Engaging Diaspora via Charm Offensive and Indigenised Communication: An Analysis of China's Diaspora Engagement Policies in the Xi Era

Abstract

As China's national image is haunted by its poor human rights records and increasingly assertive foreign policies, the Chinese diaspora has become an important platform for the country's public diplomacy. Since Xi Jinping came to power, the Chinese government has made great efforts to launch soft power campaigns in order to better engage the 50 million overseas Chinese and communicate China's ideas to the outside world. The Xi administration's diaspora engagement policies focus on: (1) indigenising international communication to improve China's national image; (2) jump-starting immigration reform to win the minds and hearts of overseas Chinese; and (3) strengthening education exchanges to shape the diasporic identity of overseas Chinese. Through historical comparisons and policy analyses, this article argues that China's current diaspora engagement policies are based on the Chinese leaders' new vision of public diplomacy, which is approached with soft power strategy. However, due to the limits of Chinese soft power – particularly the lack of political reform and rule of law – the Chinese government will face an uphill battle to attain its long-lasting appeal of soft power and implement its diaspora engagement policies effectively.