Protecting the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese is part of the country's diplomatic ideology, says an article in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:
 
Following the recent release of a clip showing four Chinese women being insulted by Malaysian police, the Chinese Government has expressed a high degree of concern.

The country's diplomats have also made representations to the Malaysians and gone all out in an attempt to secure a reasonable settlement of the scandal.

With the country's economic development, more and more Chinese citizens have joined the army of travelers going abroad to study, on business or for their holidays.

At the same time, incidences of their rights and interests being infringed upon in alien lands have become more frequent. Thus handling these kinds of disputes has become an important part of the nation's diplomacy.

In 2004, for example, with relentless efforts, China's foreign authorities succeeded in securing the release of Chinese laborers held hostage in Iraq. Diplomatic means were also applied to settle disputes with Russia, Japan and Spain, where Chinese citizens' rights and interests were trampled on.

To make a timely response to crises involving overseas Chinese citizens, the country's Foreign Ministry has also set up a special department in charge of the settlement of such disputes.

Attempts to avoid citizens' interests being illegitimately harmed seem to have become an important goal of China's diplomacy.

In an era when personal exchanges between different countries have become very common, the success of a country's diplomacy not only rests on its skilful handling of political and economic ties with others. It will also be measured by what it has done to protect its citizens abroad.

(China Daily December 9, 2005)