新冠疫情下的海外中国公民合法权益保护

新冠疫情之下,海外中国公民的人身安全、财产安全、合法居留权、合法就业权、正常教育权及回归祖国权等均受到了不同程度影响。"以人民为中心"的指导理念和"内外联动,集中力量办大事"的体制优势是我国海外公民合法权益保护的有力保障。疫情不仅放大了海外中国公民合法权益保护原本面临的一些挑战,更带来了新问题。保护的任务更为复杂艰巨,对外需应对污名化带来的舆论压力,对内面临着平衡海外公民合法权益保护需求和国内疫情防控要求的难题。海外中国公民合法权益保护的资源和手段有待丰富和拓宽。为此,应积极提升国际话语权,讲好中国抗疫故事,有效应对污名化问题;在采取有关疫情防控措施时,充分做好舆论铺垫及公众解释工作,尽量减轻社会压力;除增加外交人员编制外,还应创造更多机会,鼓励非政府部门参与;提升海外中国公民通过多种方式如商业途径和法律手段维护海外公民合法权益的意识和能力。

The Protection of the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Overseas Chinese Citizens under COVID-19

Under COVID-19, Chinese citizens have all been affected to varying degrees in terms of their personal safety, property safety, right of abode, employment, right to education and the right to return to the motherland. China’s protection of its overseas citizens is characterized by a "people-oriented" philosophy and the institutional advantage known as "internal and external linkage, and concentrating on major issues." Since the pandemic has not only magnified some of the existing challenges but also brought about new problems, the task of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens is more complicated now. Externally, China has to deal with adverse public opinion caused by stigmatization, and internally, it has to strike a balance between the protection of overseas citizens’ rights and the requirements of domestic epidemic control. And it has yet to enhance the resources and tools needed for the protection of its overseas citizens. To address these problems, China should promote its international discourse power, and artfully share its experiences in combating the pandemic so as to effectively respond to stigmatization. When taking relevant measures domestically, China should do more to guide public opinion in advance in order to reduce social opposition. It has to increase the number of diplomatic staff and create more opportunities to encourage the participation of non-governmental sectors. It should continue to rely on multiple means to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its overseas citizen, such as commercial and legal means.