Laksa and conversations in Singlish are what she misses. Thankfully she will get to indulge in both when an Overseas Singapore Club is set up in the Chinese capital later this year.

Two more such clubs will also be set up in Shanghai and Xiamen, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng announced at a dinner with 200 businessmen at the Singapore National Museum on Saturday.

Similar clubs were set up in Sydney and Melbourne last September, and one will open in London this month.

DPM Wong said such clubs will be overseas citizens' link to home. He noted that close to 150,000 Singaporeans were now working or studying abroad. Of that number, over 1,000 were in Beijing, and over 5,000 in Shanghai.

The clubs will be in hotels operated by Singaporeans. They will be places where Singapore newspapers and magazines can be read, and Singapore food served.

Miss Lim said yesterday: 'When you are here for a year or so, it is refreshing to hang out with Singaporeans. These are the kinds of things we take for granted back home.'

Ms Lim Chen Yi, 30, another public affairs consultant in Beijing, suggested that the club draw up a list of Singaporeans who can orientate newcomers, show them the culture and take them around.

In his dinner speech, DPM Wong also stressed the importance of developing bilingual and bi-cultural talents. He praised overseas Singaporeans who, through their success stories, were inspiring young Singaporeans to learn Chinese.

Minister of State for Education Gan Kim Yong, who was at the same dinner with DPM Wong, said programmes to build on this interest in Chinese language, culture and current affairs included work stints in China and extended immersion programmes with business associations there.

The dinner was organised by Business China, a group which aims to bridge China and Singapore culturally and economically.

The organisation was mooted by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit here last November.

arlina@sph.com.sg