Numbering slightly less than 60 million people, the overseas Chinese form a far-flung network that extends from San Francisco to Singapore. With an estimated wealth of more than $1.5 trillion, this group constitutes what could arguably be the third largest economy in the world, following the United States and Japan, respectively.
The overseas Chinese community of East Asia wields considerable economic reach. However, the question that one has to ask is: Does this wealth translate into political power in the region?
More importantly, can the wealth of overseas Chinese be used in such a way to wield influence over public policy, or in other words, to "capture the state"?