Chinese Diaspora Experiences in Germany: A Panel @ taz Kantine

Chinese Diaspora Experiences in Germany

Whether in academia, culture, gastronomy, or business — the Chinese diaspora has long been part of social life in Germany. Increasingly, Chinese people are putting down roots here, and their stories and motivations are becoming ever more diverse. A new generation of Chinese migrants is seeking—temporarily or permanently—its place between language barriers and everyday racism, between China and Germany.

Yet the tensions are complex: on the one hand, there are attempts at official influence from China; on the other, there is growing mistrust within Germany — extending to a general suspicion toward people of Chinese origin, for example in academia. At the same time, many are confronted with very practical questions: How do I find work? How do I secure my residence status? How do I build friendships and networks? In this process, new forms of civic engagement are emerging — from student groups to independent initiatives that foster visibility and demand participation.

The China Competence Training Center (CCTC) and Le Monde diplomatique, Berlin, invite you to a panel discussion that aims to shed light on these challenges and initiatives. What experiences shape everyday life, and what perspectives open up for the future?

Please register here: https://pretix.eu/taz/diaspora/w/7YAZhf0HDkObX5H5/

Panelists:

Shi Ming is a journalist, publicist, and political consultant. He studied German studies and law at the University of Foreign Languages in Beijing and came to Germany in the late 1980s. From 2004 to 2012, he was a member of the presidium of PEN Center Germany. In 2008, he received the Bavarian Television Award for the documentary China’s Megalomania on the Yangtze, and in 2010 the Grimme Award for the documentary Tiananmen – 20 Years After the Massacre, Counting the Victims. In 2023, his co-edited book Contemporary Chinese Thought (together with Daniel Leese) was published by Beck.

Yang Xiyu is an active member of 706 Berlin e.V., an association that provides a safe and open space for Chinese-speaking communities to connect, exchange, and engage in civic dialogue and social participation. Xiyu came to Germany in 2015 to study Communication Science and Intercultural Communication and currently works at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences within the DAAD-funded project "FIT", which supports the integration of international students into the German labor market. In addition to her main professional role, she facilitates workshops on intercultural competence development, anti-discrimination, empowerment, and belonging.

Zou Sicong is a sinophone writer based in Berlin. He is working on a nonfiction book about his experiences in Europe, combining personal stories, migration narratives, and sociopolitical reflections. He also collaborates with the Blaues Haus Foundation to curate sinophone cultural programs and support projects and residencies for sinophone artists. Before moving to Europe in 2021, he worked for more than eight years as a journalist and editor in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Moderator: Merle Groneweg, China Competence Training Center, Humboldt University of Berlin.

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Book table:

Mary Lee, a freelance writer, editor, translator and art practitioner, will be present with encounters, a Berlin-based bookshop project introducing contemporary East-Asian perspectives through regional publications and other cultural programmes. Launched in summer 2025, the encounters bookspace (Prinzenallee 60, 13359 Berlin) is open every weekend. Instagram: @encounters.hongkong