China Power: Welcome, wariness – A rising Beijing reshaping perceptions among ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia

INSTANCES OF DISCRIMINATION

Given that ethnic Chinese form the minority race in most Southeast Asian countries, some of them acknowledged that they have faced discrimination – especially as China’s regional influence grows.

This is particularly so in the Philippines amid tense bilateral relations with China.

The Marcos administration has clamped down on illegal offshore gambling operations, some of which are believed to be Chinese-backed.

Issues like the Alice Guo controversy – the former Philippine mayor who has been arrested and accused of being a Chinese spy enabling illegal gambling – have further intensified scrutiny on Filipino Chinese, said Ang, the ethnic Chinese Filipino civic leader.

“They can’t distinguish us from the new immigrants … you see this kind of racial profiling, especially these days when (such) issues are coming up. So they tend to see a Chinese person and then they say, ‘you are Chinese, you should leave our country’.”

Chinese Filipino Wilson Lee Flores, who is a writer and owns a bakery-cafe in Davao, told CNA that he has been accused by some locals of being a “pro-China spy” because he had invited a Chinese diplomat to give a political talk in his establishment. 

He explained that his cafe has hosted various political talks and debates as he believes they foster political engagement. However, he stressed that he has been careful to be fair and invite speakers with different political leanings to speak. 

“Many people (accuse me) of being pro-China but they forget that I have welcomed US ambassadors to speak here … everybody is welcome,” said Lee. 

“(It’s becoming) a little bit worrisome for the ethnic Chinese minority, because some people cannot distinguish, they blindly think: ‘Ah, your ancestors are from China, you must be pro-China,’ which is not the reality,” he added. 

In Malaysia, Lim’s Muar Tiong Hua Association recently received flak because the organisation’s procession in Muar on Jan 18 featured a dragon puppet with China’s flags hanging from its left flank. 

Videos and images of the dragon went viral, prompting a police investigation and public calls for Malaysia’s king and Johor’s regent to take action.

Displaying a foreign flag in public or at schools is an offence under local laws, punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine not exceeding RM1,000.