Wells Williams , United States Chargé d’Affaires to China to Wells Williams, September 20, 1873

Prince Kung to Mr. Williams.

Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith sends a reply. I have been honored with your excellency’s dispatch, in which you state: “That as the Peruvian government has sent a special envoy to personally confer with the Chinese authorities respecting the condition of their countrymen in Peru, and their emigration, it is requested that a high officer be appointed to meet him at Tien-tsin to negotiate a treaty; further adding, that as China has hitherto treated foreign nations with friendly courtesy, it is surely very undesirable to rudely reject [the minister from Peru,] &c.”

In my former dispatch to Mr. Low I plainly stated the grounds why it was not expedient for this government to make a treaty with that of Peru; and as the minister himself now requests that a high officer be specially appointed to meet him at Tien-tsin, there to confer with him and negotiate a treaty, [lean merely repeat] that His Majesty’s government cannot now receive him upon the basis of making a treaty, and there is consequently no occasion for sending an officer to Tien-tsin to meet and negotiate with him.

The high authorities of each province have, however, been accustomed to receive all ministers and high dignitaries who have come to this country, whether from treaty Powers or not, with the courtesy which their position demands, as your excellency, too, yourself, very well knows. If the Peruvian envoy comes to this country, therefore, I presume that there will be no doubt but that the superintendents of trade for the northern and southern ports will not harshly refuse to meet him. But in respect to the negotiations of a treaty, (with Peru,) I can only repeat what I said in my former dispatch: “That when she returns to their houses in China all the coolies whom she has hired as laborers, and agrees to enter into no more contracts for laborers, then this government will make a treaty with her.”

It is in this sense that I now send this reply for your excellency’s information.