Promoting China out of self-interest: Chinese diaspora diplomacy in Chile

Abstract

ABSTRACT Based on our fieldwork among the Chinese diaspora communities in Chile, this article on the diplomatic roles of diasporas challenges the conventional state-centric perspective on diplomacy. We propose that Chinese diasporas can carry out two core functions of diplomacy—the representation of and communication about a country—at the people-to-people level. Chinese diaspora diplomacy is fundamentally driven by diaspora members’ interest in improving their socioeconomic position in the host society and highly influenced by their intercultural skills. The diplomatic practices of diasporas are heterogeneous and often spontaneous, ranging from collective diplomacy channelled through diaspora associations to individual diplomacy through diasporic business activities and daily expressions. Although these activities do not necessarily involve adherence to the governing agenda of a political regime, they often strive to promote China in the host society. Nonetheless, their outcomes may sometimes be at odds with China’s interests.