Shanghai Sai

Sai Mizzi

Malta Today reports that the Maltese government has bought a building in Shanghai at a cost of two million euros, and that it is likely to serve as Mrs Konrad Mizzi’s headquarters.

That’s a story in itself, but the newspaper makes the mistake of repeating the myth that Mrs Konrad Mizzi has dual citizenship: Maltese and Chinese.

She does not, because it is not legally possible. Malta allows dual citizenship but China does not. Dual citizenship must be permitted at law by both states and not just the one. So, for example, you can hold dual citizenship of Malta and Britain, because both Malta and Britain allow dual citizenship, or both Malta and Australia, because Australia allows it too – but not Malta and China because China does not allow its citizens to hold another passport/citizenship of another country.

This shouldn’t be too difficult to understand. Malta did not allow dual citizenship either until fairly recently. Those who were born to one Maltese parent and one British parent, and who were entitled to citizenship of both, had to choose either one or the other when they turned 18, because Malta did not permit dual citizenship. Those who chose British citizenship were then forced to leave Malta at 18 because, as British citizens, they were not permitted to stay and work here.

Claims were made on Sai Mizzi’s behalf when she was last in the news that she is a Maltese citizen. If this is true, then she has had to repudiate her Chinese citizenship and is no longer a Chinese citizen. In view of the circumstances, I find that very hard to believe.