asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government for the relaxation of the exclusion of British merchant shipping from the Chinese coastal and inland waterways trade.

Under the terms of the Sino-British Treaty of 1943, British merchant shipping no longer enjoys the right to participate in the Chinese coastal and inland water trades. Several attempts have been made to induce the Chinese Government to grant a relaxation of these restrictions, which would be in the interest of the movement of relief supplies and the promotion of China's export trade. I regret that these attempts have so far been without success.