CHC BULLETIN Issue 9 • May 2007 A PUBLICATION OF CHINESE HERITAGE CENTRE ISSN 0219-8002 MITA(P) 225/08/2006 In This Issue: ISSUES AND EVENTS OF ETHNIC CHINESE COMMUNITIES 01 Chinese Migration in Southeast Asia: Past and Present 08 中国新移民与亚华人化 11 全球化中亚华人 13 The Confucius Institute in the World: An Overview / Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University (CI-NTU) ACTIVITIES AT CHINESE HERITAGE CENTRE 22 Activities at the Centre (Dec ‘06-May ‘07) 23 New Publications 24 Forthcoming Events INSTITUTIONS AND RESEARCHERS 25 Institutions in Malaysia 30 Profiles of Researchers CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 33 Recent Event: Lim Boon Keng Commemorative Event at NLB 33 Upcoming Event: ISSCO International Conference Beijing 2007 华裔馆 CHINESE HERITAGE CENTRE 12 Nanyang Drive, NTU Singapore 637721 www.chineseheritagecentre.org Tel : (65) 6790 6176 Fax : (65) 6792 0017 Email : chc@ntu.edu.sg Chinese Migration in Southeast Asia: Past and Present Leo Suryadinata Introduction There are approximately 20 million ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia today, who constitute about 75 per cent of the Chinese outside China. This paper will briefly address a number of questions regarding Chinese migration in Southeast Asia from the past to the present. For instance, why did the Chinese migrate, especially to Southeast Asia? When did they start migrating, which periods are the most significant? Who were these migrants? What role do they play in the region? Do the Chinese continue to migrate from China to Southeast Asia? What about Chinese re-migration from Southeast Asia in recent years? What are the differences between new and old migrants? What will be the future of Chinese migration and its impact on the region? My paper will focus more on recent history than the remote past. Chinese Migration: A Brief Outline The earliest contact between China and Southeast Asia can be traced back to the Han dynasty. However, significant migration to this region started during the Song Dynasty. The first period was from the Song dynasty in the 12th century until the first half of the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty. It lasted for about 400 years. During this period, the feudal economy in China was at its peak and the number of Chinese who migrated abroad also increased. This coincided with the period when Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) embarked upon his seven expeditions to the West Ocean (later known as Nanyang). A group of Chinese merchants and sailors went overseas and those who stayed long enough married local women. The number of the Chinese overseas in Southeast Asia during this period was between 150,000 and 200,000. The second period started in the second half of the 16th century (when there was a sea embargo for the Chinese) until the eruption of the Opium War. This period lasted for about 300 years. During this period, China experienced the beginnings of capitalism, and the West began to colonize Southeast Asia. More Chinese left China for Southeast Asia despite the sea embargo. According to one study, there were about 1,000,000 Chinese in Southeast Asia and the majority lived in the urban areas and remained culturally Chinese.