The Special Article Appended to the Burma Convention of 1897 “Whereas on the twentieth day January one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six the Tsung-li Yamen addressed an official dispatch to Her Majesty’s Chargéd’Affairs at Peking, informing him that on the thirtieth day of December one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five they had submitted a Memorial respecting the opening of ports on the West river to foreign trade, and had received an Imperial Decree in Approval of which they officially communicated a copy:

 “It has now been agreed that the following places, namely, Wuchow Fu in Kwangsi, and Samshui city and Kongkun Market in Kwangtung, shall be opened as Treaty Ports and Consular Stations with freedom of navigation for steamers between Samshui and Wuchow and Hong Kong and Canton by a route from each of these latter places to be selected and notified in advance by the Maritime Customs, and, that the following four places shall be established as ports of call for goods and passengers under the same regulations as the ports of call on theYangtze River, namely, Kongmoon, Komchuk, Shiuhing and Takhing.”）