Sino-British (Anglo-Chinese) Relations And Identity Of Malayan Chinese

Religion plays an important role in the formation of identity and the political mobilization. Unlike the Religion and Politics of Identity in the Western historical context, ancient China has completely different and unique discourses. Grand Unification (Da Yi Tong), Sacred Teachings (Sheng Jiao) and Hua-yi Distinction (Hua Yi Zhi Bian), which are the key ideological concepts for understanding the Religion and Politics of Identity with Chinese characteristics.From the point of view of the civilization evolution, Chinese civilization started from the origins of Grand Unification (Da Yi Tong) ideology extracted from Confucius classics, and then politically implemented and gradually developed into the Celestial System (Tianchao System) during the Imperial Age, and finally forged the long-run stability of the East Asia’s international order and norm. However, since the Westphalian System from the West clashed and replaced the Celestial System, the paradigm of nation-state had dominated the international order in East Asia. In a certain extent, today’s Southeast Asia region had fallen into the Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations model.British Malaya located at the cross point of the five major civilizations (Confucius, Western, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic), and constantly influenced by various external forces since ancient times, which eventually shaped its local multicultural features. Since the pioneers from Southern China migrated to the Southeast Asia, with Dayitong ideology, the identity of these Overseas Chinese has unavoidably influenced by the Western powers. In Malaya, the game process between the political power of China and Britain left indelible historical imprints on the local politics of identity, and molded the current appearance of ethnic politics of Malaysia. The different cognition of Malays and Chinese towards Nation Building has caused Malaysia hitherto facing various political identity problems, which may directly or indirectly affect the contemporary China-Malaysia (Malaysia-China) Relations.The Legacies of Chinese Religion left by the late Qing Government’s officials in Southeast Asia, which can be properly utilized by today’s Chinese government as an important cultural resources for initiating Public Diplomacy towards overseas Chinese believers. However, generally speaking, ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia still remain negative impressions towards the religious policies of mainland Chinese government, due to the impact of Cultural Cold War initiated by Western powers over a long period of time. Therefore, under the new circumstances of China’s peaceful development, the emphasis of the Believing China narrative, that organically combine the religion and Overseas Chinese Affairs, may enhance Chinese cultural soft power abroad to a certain extent.The connotations of the two different concepts of Overseas Chinese Affairs and Public Diplomacy have been ever-changing along with the development of international situation. Originally, these two concepts were targeted to different audiences, namely Overseas Chinese Affairs for Overseas Chinese, and Public Diplomacy for foreign people. In recent years, Public Diplomacy of Overseas Chinese Affairs has been put forward as a new concept in response to the changing trend of Overseas Chinese’s political and cultural identity. Currently researches relating to Public Diplomacy of Overseas Chinese Affairs in the country are still in scarcity and these articles are mainly focus on political, economical and cultural factors, thus the important role played by religion is overlooked to quite a great extent. The main aims of this dissertation are to deal with the problem of absence of religious factor in Public Diplomacy of Overseas Chinese Affairs and propose a policy orientation towards Overseas Chinese Affairs under new international situation.