This letter is in response to Tai Lo Chin's letter Overseas Chinese 'nation' in China poser .

The overseas Chinese have certainly come a long way from where they were to where they are today, in part due to some of the fine attributes that they fostered and not least also to the generosity of the countries that accepted them as citizens and the economic freedom bestowed that is vital for wealth creation.

However, the situation has never been smooth sailing especially in countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and to some degree Malaysia. Despite their smaller numbers in proportion to the population, their industrious and entrepreneurial nature gave rise to their neardominance in all the major segment of the economy.

It is no doubt that they are respected for their economic contributions but at the same time, they are also frowned upon for their dominance and the partly misconceived perception, one of greed. In fact, many crafty local politicians have time after time, used this as a popular political agenda to win votes from the already frustrated population.

The Chinese for centuries, have never known to be the conqueror. On the contrary, many adversaries have invaded or attempted to invade China, hence the Great Wall of China to keep out so-called barbarians. Up until the early part of the 19th century, the Chinese were known to be extremely proud of their heritage and culture and it would be unthinkable for them to learn from the others either culturally or knowledge-wise.

We now know from history that such pompous behavior can only mean one thing, that is the lost opportunity to improve oneself and be a force to be reckon with. Japan on the other hand, received Western ideas and knowledge and anything that they feel that can contribute to the advancement of their culture and society with an open mind. The end result is prominently displayed in our everyday life, i.e. from Japanese cars that we drive, to the Japanese goods that we owned at home.

As a society, the Chinese are also a highly fragmented lot. We have the more subtle differentiation in the many dialect groups and clans that we belong to, down to the more pronounced difference between the English-educated and the Chinese-educated. Then there are the elites who dominate society either through their political patronage or wealth, the middle class who are more educated and down to the poor.

Believe me when I say that there is still a sizeable proportion of Chinese falling under the last category. During the cold war, when China was active in supporting the communist insurgents in the South East Asian countries, many Chinese, especially the Chinese educated, were viewed with suspicion. Thankfully, this situation is no longer the case since the collapse of communism and with China opening up to the outside world.

The future for the overseas Chinese is no doubt very bright but it is also naive to think that the road ahead will be smooth. The many challenges confronting them are many and top of the list will be the question of both greater willingness and opportunity for political participation. They will have to shed the notion that they should be contended as long as they are left on their own to generate economic wealth.

Sustainable economic clout comes with the heavy responsibility of greater political involvement that can influence the future of the domicile country for the better of the greater masses. It is no longer sufficient to be contended with gaining secondary political power and in return for business deals that will only enrich individuals rather than the masses.

The overseas Chinese will have to be more active in social and charitable activities that cangenerate enormous goodwill with their fellow citizens. This will certainly help to dispel the idea that the Chinese are selfish, greedy and only interested in rent seeking. I think it is only right that the overseas Chinese should return some of the wealth that they have made from their fellow citizens back to the society in the form of building schools, libraries and hospitals.

One thing is for sure, China is a strong magnet for foreign investment and the driving force is clear, the potential of 1.2 billion consumers. However, the overseas Chinese must firmly be rooted in their home country and should think that their own country needs their investment just as much as China does.

In fact, many foreign businesses have ventured into China only to pull out later due to ignorance and failure to understand the market fully. Don't think just because we are Chinese doing business in China will yield advantage and positive results. The Chinese are a fragmented lot and if we compared overseas Chinese and those from China, there are differences.

As far as I know, there are lots of differences in terms of perception in how they relate to one another. Certainly, at one point, when I was in Hong Kong Ocean Park for a visit with my family a few years ago, a mainland Chinese gave me a mouthful for looking at him because he misunderstood me for staring at him in a sinister way.

He thought that I was a Hong Konger and that the way I looked at him was like looking down on him for his country bumpkin style of dressing. Then there is the thorny issue and sometimes rather strange relationship between Taiwan and China. Culturally, Taiwanese and the mainland Chinese may look similar but there are differences.

Obviously, as times goes by, because the two are so intertwined, the differences will slowly dissipate. One thing that will not disappear any sooner is of course the issue of unification. The sooner this issue is settled in an amicable way the better it will be for all the Chinese in the world.

The Chinese culture is sort of a mixed lot, on the one hand, it is highly developed and complex, to the other extreme of superstition and peculiar customs. However, being a Chinese, there is certainly one thing that I think we thrived on and that's complicated relationship, almost bordering the line of petty squabbles. A good example is the many soap operas portraying everyday life, coming out from Hong Kong and you will know what I mean.

Having lived, studied, worked and traveled extensively, I have come to one single conclusion, and that is the Chinese could have been more graceful in their behavior. Unless we learn to simplify the way we relate to one another and have an open mind, then we will forever be held hostage by our very own failure to understand one another better.

In summary, the emergence of China as an economic power brings a renewed sense of confidence among all the Chinese in the world. This comes with a greater sense of responsibility and overseas Chinese must not neglect the fact that we owe it to the country that adopted us. Unless we play a stronger role in the political arena and put nation above self, then forever we will be unhappy second class citizens living in a fast changing world.