During the early twentieth century, massive nationalistic ideas sprung in Indonesia. Some ethnic Chinese elites, occupying business professions in the system set up by the Dutch colonial government, tended to side with the Dutch with their pro-Dutch ideology, while some Chinese related to Sinpo (新報) and Tiong Hoa Hwee Koan (THHK, 中華會館), supporting mainland China for being treated more equally overseas, developed their pro-China ideology. In the meantime, more ethnic Chinese, under the discriminatory policies enforced by the Dutch, claimed to support the indigenous with Partai Tionghoa Indonesia (PTI, 印尼華人黨) as their base while seeing the future of Indonesian’s Independence. Therefore, the ideology of ethnic Chinese’s political participation can generally be categorized as pro-Dutch, pro-China and pro-Indonesia.

Nevertheless, not every prominent ethnic Chinese elite, participating in the political field during the Dutch colonial era, remained consistent in his political ideology. After the examination on life stories of these figures, the article shows that education, Chinese nationalism, independent movement of the indigenous, experience in Sinpo and support from the Dutch government were critical factors that could divert one’s perspective. For example, while Kwee Hing Tjiat had his pro-China ideology influenced by Sinpo, he finally accepted the pro-Dutch concept after facing with citizenship problem abroad. Moreover, Kwee Kek Beng posed the pro-China perspective during his stay in Sinpo before developing his pro-Indonesia view with foreseeing the liberty attained by the indigenous. However, he was afterwards evolved in the formation Pao An Tui, which was claimed to be pro-Dutch organization.

Hence, the article argues that as there were three main ideologies affecting the ethnic Chinese’s political participation during the Dutch colonial era, an ethnic Chinese elite might change his political ideology, according to which life experience posing more decisive effect on him in a specific life period.