CO129-533-11 Protection of Anglo-Chinese in China 21-2-1931 - 22-9-1931 — Page 61

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3.

C. that children of such British subjects

of Chinese race who have obtained a certificate of denationalization, who are born in British Territory or British Protected Territory after the denationali- zation of the father, are not possessed of Chinese nationality.

The object of the Malayan Governments is to

secure from the Chinese National Government an acknowledge-

ment of the fact that there are in British Malaya large

numbers of persons of Chinese race, born, resident and

domiciled here, who regard themselves as unqualified

British subjects, and who expect from the local Govern-

ments, as far as possible, the same treatment and pro-

tection that would be afforded to any other British

subject. Such persons do not regard themselves as

being of Chinese nationality and a state of affairs

under which they are unable to free themselves from a

dual nationality, even when on a transient visit to China,

without recourse to a system of denationalization of the

individual is regarded by them as unsatisfactory. It

is not the wish of these Governments to claim the right

to protect such persons unless they are, in actual fact,

citizens of British Malaya. Such persons, although

they are British subjects by our Municipal Law, can,

under the Convention on the Conflict of Nationality Laws,

obviously nave no claim to protection once they return

to China to live, unless they take steps under the Chinese Law of Nationality to denationalize themselves.

If

however such persons, resident in Malaya, proceed to

China on a transient visit, it seems to these Governments

only