ABSTRACT
With hindsight, we can see that the opening of China to foreign investment was a crucial moment in the evolution of the Chinese diaspora as a major force in the international political economy. The importance for them of the opportunities resulting from economic reform in China were in providing profitable outlets for surplus capital, the means of industrial restructuring and the basis of exponential growth of their industrial capacity. On the Chinese side, we can now see that the Chinese diaspora have been one of the critical factors turning the southeast into the new powerhouse of China’s economy 1 and the leader in export orientation and economic reform since 1985. 2
