1984]
NATIONALITY LAW OF THE PRC
299
C. Restoration
All three previous nationality laws contained procedures for re- storing Chinese nationality. Summary procedures,** however, were pro- vided only for those who acquired foreign nationality by operation of the derivative doctrine. For example, under previous law a Chinese wo- man who derived her foreign husband's nationality was allowed to ap- ply for restoration of Chinese nationality only if she had been "judi- cially divorced from her husband or had become a widow."** Upon reaching majority, minors who were naturalized aliens by derivative means were also permitted to use the summary procedure to restore their Chinese nationality.”
The 1980 law, on the other hand, contains a general summary pro- cedure for restoration of Chinese nationality to any expatriate who has lost it for any reason whatsoever." The main purpose of this provision is to facilitate the restoration of Chinese nationality to an applicant who returns to the "motherland” to retire or to participate in the mod- ernization program. An ancillary reason may be to expedite the repa- triation of ethnic Chinese to take on sensitive positions in highly ad- vanced and secret technological fields or public offices.
Once restoration is approved, the applicant is not permitted to re- tain foreign nationality. As in the naturalization procedure, it would be reasonable to expect that proof of renunciation of foreign national- ity would be a practical prerequisite for restoration of Chinese nation- ality, even though this is not explicitly stated in the text of the 1980 law.
D. Administrative Organs
Since its inception, the PRC has entrusted all nationality matters to the Ministry of Public Security. In the same vein, the 1980 Nation- ality Law designates the Ministry of Public Security as the ultimate administrative authority for examining and approving all changes of
66. These procedures are summary only in the sense that they are not subject to the character or means tests that were used in all other petitions for restoration; however, their restoration still depended on Government approval.
67. 1909 Law, supra note 4. § IV, arts. 19 & 20, at 160-66.
68. Id. at 165.
69. Article 13 of the 1980 Nationality Law states:
Aliens who were once of Chinese nationality may apply for restoration of Chi- nese nationality provided that they have legitimate reasons; those whose appli- cations for restoration of Chinese nationality are approved shall not retain for- eign nationality.
70. Id.
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