ISSCO V Conference, Elsinore, May 2004

After four successful ISSCO conferences, the fifth international ISSCO conference was convened in Elsinore, Denmark by the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Copenhagen and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS). 98 researchers from across the world participated in the conference and contributed with papers relating directly or indirectly to the conference theme of New Chinese Migrants: Globalisation of Chinese Overseas Migration.

Two keynote speakers from different academic disciplines were invited to present in plenum their most recent research on Chinese overseas. The first distinguished researcher was Prof. Wang Gungwu, National University of Singapore, who talked about the distinction between former Chinese overseas originating from impoverished villages and contemporary Chinese migrants who migrate as students. Subsequently, they become overseas migrants when they decide to settle in their host-countries. He argued that these new migration trends from the PRC are going to change the life and status of Chinese overseas (accessible here).

The second keynote speech was delivered by Prof. Ronald Skeldon, Uni. of Sussex. He approached the study of Chinese migrants from the point f view of Chinese overseas studies conceived as something special, but increasingly becoming a field of study as any other group of migrants. (accessible here).

Panel sessions were divided into three parallel panels running for three consecutive days, only broken off by cultural excursions to the famous Hamlet Castle Kronborg and the city of Elsinore. During well-attended sessions, more than 90 papers were reported and discussed. Besides the actual presentations, network activities among the close to 100 participants with an almost equal gender and geographical distribution (Australia, East and Southeast Asia, Europe and the US) took place. Research findings were discussed in smaller groups and collaborative research projects were drawn up among the participants. (Papers are accessible here).

Among all the papers presented at the conference two major topics were conspicuous:

• Comparative studies of Chinese entrepreneurship across the world
• The development and impact on mobility from migrant sending regions in China

Papers related to the former topic of Chinese entrepreneurship challenged conventional views on Chinese entrepreneurship as products of the Confucian culture of Chinese migrants. During discussions, it became clear that no researchers were able to document a specific Chinese trading culture based on a particular form of “Chinese Confucian capitalism”. Quite the contrary, trade patterns and industrial business were shown to be conducted on the basis of an ethnicised version of capitalist practices.

Chinese overseas entrepreneurship was demonstrated to be linked to the huge number of Chinese overseas migrating from China. Chinese overseas contribute to the significant economic growth in China by investing or donating huge sums in industrial and cultural development thus spurring emigration. In fact, some papers demonstrated how local communities in southern China have become dependent on these investments, remittances and donations for their reproduction as viable societal entities.

Furthermore, presentations and discussions highlighted how recent Chinese migration influence global capitalism as well as the global labour market. Researchers from Italy, Spain and France described how several hundred thousands irregular Chinese migrants recently have settled in these countries and work on the unofficial labour market. In southern Europe Chinese migrants are making up a majority among immigrants, but they tend to find work in ethnic sectors such as the garment industry. Researchers’ questioned the implications of national policies in these countries in regard to the acceptance of dual labour market structures.

Finally, some researchers demonstrated how China’s current international status has caused some ethnic Chinese, who previously did not identify themselves as Chinese and who were living in creolised societies such as those in the Reunion Islands or Surinam  have begun to re-discover their Chinese roots. They have recently commenced to identify themselves as ethnic Chinese and perform Chinese culturally inspired rituals. The interesting thing in this connection is that these events have taken place during the last ten years even though many of those who carry out these rituals do not or only very seldom speak or understand Chinese. Many do not even look Chinese.

Judging from the debates at the conference, the ad hoc discussion groups and the many positive remarks and emails the organisers have received after the conference, ISSCO V seems to have created an environment for further research and networks that in a qualitative way will enhance and further expand the study of Chinese migration. A selection of revised papers will be published in the near future.

- Mette Thunø, Uni. of Copenhagen