(Question from East and West) Zhang Zhenjiang: What role does China play in the global governance of international migration?
China News Service, Beijing, November 19th. Title: Zhang Zhenjiang: What role does China play in the global governance of international migration?
China News Agency reporter Wu Kan
In the era of globalization, international migration has become an important topic closely related to politics, economy, and society. Compared with other topics in the field of global governance, the global governance of international migration is more complex and difficult.
What practices and experiences does China have in terms of overseas immigration governance and services?
How can China further participate in the global governance of international migration?
Zhang Zhenjiang, Dean of the School of International Relations/Overseas Chinese Research Institute of Jinan University, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service on "East and West Questions" to make an analysis.
China News Agency reporter: What is the concept and definition of international migration? What is the current situation of China's international immigration? What does the concept of international migration governance include?
Zhang Zhenjiang:
International migration is a phenomenon of continuous development and change. There are various concepts and definitions about it. There are academic definitions, policy definitions by governments of various countries, and related international organizations in different concepts. Definition etc.
However, various definitions contain several common factors: migrants, transnational, country of emigration/origin, country of immigration/residence, residence time, etc.
The current situation of China's international immigration is the result of China's peaceful development and increasing international influence.
You can simply divide China's international immigration into two parts: those who leave China and those who come to China.
The phenomenon of Chinese people migrating overseas has existed for a long time, and large-scale overseas migration began in the late 19th century, mainly due to the demand for labor from gold mines and plantations driven by Western colonization.
According to statistics, there are currently more than 60 million overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese, all over the world, including more than 10 million new immigrants since the reform and opening up.
In terms of numbers, China is one of the world's largest exporters of immigrants.
International immigration governance is a popular broad term that refers to a series of domestic level (including government and society, or official and unofficial) and international level policy implementation and action coordination around international immigrant groups.
Such as protecting the legitimate rights and interests of immigrant groups, safeguarding the security and development of the country of emigration and immigration, and the mutual coordination among immigrant countries, immigrant countries, and international organizations, etc. The purpose is to provide immigrants with a peaceful and stable development environment to reach all parties. A win-win situation that benefits.
Data map: People apply for entry and exit documents.
Photo by Zhong Xin
China News Agency reporter: What practices and experiences does China have in terms of overseas immigration governance and services? What enlightenment do these experiences and practices have on the global governance of international migration?
Zhang Zhenjiang:
China has a very systematic and unique approach in serving overseas Chinese who are going out, and it also adjusts to changes in the internal and external situations in different periods.
The policy on overseas Chinese affairs in the early days of the founding of New China emphasized the protection of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political security. Of course, it also respected the construction of a modern nation-state in the country where the Chinese are located.
For example, in the 1950s, different solutions were reached with countries such as Indonesia and Myanmar on the issue of dual citizenship of overseas Chinese.
After the reform and opening up, economic construction has become the central task of the country, and investment and intelligence has become a new focus of work.
In the new century, as Chinese companies go global, the protection of overseas interests has gradually become a new focus of work.
In fact, since the beginning of the new century, at least 20 countries have tried to set up special institutions for the management of nationals at the central government level. China can be said to be a pioneer in this regard.
Secondly, the concept of governance and service for overseas Chinese affairs in China is also advancing with the times.
Nowadays, there are more people who "love overseas Chinese", "protect overseas Chinese" and "profit overseas Chinese", and encourage overseas Chinese to live and work in peace and contentment in the country where they are located.
Of course, with the growth of national strength, safeguarding China’s overseas interests, including overseas Chinese, has also become a new focus of work. There are shocking actions such as the evacuation of overseas Chinese from Libya, as well as the distribution of anti-epidemic supplies to overseas Chinese and overseas students during the epidemic. , Launched the "Spring Seed Action" and so on.
The vast number of overseas Chinese have also made important contributions in promoting China's construction and connecting China with the world.
Finally, we must see the importance of relations between countries.
Throughout the history of the world, in the past few hundred years, modern countries with the three basic characteristics of territory, sovereignty and citizens have undoubtedly become the most important organizational units in the world, while international immigration has crossed borders, impacted sovereignty, and reorganized citizens. These characteristics have brought infinite complexity to the international immigrant groups, including overseas Chinese.
And China's immigration governance is also full of remarkable features of international cooperation.
From the perspective of international immigration governance at the global level, it is not enough for one country (whether it is an emigrating country or an emigrating country) to do work, and it may also cause misunderstandings and contradictions.
It is very important to formulate an institutional arrangement for coordination between different countries and different roles at the global level.
China News Service: In recent years, China has gradually become an attractive "country of immigration destination". What measures does China have in optimizing management services for immigrants?
Zhang Zhenjiang: Looking
back in history, it is not uncommon for foreigners to do business and study in China.
With the growth of China's national power since the reform and opening up, the implementation of an open policy, and the convenience of globalization, China has become not only a major "immigrant country", but also an "immigrant destination country."
If defined by strict conditions such as settlement and naturalization, the number of immigrants China accepts is not large.
According to statistics from relevant UN agencies, as of 2019, there are more than 70,000 foreigners in China.
But if you add the rapidly growing group of foreign students in recent years, as well as the increasing number of foreigners and other types of people who come to China for short-term and long-term business activities, there are far more than 70,000 foreigners living in China.
In 2019, the National Immigration Administration of China was established to coordinate the service and management of foreigners in China.
According to the latest statistics, the National Immigration Administration issued 380,000 residence permits for foreigners in China during the period of the continuous outbreak of the new crown epidemic from January to June 2021.
In March last year, the Ministry of Justice and the National Immigration Administration also issued the "Regulations on the Administration of Permanent Residence of Foreigners of the People's Republic of China" to solicit opinions from all sectors of society.
It is particularly worth mentioning that for foreigners residing in China during the COVID-19 pandemic, governments at all levels have taken care of them in the friendship of landlords.
Data map: Foreigners are handling related businesses in the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau.
Photo by Yin Liqin
China News Agency reporter: What are the current difficulties in international immigration governance? How can China further participate in international cooperation in the field of international migration? Can the concept of "community with a shared future for mankind" proposed by China respond to some problems in global immigration governance?
Zhang Zhenjiang:
The characteristics of international migration make the governance of international migration more complicated, and it is also more difficult in actual governance practices.
First, there are differences in theory and philosophy.
Some argue that transnational migration is one of human’s basic rights, but there are also opinions that encouraging or even inducing human mobility will undermine the country’s development and stability.
More importantly, if these abstract concepts and principles of human rights and sovereignty are placed in specific time and space, or placed in specific countries and regions, there will be more problems and debates.
Secondly, although the current international immigration governance includes multi-level governance bodies such as national, regional and global governance, it is basically dominated by sovereign states.
Specific to a specific group of international immigrants, the country of immigration and the country of immigration are the main governance bodies.
The former may focus on "fallen leaves return to roots", while the latter emphasizes "falling to roots."
Whether it is "returning to the root" or "taking root", how to incorporate the power of immigration into the construction and development of the country has become the primary policy goal for the governance of international immigration in both the emigrating country and the immigration country.
There is also coordination of actors at the regional and global levels. For example, the International Organization for Migration and other relevant non-governmental organizations and institutions have provided a large number of immigration research reports, data information and policy recommendations, which have also effectively helped many migrants, but their role is still Limited, it is also difficult to change the relevant policies of sovereign states.
Finally, international migration is not only a problem of cross-border population flow, but also an international political problem, such as the national security and development of the emigrating and emigrating countries, the building of nationalities, national identity, the loss of talents from poor countries, the attracting of talents from rich countries, The flow of capital and intelligence, relations between countries, etc.
In view of the above-mentioned status quo, there are actually many blind spots and gaps in international immigration governance at the global level.
Compared with international trade, international finance, environment, climate and other issues, the global governance of international migration has a long way to go.
China has done a lot of work on international cooperation in international immigration governance.
For example, China joined the International Organization for Migration in 2016. In 2018, when the United Nations passed the "Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration", China not only actively participated, but also made decisions on the content, formulation, and adoption of the "Compact". Made an important contribution.
The "Community of a Shared Future for Mankind" can provide conceptual support and practical guidance for the future development of international immigration governance.
Conversely speaking, international migration has the "cultural roots" of the country of emigration, the "locality" of the country of immigration, and the "transnational nature" of connecting the country of emigration and immigration, and the entire world. These three characteristics fully indicate that international immigration may He is the best practitioner, builder and beneficiary of the concept of "a community with a shared future for mankind".
(over)
About the interviewee:
Zhang Zhenjiang, professor and doctoral supervisor, is currently the dean of the School of International Relations/Overseas Chinese Research Institute of Jinan University, the dean of the 21st Century Silk Road Research Institute, the director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Key Research Base of the Ministry of Education, and the magazine "Southeast Asian Studies" Chief and Editor-in-Chief; Graduated from Xinjiang Yili Normal University, PhD in International Relations History at Nanjing University, Postdoctoral in History of Sino-Foreign Relations at Sun Yat-Sen University; Selected into the "New Century Excellent Talents Support Program" of the Ministry of Education, and served as a member of the Political Science Teaching Steering Committee of Higher Education Ministry of Education , Vice President of the China Southeast Asian Studies Association, Vice President of the Chinese Overseas Chinese History Society, etc.; currently engaged in the history and theory of international relations, Asia-Pacific international relations, Southeast Asian regional cooperation, transnational immigration, overseas Chinese and Chinese.