ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses qiaopi through the lens of the main features of Chinese migration, the structure of Chinese community organizations, and the role of the state in their shaping and reshaping with a focus on Southeast Asia. The chapter uses a longue durée approach and covers the period of early traders in Southeast Asia, when the structural bases for qiaopi developed, as well as the period of mass migration, when advancements in transportation and communication technology altered the relation between emigrants and the homeland. Following this, the chapter outlines state efforts to incorporate qiaopi institutions in the mid-twentieth century against the broader background of decolonization and the Cold War. Finally, it discusses the economic reforms in China and the improvements in Sino-Southeast Asian ties since the 1970s, which created the conditions for the renewed interest in qiaopi in the People’s Republic of China.
