Geographically organised, this Encyclopedia provides a panoramic view across past and present overseas Chinese communities worldwide. As such, it reflects the growing interest of international scholarship in diasporic communities and the worldwide surge in ethnic awareness.

The Chinese diaspora is produced by the interplay of diverse histories and traditions, inheriting Chinese experiences whilst also being modified and enriched by transplantation to other continents and civilisations. The Encyclopedia's task has been to cover the most important aspects of these experiences. The largest section consists of country-by-country profiles of individual Chinese communities. The rest divides into thematic sections on origins, migration, institutions, ties to China and inter-ethnic relations.