Media and Communication in the Chinese Diaspora : Rethinking Transnationalism

The rise of China has brought about both an increase in the number of and a change in the demographic characteristics of Chinese-language-speaking migrants. At the same time the Chinese government has implemented a stronger "going global" policy, pushing for the internationalisation of Chinese media and culture. This book explores the nature of Chinese communities and their relationship to the media in a range of countries worldwide. Overall, the book demonstrates that despite China’s assertive "going global" media push, diasporic Chinese communities are being further decentralised and refashioned in multiple and sometimes contradictory ways.

The rise of China has brought about a dramatic increase in the rate of migration from mainland China. At the same time, the Chinese government has embarked on a full-scale push for the internationalisation of Chinese media and culture. Media and communication have therefore become crucial factors in shaping the increasingly fraught politics of transnational Chinese communities. This book explores the changing nature of these communities, and reveals their dynamic and complex relationship to the media in a range of countries worldwide. Overall, the book highlights a number of ways in which China’s "going global" policy interacts with other factors in significantly reshaping the content and contours of the diasporic Chinese media landscape. In doing so, this book constitutes a major rethinking of Chinese transnationalism in the twenty-first century.