THE QIAOBAN, THE PRC INFLUENCE AND NATIONALIST CHINESE IN THE NORTHERN THAI BORDERLAND

Abstract

From 1989 onwards, the People's Republic of China's use of the Qiaoban, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Bureau, has burgeoned notably in regard to attracting investment and loyalty from overseas Chinese outside mainland China. This article analyses the impact of the Qiaoban and the PRC influence upon “diasporic Chinese” living along the northern Thai border, particularly ethnic Chinese (e.g. Teochiu, Hakka, Hainanese) and Nationalist Chinese (Kuomintang-KMT). It finds that, while the Qiaoban has largely succeeded in the engagement with the ethnic Chinese of northern Thailand, the active efforts of the PRC to engage the Nationalist Chinese have been notably unfruitful. However, the Qiaoban's efforts have caused increasing tension between different generations in Nationalist Chinese communities.