CO129-533-11 Protection of Anglo-Chinese in China 21-2-1931 - 22-9-1931 — Page 8

10

FO

Submit obsons

ir

(6) reguiding

6. X

8

Chore purchase.

Bulish protected pessimo

Malaya

to travel

for. British subjects

of Chinese race to China.

in

It seems that we must give up the con-

tention that it would not be in order for the

Chinese to insist on the possession of Chinese

passports by persons of mixed British and Chinese

nationality when visiting China. On the other

hand, Sir Cecil Clementi apparently thought, in

fue pasand

Laban

view of our abandonment in theory of the right of

protection over such persons while in China, that

it would not be in order for the Malayan Govern-

ments to issue british passports. We suggested

to the Foreign Office that it would be in order

do and should be done. The Foreign Office it not

apparently contest that it would be in order from

the point of view of international law to issue

passports in such cases, but they suggest that

they should not in fact be issued owing to the

same special reasons for which they have not

been issued in Hong Kong.

I am not sure that we have not given

away too much in agreeing to the continuance of

the practice of not issuing british passports to

british subjects of Chinese race in Hong Kong.

The object is to avoid facilitating their entry

into the United Kingdom, but the effect is also

to make it difficult for them to travel anywhere.

It appears however impossible to go back on our

agreement so far as Hong Kong is concerned, and

although we might attempt to distinguish between

conditions in Malaya, I am doubtful whether we

should succeed.

The population is not of the

same