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receipt of a passport of the PRC, whereas PRC missions abroad cannot compel a Taiwanese Chinese to do this.
On acquisition of German
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or any other foreign nationality, Article 9 of the Nationality Act of the PRC comes into effect, regardless of whether the naturalised Chinese citizen previously held a Taiwanese passport or a passport of the PRC.
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Since the PRC does not recognise British sovereignty over
Hong Kong, Hong Kong is not a foreign country under PRC law but
rather possesses a special status. From the point of view of the PRC, all Hong Kong Chinese are consequently Chinese nationals.
This also applies to holders of a British passport for "British Dependent Territory Citizens", but not to Hong Kong Chinese with
fully valid British or other foreign passports. In the enclosed memorandum, which has now been exchanged between Great Britain and China, the British Government declares that all Hong Kong inhabitants with the status of "British Dependent Territory
Citizen" will lose this status with effect from 1 July 1997. Although they will still be able to hold another British passport, this does not entitle them to the right of abode in Great Britain.
Dis BDI passports The Chinese Government will continue to tolerate the possession of
such a passport by the inhabitants of Hong Kong after 1997; however, it will not permit holders to claim British consular protection in Hong Kong or other parts of China on the basis of such travel documents. Such passports therefore only have a certain limited value when travelling to a third country, assuming the latter recognises it. Persons born on or after 1 July 1997 will no longer be able to obtain the aforementioned British passport (at present approx. 2.5 to 3 million of Hong Kong's total population of 5.3 million have the status of British Dependent Territory Citizens).
However, according to information from the British Embassy in Peking, not all nationality questions connected with the return of Hong Kong to the PRC in 1997 have been completely resolved and discussions are continuing. If required, further details would have to be obtained from the Consulate-General in Hong Kong.
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