The question on a British citizenship registration form asking whether a parent 'has always had the same nationality' refers specifically to that individual parent's personal history, not a comparison between parent and child. If the parent was born Chinese and has remained Chinese throughout their life without acquiring other nationalities, the answer is yes. This should be stated clearly, with Chinese listed as their nationality in the relevant fields.

The son's BNO status and the parent's Chinese nationality are separate matters. BNO status is not inheritable [1][2][3]; children born after 1 July 1997 cannot automatically acquire it from their parents but may apply as dependents or independently depending on age and eligibility [1][3]. The Home Office expects such discrepancies in BNO-related applications and uses the parent's section to establish their own continuous immigration and nationality background for verification purposes. The fact that the son holds a different status does not alter how you answer about the parent's own nationality history.