CO129-523-4 China- protection of Anglo-Chinese 13-11-1929 - 10-1-1931 — Page 6

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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