Situ Meitang, Patriotic Overseas Chinese?

Abstract

The article recounts the transnational political activities of Situ Meitang, who led the Hongmen Chee Kung Tong in the Americas in support of the Nationalist government during the Second World War. At the end of the Chinese Civil War, he endorsed the People’s Republic of China and settled in Beijing. The article shows that current biographies of Situ ignore the complexity of his political ideas, including a desire for democracy in China and the economic development of southern China. Through the lens of Situ Meitang, the article also considers the complicated political loyalties and sense of belonging among Chinese overseas who supported Situ Meitang’s political actions, as well as the transnational circulation of information, resources, and ideas.