目前全球华侨华人总数高达6000多万,是世界上规模最大的海外侨民群体,也是中国宝贵的战略资源。海外华侨华人熟悉中国与住在国的情况,在促进中外交往方面具有得天独厚的天然优势。发挥海外侨民的独特作用,为祖(籍)国的建设发展以及外交战略服务,这是以色列、印度、日本、韩国等诸多世界主要侨务资源大国的通行做法。中国向来重视海外侨胞在沟通中外上所发挥的独特而重要的作用,为了更好地借助侨务资源推进公共外交与人文交流,中国于2011年提出了侨务公共外交的理念,旨在通过侨务渠道开展公共外交。在实践中,中国以华侨华人为依托,大力开展引资、引智工作,动员海外侨胞为祖(籍)国的现代化建设事业服务;希望海外侨胞传播优秀的中华文化,利用自己联通中外的优势,发挥桥梁作用,讲好中国故事;号召海外侨胞积极融入当地主流社会,建设和谐侨社、展示大国侨民形象,提升中国软实力。但随着中国的崛起,中国与世界的关系发生了历史性变化,侨务公共外交的推进面临日益复杂的国际形势、住在国对华舆论氛围以及海外侨胞自身复杂多元的个人因素等方面的严峻挑战。在当今复杂的国际环境下, 中国在侨务公共外交实践中应当摒弃想当然的思维定式,工作上要注意把握内外有别的原则,因地制宜、因地施策,以文化、情感为纽带联络祖(籍)国与海外侨胞的血脉联系,把'三个有利于'的侨务工作原则作为一个整体贯彻到侨务公共外交实践中去,促进中国公共外交事业的大发展。
China has the largest diaspora in the world, with an estimation of over 60 million in 2014. Ethnic Chinese overseas share some common historical memories and cultures and thus have better understandings of China’s policies; and they directly build up the image of 'Chinese' in foreign lands and proactively take the advantages in Sino-Foreign engagement. China pays special attention to the roles that overseas Chinese can play in its communication and exchanges with international communities against the backdrop that China has been increasingly involved into world politics and integrated into global economy. Diasporas have been recognized as valuable resources by states to serve the construction and strategic development of their home countries and promote mutual trust and understanding in international relations. It is a common practice for Israel, India, Japan, South Korea and many other major countries in the world to utilize the resources of the diaspora for diplomacy by strengthening the psychological, cultural and economic bonds with their diasporas. The constructs of ethnic identity produce appeals for power seeking states. Chinese government, ever since the Mao era, has been engaging the Chinese diaspora in the process of modernization and the communication between China and the external world, and the state leaders view soft power as an indispensable part of comprehensive national strength. Therefore, China pursuing to increase its capability to disseminate information and ideas in the campaign of soft power attaches great importance to overseas Chinese in promoting public diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges. Chinese authorities put forward the concept of 'diaspora public diplomacy' in 2011 and constantly make efforts in developing diaspora policies and institutions for transnational expansion of influence and global reach. The working mechanism of diaspora public diplomacy is as follows: through a diverse range of government-led cultural and economic exchanges with and policy interpretations to overseas Chinese, the relevant departments of China will guide them to correctly understand China’s social conditions and public sentiment and opinions; and then the Chinese diaspora will disseminate Chinese-related information and explicate it to the local public and government with indigenized expressions that can be effectively received and understood by the local communities, so as to increase the extent of recognition and favorability among the external audiences and further promote the local government to stipulate and implement friendly policy towards China which would be consistent with China’s national interests. In this process, overseas Chinese have dual identities. They are firstly the intermedium transmitters of China's public diplomacy mainly conducted by government’s overseas Chinese affairs institutions, and then the agents of China’s public diplomacy in regards to the communication with the foreign publics and governments. In practice, China relies on overseas Chinese as its base to project Chinese soft power, mobilizes the diaspora with Chinese language and culture appeal, and follows the principles of cooperation and mutual benefits (good for the overseas Chinese, good for their residing country and good for China). China has made efforts to enhance media capacity by partaking or involving overseas Chinese media to tell the stories of China and spread the culture of China, which increases creativity and credibility of China’s publicity and meanwhile strengthens the ties of 'Chinese'; China has conducted a series of reforms in laws and regulations relating to immigration and a variety of economic sectors to attract foreign investments and talents; China calls on the diaspora to actively integrate into the local society while maintaining 'Chineseness' identities and make contributions to the development and progress of the country they reside in, to consolidate the mutual tr...