Malaysian Chinese: Seeking Identity in Wawasan 2020

Abstract

The rise of China as a major regional power and the maintenance of a vibrant business network among the so-called “Overseas” Chinese have led some observers to look once again at the integration process of the ethnic Chinese within Southeast Asia. Some scholars and political leaders argue that the emerging international stature of China could conceivably encourage a cultural re-sinification of the Southeast Asian Chinese. This new concern comes at a time when increasing evidence suggest that the ethnic Chinese are integrating into the local Southeast Asian societies. In some countries, the Chinese have even progressed some way towards assimilation.