WHOSE DIASPORA? RETHINKING DIASPORA POLITICS: CHINA’S OVERSEAS CHINESE ENGAGEMENT IN TRANSNATIONAL SPACES
WHOSE DIASPORA? RETHINKING DIASPORA POLITICS: CHINA’S OVERSEAS CHINESE ENGAGEMENT IN TRANSNATIONAL SPACES

Author(s): Carsten Schäfer
Subject(s): Politics, Media studies, Geography, Regional studies, Communication studies, Policy, planning, forecast and speculation, Migration Studies
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: China; migrations; transnational space; diaspora; politics; Austira; media;
Summary/Abstract: In recent years, migration studies have increasingly started to draw attention to diaspora strategies pursued by nation states. Indeed, diaspora policies are becoming a common phenomenon in the globalized world: Large sending states such as China long have developed policies intended to embrace and control “their diaspora”. Using the example of Chinese migrants in Austria, this article focusses on China’s policies towards overseas Chinese and the complex transnational environments in which they unfold and evolve: How are these policies put into practice? And what actors exert influence on these processes? The mixed-method approach of this study is based on a qualitative content analysis of two Chinese language weeklies in Austria (Europe Weekly, hereafter: EW, and the Huaxinbao, HXB), of the Austrian Chinese internet forums www.achina.at (AC) and www.outuo.net (OT), as well as of Chinese state media. Included into the analysis are articles and postings that focus on activities of overseas Chinese organizations (mainly in Austria), on meetings between Chinese migrants and Chinese state officials, as well as on China’s overseas Chinese strategies. In addition, the analysis includes a critical interpretation and analysis of official Chinese documents, official statements by Chinese politicians, teaching materials for Chinese cadres, official publications on China’s diaspora politics, as well as of Chinese language research conducted in China.

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