The Chinese Themselves Did Not Like, And Had
Never Contemplated, Such A Mission, But Their Dissatisfaction Was Slight
In Comparison
With the storm it raised in Tibet; and the Chinese
government was thus brought face to face with a position
In which it must
either employ its military power to coerce the Tibetans, who made
preparations to oppose the Macaulay mission by force of arms, or acquiesce
in the Tibetans ignoring its official passports, and thus provoke a
serious complication with this country. Such was the position of the
Tibetan question when Burmah was annexed in January, 1886, and
negotiations followed with China for the adjustment of her claims in the
country. Negotiations were carried on, in the first place by Lord
Salisbury, and in the second by Lord Rosebery, with the Chinese minister
in London, and the draft of more than one convention was prepared. Among
such contemplated arrangements were the dispatch of a mission from Burmah
to China, and of a return one from China; the appointment of the Head
Priest of Mandalay as the person to send the mission, thus making it a
purely native matter, outside the participation of the British government;
and the concession of material advantages on the Irrawaddy and in the Shan
country, as the equivalent for the surrender of the tribute. It is
probable that one of these three arrangements would have been carried out,
but that, on certain points being referred to Pekin, the knowledge came to
the ears of the British government that if the Tibetan mission were
withdrawn, the Chinese would be content with the formal admission of their
claim to receive the tribute mission from Burmah in accordance with
established usage.
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Words from 178323 to 178605
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