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 person to enter China on a Guinea Bissau passport. The Hong Kong Immigration Department and the DSI of Macau allow persons who have acquired additional citizenship or nationalities other than their Chinese nationality to make a "declaration of change of nationality" should they wish to terminate their Chinese nationality and be recognized as a foreign citizen pursuant to Article 9. The cost is cheaper than renunciation under Article 10, but this route is only available for people who have already (legally) lost their Chinese nationality under Article 9. Therefore, notable exceptions to the eligibility of declaration would be persons with