華人前往東南亞，都是自發的行動，歷代中國政府皆未予關注。直到晚近的150年，華人在東南亞的情況才得到政府的重視，並由官方公布、出版各種有關東南亞華人的文件、法規等。中國官方文件中所書寫的「東南亞華人」，受到各個時期中國政局的影響，其所使用的詞語、所強調的華人特色各有不同。本文希望從中國公布、出版的各種華人記載，來理解不同時期中國官方、士人、政治人物如何看待移居東南亞的華人，藉以表明「東南亞華人」如何被中國的黨、政人士所書寫，以及為何被書寫。從「逃亡者」到「華僑」、「華人」、「僑民」、「僑胞」、「歸僑」，甚至「華僑為革命之母」，以上各種書寫風格，呈現出中國黨、政群體對於「東南亞華人」的多重表述，從而顯示出中國官方觀看和關注「華人」的視角之變化。

The emigration of Chinese peoples over time to Southeast Asia was spontaneous and paid little attention by previous Chinese governments throughout the past dynasties. It has only been in the last 150 years that the situation has been taken seriously by Chinese governing bodies, exemplified by the publishing of various documents and regulations concerning the Chinese in Southeast Asia. The concept of "the Chinese of Southeast Asia" written in official Chinese documents was influenced by the political situation in China at various times, and the expressions used as well as the Chinese characteristics emphasized by these writings thus differ. By examining a great number of Chinese official documents and regulations, this paper discusses how officials and politicians viewed the Chinese emigrants in Southeast Asia with their respective contexts in mind, and why they were being written by political parties and figures in China. These expressions, including "fugitive" 逃亡者, "Huaqiao" 華僑 (overseas Chinese), "expatriate" 僑民, "countrymen abroad" 僑胞, "expatriates who have returned" 歸僑, and even the phrase "overseas Chinese as the mother of the revolution" 華僑為革命之母, demonstrate the multiplicity of "the Chinese of Southeast Asia" developed by Chinese officials and politicians as well as reflecting China's dynamic perspectives in perceiving and defining "overseas Chinese.