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Boxer Indemnity

Volume 47: debated on Tuesday 21 January 1913

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3.

asked whether the right hon. Gentlmena will inform the House of the amount of the Boxer in demnity already paid to this country by China; the amount which still remains to be paid; the purpose to which the moneys are put by this country; if any of the countries entitled to indemnity have notified the Chinese Government that they are willing to forego further payments; and, if so, will he name the countries?

The amount of the Boxer indemnity already paid to this country by China is £167,109. The amount which still remains to be paid is £7,425,972. As-provided in the Finance Act 1906, s. 7 (2), the moneys received are applied to the-reduction of debt. Since the United States Government in 1907 reduced the sum allotted to them to 11,655,492 dollars in return for a guarantee that a certain number of Chinese students should be sent to the United States for their education, I am not aware that any countries have agreed to forego any portion of the sum allotted to them.

Is it true that the Chinese Government have been given to understand that unless they accede to the terms of the proposed loan by the six Powers pressure will be brought to bear upon them for the immediate payment of the balance of the indemnity?

I must ask for notice of that. I did not imagine that any question connected with the loan was going to arise out of the question on the Paper.