Carrie Lam, Hong Kong Chief Executive, "Dual Nationality Not Recognized for Hong Kong Residents"

Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] As the UK government plans to expand immigration channels for Hong Kong residents, Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, stated on the 9th that dual nationality is not recognized for Hong Kong people.

According to Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK, Lam said on the day, "Chinese Hong Kong residents born in Hong Kong or China may hold multiple passports, but dual nationality is not recognized under the Chinese Nationality Law." Accordingly, she emphasized that Hong Kong residents with dual nationality cannot receive assistance from foreign consulates.

Lam added, "Hong Kong residents with dual nationality are regarded as Chinese in Hong Kong unless they obtain permission to renounce Chinese nationality, and therefore cannot receive protection or visits from foreign consulates." The Hong Kong government also stated that China decided to apply the Chinese Nationality Law to Hong Kong in 1996, a year before Hong Kong was handed over from the UK. This means that not recognizing dual nationality is not a new policy.

This development came after the Chinese and Hong Kong governments protested the UK government's expansion of immigration channels for Hong Kong residents by suspending the travel and identity certification functions of the British National Overseas (BNO) passport.

AFP reported, "Concerns have arisen that Hong Kong authorities have begun strictly enforcing the Chinese Nationality Law provisions, which Lam confirmed." It added, "In China, the Nationality Law is stricter than in Hong Kong and does not allow possession of passports from other countries. However, many, including wealthy elites, secretly hold them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.