Editor's Note

In this issue we feature a special theme on the Chinese in South Africa with Dr. Karen L. Harris as guest editor. As is discussed in the article by Emmanuel Ma Mung, the growing Chinese presence in Africa has brought about an increasing number of migrants of Chinese origin in the African continent. Yet scholarly research on the Chinese in Africa is still rather lacking. We are therefore very pleased that Karen Harris, herself a specialist on the Chinese in South Africa, has helped to bring forth this issue. We look forward to having other special themes, such as the Chinese in South America, or special topics such as Chinese overseas and Chinese popular religions or Chinese overseas and Christianity, etc.

Other than the articles with the special theme, we have one written by Lu Hu on Tan Kah Kee, an eminent "overseas Chinese" in both Southeast Asia and China in his lifetime and beyond. Lu describes Tan Kah Kee's changing roles during the years 1949 and 1950, and draws attention to the wish of the overseas Chinese to "move freely and benefit more from the enhancing relationship between Nanyang and the reviving China."

There are two reports on aspects of overseas Chinese history, one by James C. Armstrong on the estate of a Chinese woman in 18th-century South Africa, and the other by Peter Li on the Chinese head tax in Canada.

As usual we have book reviews. The Book News section was introduced last year as a regular feature. We welcome readers' suggestions of relevant items for inclusion in future issues, especially new local publications which may otherwise not be noted by scholars and researchers. We are accessible at jco@ntu.edu.sg

For information about the Journal of Chinese Overseas, please visit http://www.chineseheritagecentre.org