CO129-501-3 Chinese situation- Protection of British subjects of Chinese race 23-10-1926 - 21-12-1927 — Page 106

106

་

1.

Every person born in Hong Kong since it became

British territory is, by virtue of his birth within the

British dominions, a British subject in the fullest sense,

irrespective of his race or parentage.

2.

English

A person of Chinese parentage born in Hong Kong is a

natural-born British subject, and is as fully a British

subject as if he had been born in England of English

parents.

In no case does the word "subject" in the

term "British subject" connote any inferiority.

law does not recognise any class of Colonial subjects. 3.- (a) The status of a person of Chinese parentage who

is a British subject by virtue of his birth in Hong Kong

is identical with that of a British subject who is such by virtue of his birth in England of English parents.

(b) The status of a Chinese who is a British subject by virtue of his naturalization under the provisions of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Acts, 1914

and 1918, is identical with the status of a natural-born

British subject, except of course that in certain circum-

stances his certificate of naturalization may be revoked. The Acts referred to above are enactments of the Imperial legislature, and this kind of naturalization is popularly known as "imperial naturalization".

(c) The status of a Chinese who has merely been naturalized locally under the provisions of the Naturali- zation Ordinance, 1902, is identical with that of a natural-born British subject while the naturalized person is in Hong Kong. The Ordinance referred to above is an enactment of the Hong Kong legislature, this legio

—

leture and this limited kind of naturalization is

popularly known as "local naturalization".

4. The answer to this question depends upon how the

status