Regest:

Vertreter des deutschen Konsortiums für Asiatische Geschäfte (KfAG), Berlin, auf der einen Seite sowie der British and Chinese Corporation (Limited), London, und der Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Hongkong / Shanghai / London, auf der anderen Seite kommen am 1. und 2. September 1898 in London zusammen und vereinbaren - wie sie im vorliegenden Protokoll festhalten - die Abgrenzung von zwei Einflusssphären für die Finanzierung von Eisenbahnprojekten in China: Demnach zählt im Kern die Provinz Shandong und das Flussgebiet des Huang He zur deutschen Sphäre, im Kern das Flussgebiet des Jangtsekiang zur britischen Sphäre. Auf der Grundlage dieser Vereinbarung sollen künftig gemeinsame deutsch-britische Bewerbungen um Konzessionen für den Bau von Eisenbahnlinien im nördlichen China vorgenommen, das erforderliche Kapital von den beiden Gruppen gemeinsam aufgebracht und die Umsetzung der Projekte in der jeweiligen Einflusssphäre dann in getrennter Verantwortung vorgenommen werden.

Formalia:

Gedruckte Quelle im Umfang von 2 Seiten.

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Minutes of the Meetings held at New Court, St. Swithen’s Lane, London, on the 1st and 2nd September, 1898.

Present:

Representing the German Syndicate –

Mr. A. von Hansemann.

Representing the British and Chinese Corporation (Limited) –

Mr. W. Keswick.

Representing the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation –

Mr. Ewen Cameron.

Mr. Julius Brussel.

Mr. von HANSEMANN proposed the following, viz.: –

It is desirable for the British and German Governments to agree about the sphere of interest of the two countries regarding the railway constructions in China, and to mutually support the interest of either country.1|2. Seite, 267|1Zu den vorausgegangenen Gesprächen, an denen auch Vertreter der deutschen und britischen Regierung beteiligt waren: Barth, Hochfinanz, S. 159–163. Ausführlicher aus deutscher, britischer und chinesischer Perspketive: Müller-Jabusch, Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, S. 116–121; Schmidt, Eisenbahnpolitik, S. 113, 162f.; King, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Bd. 1, S 559–562; King, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Bd. 2, S. 308f.; Edwards, British Diplomacy, S. 36f.; Moazzin, Foreign Banks, S. 150–187.  

This proposal was agreed to.

The following proposal of Mr. von Hansemann regarding the British and German spheres of interest for applications for Railway Concessions in China, viz.:

1. British sphere of interest, viz.:

The Yangtsze Valley subject to the connection of the Shantung lines to the Yangtsze at Chinkiang; the provinces south of the Yangtsze; the Province of Shansi with connection to the Peking-Hankow line at a point south of Chengting and a connecting line to the Yangtsze Valley crossing the Hoangho Valley.

2. German sphere of interest, viz.:

The Province of Shantung and the Hoangho Valley with connection to Tien-tsin and Chengting, or other point of the Peking-Hankow line, in the south with connection to the Yangtsze at Chengting or Nanking. The Hoangho Valley is understood to be subject to the connecting lines in Shansi forming part of the British sphere of interest, and to the connecting line to the Yangtsze Valley, also belonging to the said sphere of interest.

Was agreed to, with the following alterations, viz.: –

The line from Tien-tsin to Tsinan, or to another point on the northern frontier of the Province of Shantung, and the line from the southern point of the Province of Shantung to Chinkiang to be constructed by the Anglo-German Syndicate (meaning the German Syndicate on the one part, and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and the British and Chinese Corporation (Limited) on the other part), in the following manner, viz.: –

1. The capital for both lines to be raised jointly.

2. The line from Tien-tsin to Tsinan, or to another point on the northern frontier of the Province of Shantung, to be built and equipped and worked by the German group.

3. The line from the southern point of the Province of Shantung to Chinkiang to be built and equipped and worked by the English group.

4. On completion, the lines to be worked for joint account.

So far the Minutes of the proceedings of the meetings, and it is further agreed upon that neither the German group nor the English group will be bound to construct the lines assigned to their spear unless the Shantung lines be constructed simultaneously.

London, September 2, 1898

Approved and signed by

A. von HANSEMANN

W. Keswick

Ewen Cameron

Julius Brussel.

P. S. – Wherever the term “Valley” is used it means “Flussgebiet,” the signification of which is the districts through which streams flow into the Yangtsze or Hoangho.

(initialed)

A. v. H.

W. K.

E. C.

J. B.