!
6
the Minister at Peking seem to be the only ones which deserve mention when a copy of this despatch
oes to the Foreign Office: vis.
betor:
(1) A definite understanding that children of
a denationalised person (born after, but under age at
the time of, the act of denationalisation) do not
when they come of age ipso facto acquire Chinese
nationality.
(2) A concession in the case of transient
visits to China of persons of dual nationality who
are domiciled in British territory.
to
We should inform Foreign Office that/both
these points the Secretary of State attaches
importance in view of the circumstances existing in
Malaya and Hong Kong (and enclose a copy of Sir C. Clementi's despatch).
(Signed) G.E.J.Gent.
4. 3. 30.
The Governor puts a series of puzzles,
which he answers with some degree of conviction.
I have not investigated all these problems, because
it hardly seems to be necessary, but the main point
is the question of children of de-naturalised persons,
and upon this, I am bound to say, it seems to me that
Article 10(2) of the Chinese Law must be read as
though it said "one whose father becomes an alien,
etc."
Otherwise, there seems to be no point in the
provision at all, since, as the law does not recognise
the principle of the jus soli, the children of an
not
alien would in any case, be Chinese citizens.
1
If the Clause means what I have suggested
above, it becomes clear, as it seems to me, that the
children