Nationality law of the People's Republic of China territory "before or after" their transfer of sovereignty to China are regarded as "born in China". Those who are of ethnic Chinese origin are Chinese nationals before and after the handovers. Having said that, people born in Hong Kong or Macao in the years before handover, were usually given British nationality (mostly British Dependent Territories Citizenship) and full Portuguese citizenship, based on British and Portuguese laws. For Hong Kong residents, the "Interpretation" of the Nationality Law was adopted at the Nineteenth Session of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress on May 15, 1996, a year prior to
Nationality law of the People's Republic of China additional nationalities at birth through "jus sanguinis" from the non-Chinese parent. However, a child born to at least one Chinese parent does not automatically acquire Chinese nationality if, due to the consequences of its birth, it can acquire another nationality. That is, a child born outside China does not automatically acquire Chinese nationality if the parents, who are Chinese nationals, themselves settle permanently outside China (see "nationality by birth" above) and the child is eligible to acquire that country's nationality at birth. In general, most second generation overseas Chinese ("Chinese Americans", "British Chinese" or "Chinese Canadians", etc.) and many South