Chinese state media and influencers have pushed back on criticism of hit indie movie Dear You, which has been described as a tool to expand Beijing’s influence over the Chinese diaspora.

The Chinese media’s counterpunch this week came in the countdown to the movie’s release in Singapore and other Southeast Asian markets on Thursday.

The film, which is in the Teochew dialect of Chinese, depicts a young man uncovering his family’s past by tracing remittance letters sent home from Thailand. It explores Chinese migration to Southeast Asia and the diaspora’s struggle to preserve its heritage.

The movie has been a hit in China, earning over 1.7 billion yuan (US$252 million) since its release on April 30.

Sim Tze Wei, correspondent for Singapore’s most widely read Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, called the film a masterclass in “non-coercive” united front propaganda aimed at evoking a sense of closeness to China.