Foreigners becoming Chinese Citizens
bababardwan
July 04, 2011, 03:04 AM posted in General DiscussionI'm curious. I just found the this:
How Foreigners can Become Chinese Citizens:
Article 7 of the Nationality Law states that foreigners who will abide by the Chinese Constitution and laws can apply to be naturalized as Chinese citizens if they meet one of the following conditions:
1. They have close relatives who are Chinese nationals.
2. They have settled in China
3. They have other legitimate reasons.
In China, local Public Security Bureaus will accept applications for citizenship. If applicants are abroad, citizenship applications are handled at Chinese embassies and consular offices. After they are submitted, the Ministry of Public Security will examine and approve or dismiss applications. If approved, it will issue a certificate of citizenship.
..and so I'm wondering how many poddies have applied for Chinese citizenship, and how many have been successful, particularly those with no Chinese ancestry.
waiguoren
July 04, 2011, 03:14 AMReally? I had a Chinese Lecturer in social studies at Uni last year, and I was under the impression that no foreigner could become a naturalised citizen of the PRC. Is this a recent development?
bababardwan
I don't know mate, I'm only going by what I find on the net, which is why I'd be interested to hear what others have to say. Date wise:
China’s Nationality Law, adopted by the National People’s Congress on September 10, 1980
bababardwan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationality_Law_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China
bweedin
July 04, 2011, 03:34 AMDoes the PRC allow dual citizenship?
bababardwan
no
bababardwan
article 2 is relevant to BST discussion on the minorities which can also be known as "nationalities":
Article 2: The People's Republic of China is a unitary multinational state; persons belonging to any of the nationalities in China shall have Chinese nationality.
bababardwan
Article 3: The People's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national
bweedin
I'm already a dual citizen. I wanted to be a triple (or whatever the word is) citizen. Maybe I'll try my luck with the Republic of China. :P
bababardwan
Is that Panama and US?
Good luck with the Chinese one and let us know how you go. Australia has changed it's stance on dual citizenship over the years. Things may change, and also I'm not certain about the dual thing with China...I'm only going on those above articles. I wonder what would be the advantages and disadvantages? For mine, the thing to most look out for [as well as tax implications] would be compulsory conscription. I've heard in Taiwan that all citizens [or is that just males?] have to spend some time in the Army, and is there not something similar in China too? What's the deal there?
bweedin
I think the compulsory military service is for males of a certain age in Taiwan. I'm 27 now, so I think I would be exempt by the time I become a citizen, if I ever do. I'm fine with being a permanent resident of the PRC, and keeping my American and Panamanian passports. I don't want to have to apply for a visa when I go back to the States or Panama!
反正, I like Mainland China too much to ever live in Taiwan for long term, but who knows? I never thought I would live in L.A., and here I am.
sclim
And Happy 4th of July while you're there!
bababardwan
so do you [or anyone else] know the story in China?
bodawei
'is there not something similar in China too? What's the deal there?'
I hope someone comes along with a definitive answer for you. I suspect that the answer is that there is no conscription as we know it. When students start tertiary studies (at least in this province) they do a compulsory two weeks of military training in the first two weeks of first semester. Just enough time to learn how to line up straight? :)
Foreign teachers who have first year classes like this because they get a two week paid holiday before they start work!
The students also do a week here and there at high school - a bit like cadets I guess, but far less serious and it involves everyone. I believe that it focuses on bonding exercises, although my wife's students told her that they got to fire real guns! (Maybe they were joking.)
bweedin
sorry, my lack of mentioning China meant that there was no compulsory military service in the PRC, as far as I know.
"I think the compulsory military service is for males of a certain age in Taiwan[, not China]."
I probably should have made that more clear from the get go.
bweedin
oh, I'm not very patriotic, but thanks though!
bodawei
July 05, 2011, 02:39 PMI'm wondering about the benefits of naturalization - it won't get you through Customs much faster (because no one gets checked anyway.) Actually I travelled with some Chinese people OUT of China recently; they did not have to fill out a departure card and I did.
pretzellogic
December 21, 2011, 06:07 PMInterestingly, This guy started out Canadian and German, but is apparently now a Chinese citizen. So it does sound like you need money, but you can become Chinese if you want.
bodawei
Good find pretzl, this is something that I have wondered about too - I had heard that it is possible but this is the first example I have seen.
pretzellogic
I only found out about this guy because he keeps a higher profile than your average Chinese person. I picked up a magazine in the airport lounge that did an article on him.
bababardwan
July 04, 2011, 03:08 AMattached is the application form for Chinese Citizenship in Chinese for anyone interested.