Overseas Chinese

[Vox pop] Blood, lion dance or dialect: What makes a Chinese Singaporean?

As the movie Dear You brings the history of early Chinese migrants back into the spotlight, online conversations about Chinese identity and cultural heritage have grown louder. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina speak with Chinese Singaporeans about what Chinese identity, or “Chineseness”, means to them today.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

03 Jul 2026

Dear You: China’s Nanyang dream and Singapore’s lived reality

Chinese film Dear You about Nanyang migrants moves audiences in China, but for Jean Lee, a second-generation Nanyang migrant, the romanticised onscreen nostalgia clashes deeply with the gritty reality of her family’s history.

Jean Lee

26 Jun 2026

Is ‘Dear You’ China’s perfect propaganda film?

Stripping away the tears, Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei examines how a 1.69 billion RMB blockbuster subtly targets the global Chinese diaspora, reflecting on the complex tug-of-war between ancestry and allegiance. 

Sim Tze Wei

15 Jun 2026

[Big read] Why Malaysian youths are choosing mainland China over Taiwan for degrees

For generations, a Taiwan degree meant upward mobility for Malaysian Chinese. Today, a rising China and evolving local options are changing where students choose to carve out their futures. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tan Jet Min reports.

Tan Jet Min

03 Jun 2026

Midas touch of Lin Xiang Xiong: Mining gold with one hand, creating art with the other

From scavenging for food in China to helming a gold mining empire in Malaysia, Lin Xiang Xiong’s life is a masterclass in resilience. The gold miner-cum-artist speaks with Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chew Boon Leong about how his accidental foray into gold mining has fuelled his true calling: a global crusade for peace through art.

Chew Boon Leong

28 May 2026

America is running out of China experts

A retiring generation of leading sinologists and declining student interest in China studies are creating a widening expertise gap in the US, prompting warnings of an academic generational rupture, says US academic Wu Guo.

Wu Guo

15 May 2026

Empire in decline? Asian Americans in an age of anxiety

Amid intensified immigration enforcement, many immigrants and Asian Americans report rising fear, discrimination and uncertainty, reshaping daily life and eroding confidence in the American promise. Chinese American academic Wu Guo shares some insight on the long-term impact of ICE operations on the psyche of the Asian community.

Wu Guo

23 Apr 2026

There’s no city like Singkawang: Where Hakka is the lingua franca and Cap Go Meh dazzles

In Singkawang, West Kalimantan, writer Teo Han Wue found kindred spirits, a vibrant Chinese community and a chance to witness the colourful culmination of Chinese New Year celebrations there — a spirit-medium parade, known to the locals as Cap Go Meh or Pawai Tatung.

Teo Han Wue

02 Apr 2026

Hokkien roots, Brunei soil: My father’s journey across borders and spiritual planes [Eye on Fujian series]

From wandering between homes in Malaysia to setting roots in Brunei, one would never have thought that a young rebel with just a toy car to his name would live a life in service of the gods. ThinkChina’s Josephine Hong shares snippets of the life of her father, Richard Hong Kuan Yin.

Josephine Hong

01 Apr 2026

[Big read] Can China’s new migrants find a home in Takaichi’s Japan?

Relaxed immigration policies and shifting geopolitical dynamics have ushered Japan into the “era of one million overseas Chinese”. Writer Foo Choo Wei discovers that amid shifts in policy and deteriorating China-Japan relations, these Chinese migrants must balance good neighbourliness while preserving their culture and language.

Foo Choo Wei

13 Mar 2026

The end of the American education dream for Chinese students?

Amid visa uncertainty, geopolitical tension and rising costs, Chinese students are increasingly questioning the prestige of an American university education. Attracted by factors such as affordability and stability, many are now setting their sights on universities in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, signalling a decisive shift in the global academic landscape.

Caixin Global

13 Jun 2025

[Big read] Why Chinese students are flocking to Malaysia

Given Malaysia’s close cultural connection to China and its multilingual and multicultural education environment, Chinese students are increasingly choosing Malaysia to further their studies. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Seoow Juin Yee finds out the benefits and downsides of this trend.

Seoow Juin Yee

29 Apr 2025