For over 150 years, China’s interactions with its diaspora have evolved according to the domestic and international geopolitical environment. This relationship (broadly described as qiaowu) is most visible in the form of cultural and economic activities; however, its main purpose is to cultivate, influence, and manage ethnic Chinese as part of a global transnational project to rally support for its proponents.

Qiaowu: Extra-Territorial Policies for the Overseas Chinese compares the rival policies and practices of the Chinese Communist Party with the Nationalist Kuomintang and Democratic Progressive Party governments of Taiwan. Political scientist James Jiann Hua To analyzes the role that qiaowu plays in harnessing the power of strategic overseas communities, and highlights the implications for China’s foreign relations.