Chinese people in Belgium or Chinese Belgians (

simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...

: 比利时华侨;

Traditional Chinese A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

: 比利時華僑;

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...

: ''Bǐlìshí huáqiáo'') are Belgian citizens of

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

ancestry. There is a small ethnic Chinese community in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, compared to neighbouring

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

History

Single male sailors who wished to reestablish their lives in a foreign country made up the first Chinese living in Belgium. Beginning in the 1950s people from the

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

of Hong Kong began to settle Europe. They moved due to a lack of jobs in Hong Kong and political developments in Mainland China. Chinese people arrived until the end of the 1960s.Pang, p. 434.

Demographics

Since 1994, Belgium had 3,463 persons with Mainland Chinese citizenship, including 1,788 females and 1,675 males; and 489 persons with Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship, including (278 females and 115 males). However, as of 1998 most Chinese in Belgium originated in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. Prior to 1997 were counted as "British" when they arrived, and by 1998 many had naturalized as Belgian citizens. Therefore, they were not counted as ethnic Chinese people living in Belgium. Pang Ching Lin (彭靜蓮, Pinyin: ''Péng Jìnglián''), author of "Invisible Visibility: Intergenerational Transfer of Identity and Social Position of Chinese Women in Belgium," stated that therefore there is a lack of records specifically tracking Chinese people, and therefore there is an element of invisibility. In 2008,

De Morgen ''De Morgen'' (Dutch for ''The Morning'') is a Flemish newspaper with a circulation of 53,860. The paper is published in Antwerp, Belgium. History and profile ''De Morgen'' originates from a merger in 1978 of two socialist newspapers ' (meaning ...

reported that the total of

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

living in Belgium are estimated to be around 30.000. In 2017, there are 12.155 Chinese foreigners in Belgium. That number is only counted for those who are from the People's Republic of China and aren't counted to those who are naturalized. Ethnic Chinese people from other countries such as

Hongkongers Hongkongers (), also known as Hong Kongers, Hong Kongese, Hongkongese, Hong Kong citizens and Hong Kong people, typically refers to residents of the territory of Hong Kong; although may also refer to others who were born and/or raised in the ...

Taiwanese Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, ...

and

Chinese Singaporeans Chinese Singaporeans () are Singaporeans of Chinese descent. Chinese Singaporeans constitute 75.9% of the Singaporean citizen population according to the official census, making them the largest ethnic group among them. As early as the 10th ...

are not counted as well. As of 2020, Vedia estimates the number of ethnic Chinese in Belgium at around 40.000.

Institutions

There are multiple Chinese organisations in Belgium, but they do not regularly cooperate with one another. They sometimes cooperate during some political events supported by the Mainland Chinese government and during the

Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: / ), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (), Korea (), Vietnam (), and other countries in Eas ...

and the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...

.Liu Huang, p
219

Notable individuals

Xavier Chen Xavier Chen (; born 5 October 1983) is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He began his youth career with Anderlecht before moving to KV Kortrijk where he first played at senior level (2003–2007). After Kortrijk, he ...

(1983), footballer *

Dion Cools Dion-Johan Chai Cools (born 4 June 1996) is a Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a right-back or centre-back for Czech club FK Jablonec and the Malaysia national team. At club level, he has played in Belgium and Denmark for OH Leuve ...

(1996), footballer *

Dong Fangzhuo Dong Fangzhuo (; born 23 January 1985) is a Chinese former professional footballer who played as a forward. Club career Early career Dong first came to prominence in 2000 when he was named the most valuable player in an under-17 tournament. He ...

(1985), footballer * Nadine Hwang (1902–1972), pilot *

Chaiyapol Julien Poupart Chaiyapol Julien Poupart ( th, ชัยพล จูเลี่ยน พูพาร์ต; born February 27, 1990), is a Thai model and actor. Early life and education Poupart was born in Bangkok to a Thai Belgian father and a Thai Chinese ...

(1990), model and actor *

Angeline Flor Pua Angeline Flor Pua (born 17 April 1995) is a Belgian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Belgium 2018. As Miss Belgium, she represented Belgium at Miss World 2018 and Miss Universe 2019. Life and career Early life Flor Pua wa ...

(1995), model *

Han Suyin Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou (; 12 September 1917 or 1916 – 2 November 2012) was a Chinese-born Eurasian physician and author better known by her pen name Han Suyin (). She wrote in English and French on modern China, set her novels in East an ...

(1916–2012), physician and author *

Lianne Tan Lianne Tan (born 20 November 1990) is a Belgian badminton player. She competed for Belgium at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio, and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was selected to participate in the 2012 Summer Olympics, together with her brother Yuh ...

(1990), badminton player *

Yuhan Tan Yuhan Tan (born 21 April 1987 in Bilzen, Belgium) is a male left-handed badminton player and Orthopedic surgeon from Belgium. Born to a Chinese-Indonesian father and a Belgian mother, He is a 10 time Belgian Champion in the men's singles category ...

(1987), badminton player *

Lu Zhengxiang Lu Zhengxiang; he sometimes used the French name René Lou in earlier life, and his monastic name was Pierre-Célestin, O.S.B. (12 June 1871 - 15 January 1949) was a Chinese diplomat and a Roman Catholic priest and monk. He was twice Premier of ...

(1871–1949), diplomat and Roman Catholic priest *

Steven Wong Steven Patrick Marie Josee Wong (; born on 28 April 1988) is a BMX cyclist for Hong Kong. Steven Wong was born to a Hong Kong Chinese father and Belgian mother. he has a little sister and grew up in Belgium. His father has a restaurant in Bel ...

(1988), BMX cyclist

References

*Liu Huang, Li-Chuan. "A Biographical Study of Chinese Immigrants in Belgium: Strategies for Localisation" (Part IV: Chinese Migration in Other Countries: Chapter 13). In: Zhang, Jijiao and Howard Duncan. ''Migration in China and Asia: Experience and Policy'' (Volume 10 of International Perspectives on Migration).

Springer Science & Business Media Springer Science+Business Media, commonly known as Springer, is a German multinational publishing company of books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in science, humanities, technical and medical (STM) publishing. Originally founded in 1842 ...

, April 8, 2014. , 9789401787598. Start p
207
*Pang, Ching Lin (

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (or Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, theology, humanities, medicine, l ...

).
Invisible Visibility: Intergenerational Transfer of Identity and Social Position of Chinese Women in Belgium
" '' Asian and Pacific Migration Journal''. December 1998 vol. 7 no. 4 433-452. DO
10.1177/011719689800700402

Notes

{{Overseas Chinese

Ethnic groups in Belgium Belgium–China relations