Articles by Tan Chee-Beng

When birthdays, funerals and feasts share a dish: A Fujian food story [Eye on Fujian series]

Oyster pancake, all forms of pastries called ge (guo 粿), go (gao 糕) and bnia (bing 饼), one-of-a-kind braised noodles, red rice wine chicken and even pork double-boiled in urine — from his findings in Yongchun county and other studies, anthropology professor Tan Chee-Beng shares his knowledge about the wonders of eastern and southern Fujian cuisines.

Tan Chee-Beng

31 Mar 2026

China and Chinese overseas: A softer soft policy needed?

China has been engaging in a soft power campaign overseas, and one group that it counts on as a resource is the Chinese overseas. Major institutions involving Chinese overseas include the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, various associations established among Chinese overseas, as well as numerous Confucius Institutes all over the world. China will need to be sensitive to the feelings of both the ethnic Chinese and the non-Chinese population of other countries. At the same time, China has to deal with negative allegations from various sources, which may also have a negative impact on how local Chinese are viewed.

Tan Chee-Beng

22 Mar 2022