1918

130
COMMERCIAL TREATY BETWEEN CHINA AND PORTUGAL
tions do not infringe on previous inventions by subjects of China. Any Chinese or
Portuguese subject who is the author, proprietor, or seller of any publication
injurious to the peace and good government of China shall be dealt with in accordance
with the laws of his own country.
Art. XY.—The Government of China having expressed a strong desire to reform
its judicial system, and to bring it into accord with that of Western nations, Portugal
agrees to give every assistance to such reform, and will also be prepared to relinquish
extraterritorial rights when satisfied that the state of the Chinese laws, the arrange¬
ments for their administration, and other considerations warrant it in so doing.
Art. XYI.—The missionary question in China demands, in the opinion of the
Chinese Government, careful consideration, so as to avert in the future troubles
which have occurred in the past. Portugal, as a nation specially interested in the
protection' of its Catholic missions in Chinese territory, agrees to join in a commission
to investigate this question and, if possible, to devise means for securing permanent
E between converts and non-converts, should such a commission be formed by
i and the Treaty Powers interested. No person, whether Portuguese subject or
Chinese convert who, according to the tenets of Christianity, peaceably teaches or
practises the principles of that religion, which aims at teaching men to do good, shall
be persecuted or harassed on account of his faith. But converts and non-converts,
being alike subjects of China, shall conform to her laws, and shall pay due respect
to those in authority, living together in peace and amity; and the fact of his being
a convert shall protect no one from the consequence of any offence he may have
committed before or may commit after his admission into the Church, or exempt him
from paying legal taxes and contributions levied for the support of religious customs and
practices contrary to his faith. Missionaries shall not interfere with the exercise by
the native authorities of their jurisdiction over Chinese subjects, nor shall the native
authorities make any distinction between converts and non-converts, but shall
administer the law without partiality, so that both classes may live together in peace.
Portuguese missions shall be permitted to rent and lease in perpetuity, as the
property of the mission, buildings or lands in all parts of the Empire for mission
purposes, and, after the title-deeds have been found in order and duly stamped by the
local authorities, to erect such suitable buildings as may be required for carrying out
their good work.
Art. XVII.—The present Treaty shall remain in force for a period of len years
beginning with the date of the exchange of ratifications and until a revision is effected
as hereinafter provided.
It is further agreed that either , of the two high contracting parties may
demand revision of the Tariff and the Articles of the Treaty six months before the
end of ten years from the date of the exchange of ratifications thereof. If no re¬
vision is demanded before the end of the first term of the ten years, then these Articles
in their present form shall remain in full force for a further term of ten years
reckoned from the end of the first term and so on for successive periods of ten years.
Art. XVIII.—In order to prevent in the future any discussion, this Treaty is
written in Portuguese, Chinese and English, and signed in six copies, two in each lan¬
guage. All these versions have the same sense and meaning, but if there should happen
to be any divergence in the interpretation of the Portuguese and Chinese versions,
the English text will be made use of to resolve the doubts that may have arisen.
Art. XIX.—The present Treaty shall be ratified by His Most Faithful Majesty
the King of Portugal and Algarves and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China.
The exchange of the ratifications shall be made within the shortest possible time,
and the Treaty will be printed and published, in order that the functionaries and
subjects of the respective countries may have full knowledge of its stipulations and
may fulfil them.
In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty
and have affixed their seals thereto.