Earl Granville to Lord Ampthill.

(No. 102 Confidential)
Foreign Office, February 28, 1883

My Lord,

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency’s despatch No. 61 of the 16th instant, from which it appears probable that Germany intends to ratify the Treaty that was signed last autumn between that Power and Corea.
Her Majesty’s Government have recently received from Peking and Tôkiô information in regard to Regulations which have been drawn up at Tien-tsin between the Envoys of the King of Corea and two Chinese officials acting under the orders of His Excellency Li Hung-chang in his capacity of Imperial Commissioner for Trade at the Northern Ports.
I inclose herewith, for your Excellency’s information, copies of the Reports which have been received from Mr. Grosvenor and Sir H.S. Parkes on the subject of these Regulations, together with a duplicate copy of the Regulations themselves.
There is but little doubt that the drafts of the Treaties which were signed last year with Corea by the negotiators on behalf of Great Britain, Germany, and the United States were prepared generally under the suggestions of Li Hung-chang.
In the Treaty between this country and Corea, which was signed on the 6th June last, the Sovereign of Corea is treated on equal terms with Her Majesty the Queen, but according to the Regulations recently drawn up at Tien-tsin, China assumes the position of Suzerain towards Corea, and the right of making special and exclusive arrangements with her dependency.
The position is not, therefore, clear on what footing the relations of Corea with foreign Powers are to be based.
Either the King of that country is an independent Sovereign with whom Treaties can be concluded by other Sovereigns, in which case the most-favoured-nation clause of the Treaty signed by Admiral Willes would give to this country all the advantages accorded to China;
Or, he is a vassal of China, in which case the provisions of any Treaty existing between Her Majesty the Queen and the Emperor of China would also extend to the vassal State of Corea.
It will be seen that, in regard to jurisdiction and customs duties, much more favourable terms have been obtained for China by these Regulations than are secured to Great Britain by the Treaty of the 6th June, 1882.
You will have observed from the Confidential Memorandum which accompanies my despatch No. 98 of the 27th instant that on different occasions China has declined all responsibility for events occurring within the territory of the King of Corea, and that it was only last year that the Chinese Government, contrary to the policy which she has pursued during recent years, has interfered with the internal affairs of that country by sending a military and naval expedition to restore order there.
Her Majesty’s Government are disposed to think that it would be desirable to treat with Corea as an independent Power, so as to avoid any closer union between the two countries than has hitherto existed, in order to prevent the possible contingency of its absorption by China.
I have now to request that Your Excellency will communicate to the German Government a copy of the Trade Regulations concluded at Tien-tsin between China and Corea. You will at the same time state that Her Majesty’s Government would be glad to act in this matter with that of Germany; and that they are very desirous to ascertain the views of the Imperial Government as to the basis on which the relations of Corea with foreign Powers should be conducted.
As the period of twelve months within which the ratifications of the Treaty of the 6th June last should be exchanged will shortly expire, Her Majesty’s Government hope that they may be favoured with the opinion of the Imperial Government on this matter at their earliest convenience.

I am, &c.
(Signed) GRANVILLE