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China’s World Wide Web: Overseas Chinese in the South Pacific

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Book cover The Pacific Islands in China’s Grand Strategy

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Abstract

Overseas Chinese are living in “virtually every country of the world.”1 Academic studies have put the number of ethnic Chinese living outside Greater China (mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) at 35–39 million,2 an increase from around 22 million in 1985, and from 12.7 million in the early 1960s.3 According to the Chinese government, the number is much higher. Ma Peiru, Chinese vice minister of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, said in February 2011 that there were about 50 million overseas Chinese (haiwai huaqiao huaren) and about 30 million returned overseas Chinese and close relatives of overseas Chinese (guiq-iao qiaojuan) in China.4 Ma emphasized that overseas Chinese are an important force and the numbers reflected the resources and advantages unique to China.5 Indeed, overseas Chinese have played an important role in Chinese foreign policy and remain an important force in China’s grand strategy.

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  1. Jian Yang
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© 2011 Jian Yang

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Yang, J. (2011). China’s World Wide Web: Overseas Chinese in the South Pacific. In: The Pacific Islands in China’s Grand Strategy. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230339750_8

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