Copies of correspondence (including telegrams and extracts of letters) between Matheson & Co. Ltd, London, Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong and Jardine Matheson, Shanghai; correspondence of Matheson & Co. Ltd with the China Association, London, and others; and related letters and papers, including circulars of the China Association and press cuttings and copies of press articles. Most of the material concerns China.

The file includes the following documents:

1. A set of documents prepared by J.H. Keswick, Chungking, regarding post-war trade in China, including a memorandum entitled 'China. Politics and Trade', June 1943, 8 pages; a memorandum on Jardine, Matheson & Co. Ltd and post-war trade in China, June 1943, 16 pages; 'A memorandum on Sino-British cooperation in the Industrial Development of China', 10 June 1943, 4 pages; a questionnaire on post-war trade in China, undated, 8 pages; and an appendix entitled 'The Future of British Trade in China and the Organisation of British Interests to Secure that Trade', 2 pages, 30 June 1942.

2. A report on the situation in Manchuria, 30 September 1946, enclosed with semi-official letter no. 335 from Jardine Matheson, Shanghai, to Matheson & Co. Ltd, London, 8 October 1946.

3. A memorandum by Norbert Bogdan, former financial advisor to General MacArthur in Japan, on the current economic position in Japan and the future outlook, March 1947, 11 pages, enclosed with a letter from J.H. Schroder & Co., London, to Matheson & Co. Ltd, London, 18 April 1947.

5. A confidential memorandum on the general political situation in China, dated Shanghai, 19 March 1947.

6. A confidential circular from G.E. Stockley, Consul-General, Hankow, to certain British residents regarding the potential dangers to the British community from the Chinese civil war, 19 February 1948, enclosed with a letter from H. Flint, Matheson & Co. Ltd, to the China Association, London, 22 March 1948.

7. A memorandum to F.A. Pollock on the U.S. Aid to China Programme, Shanghai, dated 28 July 1948.

8. A report by E.F. Watts of Jardine, Matheson & Co. Ltd on his visit to Shanghai entitled 'Hopelessness Abounding', enclosed with P. & C. letter no. 68 from Jardine Matheson, Hong Kong, to Matheson & Co. Ltd, London, 10 December 1948.

9. An article by Trevor Powell from 'The Listener', 14 April 1949, entitled 'What Next in China?', 19 pages.

10. Extracts from the diary kept by Jardine Matheson, Shanghai, 20-22 April 1949, describing the local situation, including the impact of the Chinese civil war.

The ring-binder is labelled 'Political File I'.