This is to see how the different communities of overseas Chinese or regional variances of Chinese are perceived - by Chinese themselves, by overseas Chinese, or by all friend/foes worldwide. This means to be fun and interesting poll to measure a small sample of the population who frequent this forum only, and therefore will not represent in any forms/shapes the truth, since this is simply a matter of interpretation and preference. No connotation of racial/ethnic/cultural superiority or inferiority are assumed in the preferences. Simply it is just personal preferences. The result would be fun to watch. Have fun!

Taiwanese, but I'm biased because my wife is Taiwanese. I haven't been to China, and I've only met a handful of them, but when I went to Taiwan two years ago everyone was really kind, and not in a fake touristy way.

How can Taiwanese be overseas Chinese and also general Chinese? I assumed general Chinese referred to non-overseas Chinese.

Ad how did GZ get to vote for himself three times?

This poll is inherently biased as people would vote for their own regional dialect and overseas Chinese group. Although it is harmless fun!


Good point. The Taiwanese are not overseas Chinese as they are a part of the general Chinese. Unless you consider "overseas Chinese" as non-mainland Chinese, but that is controversial as it could be argued that Taiwan is a part of mainland China. So I won't go into the political status of Taiwan...

So for the sake of simplicity, Taiwanese Chinese should not be one of the options for overseas Chinese.

whats the definition of over-seas chinese and general chinese?

Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China region, which includes territories administered by the rival governments of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). General Chinese are people who reside in and hold citizenship of either the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Therefore, under these definitions, I would not consider Taiwanese Chinese as Overseas Chinese.

Where do all the minority peoples fit into this?

How can Taiwanese be overseas Chinese and also general Chinese?

Hong Kong and Taiwan, due to their past political divergence from the great majority of Chinese in mainland, could be viewed as both General chinese or Overseas Chinese depending on perpsective.

From a mainland Chinese perpsective, a Sichuanese is one type of general local Chinese, but a Taiwanese is a compatriot from across the Straight further away from a local feeling, and a Malay Chinese is more of a foreigner with Chinese ancestry. From an overseas Chinese perspective, a mainlander is definitely a Chinese, while a Sichuanese is a type of local mainland Chinese, a Taiwanese is also Chinese but somehow closer to overseas Chinese than mainlander, and a HongKonger is an international Chinese well suited in western culture & lifestyle. Further complicating the picture, there are TWneses whose ancestral homeland are from Sichuan province, some of them remain self -ID as TWnese, some may switch back to self-ID as Sichuanese when they move back to work & live in China. Same with VNmese Cantonnese Chinese, some self-ID as VNmese Chinese, some self-ID as just Cantonnese overseas Chinese, and some self-ID as Cantonnese Chinese if they move back to work and live in Guangdong.

So for the above consideration, I put TWnese and HKer into both categories.


Where do all the minority peoples fit into this?

This poll is to vote for people who self-identify as Chinese or overseas Chinese regardless of racial/ethnic/cultural background. Ethnic or racial consideraton is not part of this poll.

I thought this thread was about character/personality types of overseas Chinese. E.g Those who learn as much about their background as they can; Those who are content with being 'Westernized'; Those who try very hard to fit in with native-born Chinese...