China, Japan and Europe, for a term of twenty years. Whenever such messages are intended for points not reached by the lines of the company they will be forwarded to their destination over the lines of other companies, and the Chinese Government will pay the charges levied by such other companies. But the Great Northern Telegraph Company will remit the charges on such messages only of the class specified as bear the official seal of the sender in evidence of their being genuine.
• The Great Northern Telegraph Company’s line connecting at Hong-Kong with European lines is called the “southern line.” That via Japan, connecting with the Russian system, is called the “northern line.” After the completion of the Chinese telegraph line all messages sent by Chinese and foreign residents in China to foreign parts and delivered by the Chinese telegraph line to the Great Northern Telegraph Company for transmission, unless such messages are indorsed to be forwarded by the “southern line,” will be sent by the “northern line” as being more speedy.
• Hereafter in cases of dispute the Chinese text of this version shall be accepted as authoritative.