The issue of international refugees has made headlines frequently,Especially in the Asian region, when conflict and policy changes have caused the migration of people.On September 12, the UNHCR called on Afghanistan to face a crisis and the refugee issue is imminent.
In China, in an unknown history, More than 200,000 refugees have fled to China.
Not even “going” away.Moreover, the rumor of wanting to enter Chinese nationality, dreaming of wanting to be Chinese, what exactly is the case?
Refugee tide
On August 20, media that the Trump administration extended and extended its travel ban after re-entry., adding 12 countries including Myanmar to the list, which essentially ended the long-standing plan of the United States to receive Myanmar refugees, especially Rohingya.
Data show that in the past decade, the United States has resettled more than 160,000 Burmese refugees, accounting for a quarter of its total refugee reception. The sharp shift in policy not only has left many of the refugees who have already passed the preliminary trial in Southeast Asia., further weakening the diplomatic influence accumulated by the United States over the years in the Indo-Pacific region.
At the global level, the refugee problem has never diminished.When the policies of the great powers are shrinking, the pressure shifts to neighboring countries and regional governments.Southeast Asian countries have faced a continued influx of refugees caused by internal conflicts in Myanmar, and the U.S. withdrawal undoubtedly increases the acceptance burden.
There is no reliable third-country resettlement plan. These refugees often fall into a shameful state of long waiting and statelessness.This also prompted some people to move to other areas where asylum could be offered, including China.
It is worth noting that although China is not a traditional immigrant country, it has shown an open-minded attitude towards specific refugee groups at various stages of its history.
Unlike some current national austerity policies, China has been helping refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, which has set an important backbone for the follow-up story.
“Flying Refugees”
At the end of the 1970s, the political landscape of Southeast Asia changed dramatically.After Vietnam's reunification, it pursued radical policies. Domestic resource expropriation and foreign military actions led to economic collapse and social contradictions intensified.
Especially after the 1979 border conflict, Chinese in Vietnam became the target, property was confiscated, lives were restricted, and a large number of Chinese had to choose to flee.
At the same time, ordinary Vietnamese people have fled war and economic depression.According to historical records, between 1978 and 1985, Hekou County, Yunnan Province alone received more than 50,000 Vietnamese refugees crossing the border.
Many of them are not Chinese, but choose to go north because of their desire for stability and inclusion in China, a group of refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos who were later collectively referred to as “press refugees.”
According to incomplete statistics, more than 200,000 refugees crossed the border during this period.It is mainly concentrated in border provinces such as Yunnan and Guangxi.
China did not have the right to refugees as it does today, but it still adopted an open and receptive attitude based on humanitarian and regional stability considerations.
Unlike the repeated hesitation of some countries to deal with refugees at present, China’s reception is fast and pragmatic. Refugees are not only allowed to enter but are also resettled in areas such as Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangdong, even allocating land, providing housing and gradually integrating into local communities.
to some extent, At that time, China explained what a responsible big country meant with its actions.How did they live in China?
Identity and Identification
The core of the refugee problem is often not just the transformation of the living space.It is also a reconstruction of identity and reconstruction of identity.The refugees who come to China, especially the younger generation, are almost fully integrated into local life.
In the old canyon village of Yunnan River, many of the refugees' descendants no longer speak Vietnamese, and their habits are similar to those of local farmers, who smoke water, farm, work, get married and have children. Account books and ID cards issued by the Chinese government.
Although a column of nationality has not been updated, this does not prevent them from seeing themselves as true Chinese. It comes from all aspects of education, healthcare, social security and even cultural acceptance.
Since 2003, the local government has included refugees in the urban subsistence allowance system, and then gradually covered medical insurance, old-age insurance and housing renovation projects. In Qiaogang Town, Beihai City, Guangxi, refugee resettlement has even become an international model.
More than 95% of the residents here are returned overseas Chinese or their descendantsIn the past, the barren beach has become a coastal town with developed tourism, and is known as a shining example of resettling refugees in the world.
Many households have become wealthy through fishing, trade and small and micro-enterprises, transforming them from refugees to citizens and even entrepreneurs.
I want to be a Chinese, not exaggerate. But true wishes. There is no identity paper, but there is evidence of heart.
Chinese model
China has not signed the UN Convention on Refugees.In practice, however, a set of characteristic mechanisms for the reception and integration of refugees has been developed.
Unlike some Western countries that place refugees in concentration camps or temporary shelters, China is more inclined to gradually integrate refugees into local social structures through geographical dispersion and community integration.
This model emphasizes not short-term relief, but long-term empowerment. Refugees can work, do business and enjoy some social public services, and their children can also receive public education.
Although they have not been officially naturalized,But many national treatments have already been in real life, and from a government perspective, this approach has both eased humanitarian pressures and avoided the formation of cultural segregation or social contradictions.
Global refugee problems are becoming increasingly complex, with factors such as geoconflict and climate crises likely to make cross-border displacements more frequent.
How can China not only maintain policy coherence, but also meet the refugee challenges under the new situation? Perhaps from past experience, we can see that pragmatism, tolerance and integration are the key.
No country can solve the refugee problem alone.But every country can light a lamp for them. This lamp in China, though unobtrusive, continues to light warmly.
This decades-long process of resettlement of refugees shows us not only a humanitarian initiative, but also a deep-watered wisdom of governance demonstrated by the country in responding to regional crises.
More than 200,000 refugees choose to stay, not because they "don't leave".But because they have found the possibility of living and working in peace and contentment here; Their desire for naturalization is not impulsive, but due to their high recognition and sense of belonging to Chinese society.
China has proved with practical actions that, The resettlement of refugees is not just a political issue.It is also a systematic project related to people's livelihood, culture and future. Perhaps in the future, with the evolution of policies and the times, these people who dream of being Chinese will eventually realize their wishes. No matter what the result is, they have already written their own wonderful page in this land of China.
Primary sources
Yunnan "Indigenous Refugees" Village: Everyone Wants to Get Chinese Citizenship in Dreams - Central Internet 2016.5.26
Desolate tidal flat turns into beautiful fishing port. Visit Guangxi Beihai Overseas Chinese Port, "China's largest resettlement site for returned overseas Chinese"-People's Daily Online
White House travel ban weakens U.S. position in Asia-Reference News 2025-08-22
People's Daily Overseas Edition | Beihai Qiaogang Town: Returned overseas Chinese towns are busy starting businesses-Beihai Tourism, Culture and Sports Bureau 2024.7.13