CO129-533-11 Protection of Anglo-Chinese in China 21-2-1931 - 22-9-1931 — Page 67

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arrangements exempting transient visitors from

the operation of the Chinese nationality law.

I put proposals in this sense before the Minister

for Foreign Affairs in February, 1930, and have

since reminded him of the matter on several occasi-

ons. Dr Wang has always when pressed replied that

it is being studied by the competent department of

his Government. But I have received the impression

that the Chinese Government are not in fact inter-

ested in our proposals, which are made too late.

That is to say, the Chinese Covernment consider

that the days of Extra-territoriality are numbered

and that the Chinese nationality law is in any

case already applicable to British subjects of

Chinese race in China. It is therefore doubtful

whether any cut-and-dried settlement on the lines

we propose will ever be concluded, and for the

moment at least the question of these negotiations

is quiescent (see my telegram No. 208 of September

19th, 1930).

3. Apart, however, from this aspect of

the problem of "Anglo-Chinese" (1.e. their status

in China), I had already come to the same con-

clusion as that contained in the correspondence in

your despatch under a cknowledgment, that is to

say that the proper attitude for us to adopt

towards the activities of the Chinese Consula in

Malaya was to recognise ourselves, and equally

require the Chinese Government to recognise, the

double nationality of these people, that is to

say, that they are British when in British territory

and