Modern Singaporean Chinese-language Newspapers And Overseas Chinese Nationalism

At the end of19th century and the beginning of20th century, China was undergoingnational crisis and domestic political changes. Chinese communities in Southeast Asia regionraised an unprecedented concern over China’s situation, which also led to obvious changeson nationalism. Under such circumstance, Chinese-language newspapers became a stage foroverseas Chinese to express political views and support Chinese political reform. Among allthe Chinese newspapers, Jit Shin Pau was one of major Chinese-language newspapers at thattime in Singapore. On October,1898, the newspaper was started by Lim Boon Keng, aChinese celebrity in Singapore, aiming at spreading reform thought, expanding horizons andwisdom, refreshing minds, and calling for overseas Chinese communities to pay closeattention to situation in China. Manifested by high efficient, rich contents, and profoundideological and political thoughts, the Newspaper greatly woke awareness of overseasChinese communities on national consciousness and national identity.Focusing on Jit Shin Pau, this paper includes three parts. The first part is, presentingsome background information about the development of Chinese-language newspapers inSingapore and illustrating how Jit Shin Pau was founded; the second part is, introducing theissuing process and promotional features of the Newspaper in terms of the founder, funds,printing and issuing, editing staff, purpose of establishing, layout design, cause of suspensionand so on; the third part is, analyzing the construction and evolution of the nationalism ofSingaporean overseas Chinese and generalizing basic characteristics of overseas Chinesenationalism by interpreting editorials.In a word, Jit Shin Pau, a vital original document, reflects the public opinion of theevolution of Singaporean overseas Chinese nationalism in modern times. However, ascommunication technology was underdeveloped at that time, the Newspaper had historicallimitations.