THE CHINESE DIASPORA IN PORTUGAL: A TRANSNATIONAL PARADIPLOMATIC ECOSYSTEM IN SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS

Abstract

This study examines the Chinese diaspora in Portugal as a multi-layered transnational paradiplomatic ecosystem shaping contemporary Sino-Portuguese relations, advancing beyond Bongardt and Neves (2007) and Neves and Rocha-Trindade (2008)’s tripartite model of economic facilitation, network leverage, and cultural bridging. Through mixed-methods analysis (document review, and community member interviews). Findings reveal three post-pandemic evolutionary shifts: (1) economic diversification beyond traditional commerce into technology and technology and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); (2) institutional innovation through organizations like the Liga dos Chineses and Câmara de Comércio Portugal-China PME, brokering subnational partnerships, leveraging Macao/Hengqin as strategic platforms for exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and pioneering initiatives like AI-driven TCM integration and Porto’s trilingual school; and (3) platform amplification where state-created infrastructures enable trilateral ventures and diaspora capital circulation. Despite challenges - including bureaucratic inefficiencies, and generational engagement gaps - the community demonstrates adaptive resilience as architects of relational infrastructure, sustaining bilateral ties through economic, cultural, and institutional capital flows that redefine engagement beyond state-centric diplomacy.