ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with China’s engagement with diaspora in the context of the People’s Republic of China (PRC’s) increasing integration into the global economy as well as its expanding interests abroad. Instead of discussing the issues from the conventional approaches of either domestic Chinese politics or diaspora relations, this chapter integrates them by analyzing China’s diaspora policies from the angle of transnational governance. It argues that the state-centered approach in which the Chinese overseas are ‘coopted’ neglects how the engagement with transnational social actors has an impact upon existing state structures and how the actions of Chinese overseas are driven by various motives and interests. This chapter also provides an updated analysis of China’s new institutional structures with regard to its diaspora engagement after the major governmental reshuffle in early 2018.
