Attn: parents of mixed Chinese kids
From the Global Times:
The city’s Exit-Entry Administration Bureau on Monday strongly advised parents of biracial infants born in China with Chinese nationalities to make sure their paperwork is in order before arriving at local airports, after some 100 families have been prohibited from taking their infant children out of the country this year.
Mixed children with a Chinese nationality require a “pass certification” before they are permitted to go abroad, according to Chinese law.
“But the majority of parents are unaware of the policy, or cannot be bothered apply for the certificate, which mixed kids living in China need,” Li Feng, a press officer for the bureau, told the Global Times on Monday. “If their parents don’t get the certificate, then biracial kids are not legally allowed to leave the country.”
After completing a national validation for their biracial children, parents can apply for the certificate at the city’s Exit-Entry Administration Bureau, a process that takes at least seven working days and costs 100 yuan ($15).
Mixed children who hold a foreign nationality do not need the certificate, but are required to have the same travel documents as foreigners living in China. Dual citizenship is not recognized by China.
The tricky part is that last sentence, “Mixed children who hold a foreign nationality do not need the certificate.” This is complicated because AFAIK just having foreign nationality isn’t enough. Just as any child born in China to at least one Chinese parent is officially “Chinese” at birth, any child born of a Canadian parent is “Canadian” at birth, regardless of where they’re born. But as the above mentioned (and every bi-national set of parents knows), China doesn’t allow dual-citizenship. Thus, the way I understand it, until a child leaves the country and returns as a citizen of the non-China country (with a Chinese visa), they are viewed by China as Chinese.
So, as an example, despite my son Casey having Canadian citizenship by birth, as well as proof of that citizenship in the form of a Canadian Citizenship Card, China will continue to see him as “Chinese” until he leaves China and returns using Canadian documentation. Again, AFAIK, there is no way to change this (ie. renounce Casey’s Chinese citizenship) inside of China.
A pain in the ass, but about on par with every other bureaucratic thing in this country or elsewhere. I’ve still a helluva rant yet to be written down about the absolute absurdity of getting Casey’s Canadian citizenship card.
What’s with the “biracial infants” bit in the first sentence of the GT report? If a Chinese-Canadian has a baby with a Chinese national their child would not be biracial, just binational. It also speaks loads about the differences between China and Canada that the Chinese national could not possibly be any race other than “Chinese”.
I’ve heard that China instantly revokes Chinese citizenship upon a Chinese acquiring another citizenship. I do not necessarily view this as a bad thing.
For a start, there’s more red tape for Chinese citizens to travel abroad, even to the 3 countries whose citizens are allowed visa free travel to China, namely Japan, Brunei and Singapore.
Secondly, you’ve probably got more legal rights in China as a non-citizen than as a citizen. If something happens you at least have an Embassy to turn to.
Lastly, in the event of having your Chinese citizenship revoked, what are you losing? Right to vote? But vote for what?
Having said all this, I still think it is not a positive sign of a nation not recognizing dual citizenship, even Vietnam now recognizes it since 2008. However, loss of Chinese citizenship, I can’t see this as much of a loss.
I agree. Choosing my son’s citizenship was one of the simplest parental decisions we’ve had to make, as there are far more benefits to him having a Canadian passport than a Chinese one.
I think China instantly revoking citizenship may have been the way it worked in the past, but I’m quite certain (though not positive) that Chinese citizenship sticks until you’ve left and re-entered the country as a foreign citizen (ie. using a foreign passport). If anyone has more information on this, I’d be curious to know.
Countries that do not recognize Dual Citizenship tend not to be the most desirable of places in fields such as human rights, political freedoms etc.
Iran, last time I checked, does not recognize dual citizenship, and neither does Saudi Arabia. Vietnam legalized Dual Citizenship in 2008.
However, Spain allowed only dual citizenship with its former Latin American colonies, though I’m quite sure that if Spain tried to revoke a Spaniards citizenship it could very well be challenged at the European Court level, as they would not only be revoking their Spanish citizenship, but also their European Citizenship.
I don’t know of any cases of this happening, but were it to happen it could very well set a precedent wherein European states would be unable to revoke citizenship, which as far as I’m concerned is a good thing. In my opinion, there is no reason why a person cannot maintain both allegiance of their former home, and their newly acquired home, providing they aren’t engaging in acts of espionage or sabotage for one at the expense of the other.
Assuming adult age is 18 yrs old in china,
on nationallty a child birth right shall not be wave
at less not until they reach adult age
Every parents shall not deprive their child rights.
I would make enquiry and make sure the child
make his own decision when he turn 18.
Hiya I was wondering where we would have to go to apply for a pass certificate?
I would love to hear the rant on getting the citizenship card as I will be heading down that road in a couple months. It seems like a nightmare and I haven’t even started yet. I plan on calling the Canadian embassy (not known for being super helpful over the phone) to try to make sure that I at least get the birth certificate written correctly so we won’t have any problems there. We are in Xi’An so not exactly a hotbed of Canadians having kids. Anyways, interesting to read your experience and please do share on the citizenship card!
Hey Cam — ask and you shall receive
My post on the topic.
Best of luck with the process. Definitely download and review the application form. It has all the photo details and document requirements. It’s slow, and a bit frustrating, but not overly difficult to do. If both you and your partner are non-Chinese, the time-table for getting it all done does compress quite a bit though.
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Thanks Ryan!
My wife is Chinese as well so theoretically the process should be the same as what you did. The problem here is the embassy is in Beijing and I am in Xi’An so I need to fly or take a long train ride there every time I go. You put my mind at ease a bit saying it was easier than getting visas for your wife – I’ve done that 2 times successfully! I have taken a look at the application form and the annoying part is it looks like it is designed for a person to fill out themselves when they are an adult. Anyways, i’ll work through it with the embassy. I’m actually pre-planning, kid won’t get here until early January.
Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!
another question: this one time entry-exit permit that will be given to mixed blood children means in fact that they are allowed to leave China, not necessarily allowed to enter another country.
For intstance I am Belgian, my wife is Chinese so when we went to Belgium we used his permit to leave China and his Belgian passport to enter Belgium. Now what happens if we go on holiday to Japan for instance, do we still need a Japanese visa in his Belgian passport to enter Japan? (a one time entry-exit permit to leave China and a Japanese visa in his Belgian passport to enter Japan?)
Hi Svenagten, if I understand your question correctly — yes, of course you’ll need a Japanese visa (assuming Japan requires a visa for Belgian nationals). Travelling on a Belgian passport and to Japan takes the “China” out of the equation. The entry-exit permit is simply to get out of China.