or exempt them from paying legal taxes levied on Chinese subjects generally, except taxes levied and contributions for the support of religious customs and practices contrary to their 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 laws without partiality so that both classes can live together in peace.
Privileges granted missionary societies. Missionary societies of the United States shall be permitted to rent and to lease in perpetuity, as the property of such societies, buildings or lands in all parts of the Empire for missionary 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 on their good work.
ARTICLE XV.
Reform of Chinese judicial system. 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, the United States agrees to give every assistance to such reform and will also be prepared to relinquish extra-territorial rights when satisfied that the state of the Chinese laws, the arrangements for their administration, and other considerations warrant it in so doing.
ARTICLE XVI.
Importation of morphia restricted. The Government of the United States consents to the prohibition by the Government of China of the importation into China of morphia and of instruments for its injection, excepting morphia and instruments for its injection imported for medical purposes, on payment of tariff duty, and under regulations to be framed by China which shall effectually restrict the use of such import to the said purposes. This prohibition shall be uniformly applied to such importation from all countries. The Chinese Government undertakes to adopt at once Manufacture of morphia. measures to prevent the manufacture in China of morphia and of instruments for its injection.
ARTICLE XVII.
Provisions of existing treaties continued. It is agreed between the High Contracting Parties hereto that all the provisions of the several treaties between the United States and China which were in force on the first day of January A. D. 1900, are continued in full force and effect except in so far as they are modified by the present Treaty or other treaties to which the United States is a party.
Term of treaty. The present Treaty shall remain in force for a period of ten years beginning with the date of the exchange of ratifications and until a revision is effected as hereinafter provided.
Term of treaty. It is further agreed that either of the High Contracting Parties may demand that the tariff and the articles of this convention be revised at the end of ten years from the date of the exchange of the ratifications thereof. If no revision is demanded before the end of the first term of 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.
Preference given English text. The English and Chinese texts of the present Treaty and its three annexes have been carefully compared; but, in the event of there being any difference of meaning between them, the sense as expressed in the English text shall be held to be the correct one.
