granted British naturalisation papers, local or imperial, or whose British birth is authenticated by
the appropriate British authorities, provided he
takes steps (for which machinery must be instituted)
definitely to divest himself of his Chinese nationality.
We consider further that the process of divestment
should be declared unnecessary in the case of any
Chinese authenticated as born in British territory
of parents and grandparents similarly born.
3. "His Majesty's Government are prepared to apply
as far as practicable in British Courts in China the
modern Chinese Civil and Commercial Codes (apart from Procedure Codes and those affecting personal status)
and duly enacted subordinate legislation as and
when such laws and regulations are promulgated and
enforced in Chinese courts and on Chinese citizens
throughout China."
Since the British programme was published His
Majesty's Government will, we think, have realised the
impracticability of any scheme the realization of
which is dependent on a reunified China administering and obeying, even in the most limited degree, a single modern code of law. Even if the whole of
China from Peking to Canton falls under the nominal
sway of a single authority this will not for many
years make any material difference in the facts.
Laws
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