Tan Chee-Beng

Tan Chee-Beng

Adjunct Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Tan Chee-Beng is an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

This photo taken on 15 February 2022 shows people visiting a lantern show during the Lantern Festival in Yantai in China's eastern Shandong province. (AFP)

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.