Cultivating seeds abroad: China's and Turkey's diaspora youth diplomacy

China and Turkey are among the world's top emigrant sending countries. How and why have they invested in their diaspora youth, particularly over the last two decades? The significance of young diasporans for international affairs remains understudied. Building on the concept of 'diaspora youth diplomacy', we provide a rare comparative study investigating diaspora diplomacy and show that China and Turkey similarly engage their diaspora youth through homeland tours, linguistic and educational programmes, and empowerment strategies. These initiatives seek to maintain Chinese and Turkish presence abroad by forging loyal support, which is crucial for regime survival and these countries' global reputation as strong powers. Yet host countries have also interpreted these endeavours as a security threat. Our findings draw from official documents, speeches, polls, and news sources in Chinese, Turkish, and English and provide a better understanding of foreign affairs in the context of state sovereignty, security, and authoritarianism.