Bandung, November 19, 2025. The International Conference on International Affairs (ICON-IR) PACIS Committee held an international round-table discussion with the theme “Harmony in Practice: The New Chinese Diaspora ( Xin Yimin新移民) and Southeast Asia’s Intercultural Relations and Foreign Policy”. The ICON-IR 2026 Pre-Event activity presented Prof. Zeng Shaocong as the main speaker and several discussants: Yulius P Hermawan (PACIS), Christine Claudia Lukman (Maranatha Christian University), and Prof. Doddy S Truna (UIN Sunan Gunung Jati).
The roundtable discussion was organized in collaboration with PACIS and the Center for Philosophy, Culture, and Religious Studies (CPCReS), Faculty of Philosophy, Parahyangan Catholic University. The moderator was Dr. Ratih Indraswari, Chair of ICON-IR 2025. The discussion was opened by Dr. Stephanus Djonatan, Chair of CPCReS, who also highlighted key ideas that emerged from the discussion.
In his presentation, Prof. Zeng Shaocong presented his analysis of the impact of overseas Chinese immigrants on cross-cultural exchanges in Southeast Asia against the backdrop of globalization, analyzing the role of new Chinese immigrants in economic, social, cultural, and organizational pathways, and combining the concept of Chinese cultural harmony with China’s foreign policy to outline the role of new Chinese immigrants in the building of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
The professor from the Institute of Anthropology and Ethnography, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that globalization has fueled transnational migration. Overseas Chinese immigrants constitute a significant portion of international immigrants, and Southeast Asia is a key region for overseas Chinese immigrants. China and Southeast Asia have a long history of cross-cultural exchanges, including both official and civil exchanges.
Through exchanges between countries, the Chinese ethnic group has promoted the prosperity and development of local society, economy, and culture; this explains that in the new historical period, China adheres to the peripheral foreign policy of “friendship, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness” and promotes the construction of the “One Belt One Road” and the “China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future”, and the role and role of new Chinese immigrants in this construction process.
Three discussants responded to Prof Zeng Shaocong’s keynote presentation.
Yulius P. Hermawan emphasized China’s role in ensuring the protection of the Chinese diaspora living around the world. China has strong capabilities to fulfill this role. In the Global Power Index, China ranks third, after the United States and Russia, in terms of traditional power strengths, namely military strength, economic strength, geopolitical influence, and strategic capabilities.
China also possesses the second-largest soft power in the world, after the United States. The Chinese diaspora worldwide, including in Southeast Asia and Indonesia in particular, has played a crucial role in building a positive image of China. Their assimilation skills and cultural practices adapted to local contexts are vital strengths influencing the level of acceptance of Chinese people in various countries.
China ranks as the most powerful country in the Global Diplomacy Index, surpassing the United States and other influential countries. China has 274 government representative offices in various cities around the world, which play a crucial role in maintaining good relations with Chinese citizens and the Chinese diaspora in those cities. This demonstrates the Chinese government’s responsibility to be present wherever its citizens are.
Ms. Christine found Prof. Zeng Saochong’s study interesting because so far, there has been little discussion of the issue of Chinese immigrants in the early 21st century. At the 2024 ISSCO conference, several speakers discussed intercultural exchanges between Chinese students studying in Southeast Asian countries. Intercultural exchange encompasses not only artifacts but also mentifacts (abstract concepts consisting of shared ideas, values, and beliefs within a culture).
In Mrs. Christine’s view, the concept of harmony between Chinese and Indonesian/Southeast Asian cultures must be supported by policies that can reduce horizontal conflicts (between Chinese immigrants and their coworkers, and the local population as well). Currently, conflicts and suspicions are often based on distorted information (hoax: The Chinese government is moving part of its population to Indonesia, sending millions of workers to Indonesia), lack of intercultural understanding (things considered normal by Chinese immigrants are considered rude by local residents, and vice versa), social jealousy due to higher salaries, etc. which must be examined more specifically. Topics/issues that are often mentioned are intercultural contact, differences in cultural orientation, lifestyle, traditions, and socio-cultural conflicts.
Ms. Christine added that social conflict also occurs due to prejudices inherited from previous eras, such as the assumption that Chinese support the Indonesian Communist Party (especially from the New Order era), that Chinese people are cunning and greedy, and so on (from the Dutch East Indies colonial era). Is it possible to achieve global cultural and value harmony? The answer must be obtained through sociological studies based on the characteristics of different societies based on geography, education, social class, etc.
In his response, Prof. Doddy S. Truna emphasized that the Chinese Diaspora to various countries in the world is already known to many Indonesians, especially among observers, researchers, and economic practitioners, because its number is very large compared to other countries’ diasporas to various countries. In the Indonesian context, the Chinese diaspora has a complex and diverse relationship, especially related to (1) economic opportunities, (2) political interests, and (3) religious affairs. In this session, I will focus on the third issue: Religion (namely the conversion of Chinese people to Islam), which may be less prominent but remains important.
According to Prof. Doddy, social integration is a key factor. Islamic civil society in Indonesia (through Islamic institutions and organizations) provides a strong community network. The conversion interaction model, involving involvement in a supportive community, often triggers social belonging and spiritual transformation. Conversion here aligns with Cohen’s “host orientation” (1997), in which migrants adapt religiously to reduce social distance and gain acceptance.
Intermarriage also plays a significant role. When new migrants establish intimate relationships with Indonesian Muslims, conversion becomes part of family formation and cultural negotiation. Diaspora scholars view intermarriage as a “technology of belonging,” creating pathways for migrants to embed themselves more deeply into their host society. For many Chinese migrants, conversion facilitates integration into broader kinship networks and aligns with local expectations regarding religious unity in marriage.
The conversion of Chinese Indonesians to Islam within Indonesia’s new diaspora represents a complex interplay of social integration, intermarriage, identity reconstruction, spiritual encounters, and engagement with Indonesia’s unique Islamic landscape. This process reflects a creative re-articulation of identity within a Muslim-majority society.
Dr. Stephanus Djonatan, Chair of CPCReS, highlighted key ideas that emerged from the discussion. Globalization has driven Chinese migration even further since the late 1970s and has become a crucial soft power force. The harmony that has developed across countries has contributed significantly to the assimilation process, giving substantive meaning to the practice of new nationalities. CPCReS is a key partner of PACIS, which will participate in ICON-IR 2026. A special panel on Chinese diaspora studies will be open to diverse views on fundamental issues in international relations.
Author: YP Hermawan
