During my primary school days, there were countries I never thought we would ever be able to enter. China was one such country. I imagined the Chinese citizens aka hua qiao donned in grey factory overalls and reciting out of the little red book or chairman mao’s book. But much has happened since then. Though I’ve not yet been to China, China goods are found in every house (including mine) all over the world, Made in China. So the sleeping giant woke up years back and it costs less than 600 bucks to fly there today.
And this is quite confusing. China being a communist country doesnt quite seem to be on the connunist road anymore or maybe the communism I have read about has evolved to look pretty much like … $ingapore? So that’s good right? We welcome China and China welcomes us.
We ethnic Chinese are invited back to check out our Motherland (or is it Fatherland since they are comnunists?) and rekindle relationships in villages over ‘cha’ where our ancestors once originated from. Maybe even become a member of the Tan clan or the Lee clan there, take in a few calligraphy lessons and sing a few commie songs.
But China, specifically Beijing (since the CCP HQ is there) is going beyond these cultural exposure immersion trips. Beijing is calling on her/ his overeas foreign sons and daughters (huaren / ethnic Chinese) to support the mother/fatherland.
So this is what I take issue with.
Huaren (ethnic Chinese) does not = huaqiao (Chinese citizen). Many might dismiss this as Beijing being neurotic. Neurotic is the ethnic Chinese who goes in search of his roots and romanticizes the rich history of where his ancestors had come from, perhaps even stepping into their shoes so as to trace their once trodden paths. He explores and identifies himself with his “clansmen” of the same surname and relates with them. The neurotic builds castles in the air.
On the contrary, there is Beijing showing signs of psychosis. From the South China Sea to the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) policy, Beijing is adamant on its One Big Family agenda. That’s akin to the neurotic building his castle in the air and the psychotic actually living in the castle! Beijing has made it clear that only ASEAN countries that are claimant to the South China Sea will negotiate directly. But the negotiation does not fall on the responsibility of individual ASEAN countries. For the last thousand years, the waters of the South China Sea has been an integral part of the development of South East Asia as a region. Negotiation should be through ASEAN and not Beijing’s divide and conquer ruse. Is Beijing’s OBOR a strategy to push for its one big family policy? Is the purpose of this economic road also a political move to manipulate and control the boundaries it would cut across by ensuring the presence of China globally?
Beijing is delusional in its pursuit, oblivious to the Gen X and millenials who hold influence over this generation and the next. The global village is one of inclusiveness and renounces racial preferential treatment (of huaren) aka discrimination.
And to an ethnic Chinese, Singapore is home, not my great-granfather’s village in China. ASEAN is the wider network and the region I am a part of. My global world consists of all the other countries like the US, Europe, Africa, Australia, India, oh and China.
our blessed SG 