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Mainland China | |
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Largest cities | |
Official language | Standard Chinese |
Ethnic groups | see Ethnic groups in China |
Demonym(s) | |
Area | |
• Total | 9,596,961 km2 (3,705,407 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 2019 census | 1,400,050,000 |
• Density | 147/km2 (380.7/sq mi) |
Currency |
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Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard Time) |
Drives on | right |
Calling code | +86 |
ISO 3166 code | CN |
Internet TLD | |
Today part of | People's Republic of China |
Mainland China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 中国大陆 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 中國大陸 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | Continental China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 中国 内 地 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 中國 內 地 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | Inland China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mainland Area of the Republic of China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 中华民国大陆地区 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 中華民國大陸地區 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Mainland China",also referred to as "the Chinese mainland",is a geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addition to the geographical mainland,the geopolitical sense of the term includes islands such as Hainan,Chongming,and Zhoushan. [1] By convention,territories outside of mainland China include:
In Taiwan it is also often used to refer to all territories administered by the PRC. [3] [4] [5] The term is widely used in all of the above territories as well as internationally,including by many Overseas Chinese communities.
In 1949,the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberation Army had largely defeated the Kuomintang (KMT)'s National Revolutionary Army in the Chinese Civil War. This forced the Kuomintang to relocate the government and institution of the Republic of China to the relative safety of Taiwan,an island which was placed under its control after the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II in 1945. With the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1,1949,the CCP-controlled government saw itself as the sole legitimate government of China, [6] competing with the claims of the Republic of China,whose authority is now limited to Taiwan and other islands. This resulted in a situation in which two co-existing governments competed for international legitimacy and recognition as the "government of China". With the democratisation of Taiwan in the 1990s and the rise of the Taiwanese independence movement,some people began simply using the term "China" instead. [7]
Due to their status as colonies of foreign states during the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949,the phrase "mainland China" excludes Hong Kong and Macau. [8] Since the return of Hong Kong and Macau to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 and 1999,respectively,the two territories have retained their legal,political,and economic systems. The territories also have their distinct identities. Therefore,"mainland China" generally continues to exclude these territories,because of the "one country,two systems" policy adopted by the Chinese government towards the regions. [9] The term is also used in economic indicators,such as the IMD Competitiveness Report. International news media often use "China" to refer only to mainland China or the People's Republic of China.
The Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (Chinese :中华人民共和国出境入境管理法) defines two terms in Chinese that are translated to "mainland": [10]
In the PRC,usage of the two terms is not strictly interchangeable. To emphasise the One-China policy and not give the ROC "equal footing" in cross-strait relations,the term must be used in PRC's official contexts with reference to Taiwan (with the PRC referring to itself as the "mainland side" dealing with the "Taiwan side"). In fact,the PRC government mandates that journalists use “Taiwan”and “the Mainland”(Dàlù) as corresponding concepts. [12]
But in terms of Hong Kong and Macau,the PRC government refers to itself as "the Central People's Government". [13] In the People's Republic of China,the term 内地 (Nèidì,'inland') is often contrasted with the term 境外 ('outside the border') for things outside the mainland region. [14] Examples include "Administration of Foreign-funded Banks" (中华人民共和国外资银行管理条例;中華人民共和國外資銀行管理條例) or the "Measures on Administration of Representative Offices of Foreign Insurance Institutions" (外国保险机构驻华代表机构管理办法;外國保險機構駐華代表機構管理辦法). [9]
Hainan is an island,but is nevertheless commonly considered to be part of the "mainland" politically,because its government,legal and political systems do not differ from the rest of the PRC. Nonetheless,Hainanese people still refer to the geographic mainland as "the mainland" and call its residents "mainlanders". [15] [ better source needed ]
Before 1949,the Kinmen and Matsu islands,were jointly governed with the rest of Fujian Province under successive Chinese governments. The two territories are generally considered to belong to the same historical region,Fujian Province,which has been divided since 1949 as a result of the civil war. However,because they are not controlled by the PRC,they are not included as part of "mainland China."
Some platforms like Bilibili banned the use of the term "mainland China" in their website and classified the behavior in its convention as an illegal act of splitting the country and undermining the integrity of national sovereignty,which violates law. They require that the term should be replaced as "Chinese mainland","China's mainland" and "the mainland of China". [16]
Hong Kong and Macau have been territories of the PRC since 1997 and 1999 respectively. However,due to the One Country,Two Systems policy,the two regions maintain a degree of autonomy,hence they are not governed as part of mainland China.
Geographically speaking,Hong Kong and Macau are both connected to mainland China in certain areas (e.g. the north of the New Territories). Additionally,the islands contained within Hong Kong (e.g. Hong Kong Island) and Macau are much closer to mainland China than Taiwan and Hainan,and are much smaller.
In Hong Kong and Macau,the terms "mainland China" and "mainlander" are frequently used for people from PRC-governed areas (i.e. not Taiwan,Hong Kong,and Macau). The Chinese term Neidi (內地),meaning the inland but still translated mainland in English,is commonly applied by SAR governments to represent non-SAR areas of PRC,including Hainan province and coastal regions of mainland China,such as "Constitutional and Mainland Affairs" (政制及內地事務局) [17] and Immigration Departments. [18] In the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (as well as the Mainland and Macau Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) the CPG also uses the Chinese characters 内地 "inner land",with the note that they refer to the "customs territory of China". [19]
References to the PRC and other lost continental territories as the mainland began appearing in Taiwan state documents as early as 1954. [20] [21] [22]
Legal definitions followed in the 1990s. The 1991 Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China stated that "the handling of people's rights and obligations and other affairs between the free area and the mainland can be specially stipulated by law",and used the legal term "mainland area" without defining its geographical boundaries. [23] The 1992 Regulations on the Relations between the People in Taiwan and the Mainland defined "Taiwan" as areas controlled by the ROC and "mainland" as "the territory of the Republic of China." [24] The related Cross-Strait Act called those under PRC jurisdiction - excluding those in Hong Kong and Macau - as "people of the mainland area",and used "free area of the Republic of China" to describe areas under ROC control. [25] The issue on the mainland's territory also stated in the Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 328 in 1993. [3] [26] In 2012,the Supreme Court of the Republic of China's judgment #900 labeled the Macao Special Administrative Region as the "Mainland's Macau Area". [27] The 2002 amendments to the Implementation Rules of the Regulations on People Relations between Taiwan and mainland China defined the mainland as areas claimed but not controlled by the ROC,corresponding to "areas under control of the Chinese Communists" (within the de facto borders of the People's Republic of China). [1] [28] [29]
Views of the term "mainland China" (中國大陸) vary on Taiwan. During the Dangguo era,the KMT had previously referred to the territories under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by several different names,e.g. "(territory controlled by the) Communist bandits","occupied/unfree area (of China)","Communist China" (as opposed to either "Nationalist China" or "Democratic China"),"Red China" (as opposed to "Blue China"),and "mainland China (area)". [30] In modern times,many of these terms have fallen out of use. The terms "mainland China" (中國大陸) or "the mainland" (大陸) still remain in popular use,but some also simply use the term "China" (中國). The former term is generally preferred by the Pan-Blue Coalition led by the KMT,while the latter term is preferred by the Pan-Green Coalition led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),which opposes the term "mainland" and its suggestion that Taiwan is part of China. This has caused many political debates. [31] [32]
Inland China [II] or simply Inland [III] is a political and legal term used in the People's Republic of China. [33] It refers to the areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China,excluding the regions of Hong Kong and Macao. [34] This term is often used in contexts where the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau are mentioned,and in some cases,it is synonymous with "Mainland China". Nevertheless,in Taiwan,"Mainland China" is also often used to refer to all territories administered by the People's Republic of China including Hong Kong and Macao. [3] [35] [36]
On December 30,1954,the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China addressed a marital issue between a spouse residing in Inland and another residing in Hong Kong or Macau. The court used the term "Inland" in its official response,"Reply of the Supreme People's Court Regarding the Handling Opinions on Marital Issues with One Spouse Residing in Inland and the Other in Hong Kong or Macau." This terminology arose from a divorce case between a person from Hong Kong and another from Zhoushan. [37]
On December 6,1984,in a reply by the Supreme People's Court titled "Reply of the Supreme People's Court on the Issue of Whether Civil Cases Involving Hong Kong and Macau Compatriots Holding 'British National Overseas Passports' Issued by the Hong Kong British Authorities and Identity Cards Issued by the Macau Portuguese Authorities in Inland Chinese People’s Courts Should Be Treated as Foreign-Related Cases," it was pointed out that holders of such documents are considered Chinese citizens,not recognizing them as having British or Portuguese nationality;hence their civil cases in Inland Chinese courts should not be treated as foreign-related cases. [38]
On June 30,2012,the Eleventh National People's Congress passed Article 89 of the "Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China," which states:"Exiting refers to traveling from Inland China to other countries or regions,from Inland China to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,the Macau Special Administrative Region,or from the Mainland China to the Taiwan region". [39] This law symmetrically aligns "Inland China" with the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, [40] and in English versions,both are uniformly translated as "Chinese Mainland". [41]
Additionally,the term "Inland residents" is commonly used in contexts related to immigration control,tourism,and marriage,such as individual travel from Hong Kong and Macau,and Inland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macau residents. [42] [43] [44] [45]
In 1997,the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) passed the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Handling the Existing Laws of Hong Kong in Accordance with Article 160 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China",which required that any references in Hong Kong laws to "Mainland," "Taiwan," "Hong Kong," and "Macau" should be interpreted as referring to parts of the People's Republic of China. [46] The Hong Kong Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance stipulates that "‘China’refers to the People's Republic of China",and "‘the People's Republic of China’includes the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions". [47]
In 2003,the Ministry of Commerce and the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong signed the "Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between Inland and Hong Kong" defining "Inland" as "all the tariff territory of the People's Republic of China". [48] [49]
After Hong Kong's return in 1997,the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government began to frequently use the term "Inland" in official documents and press releases,replacing terms commonly used during the British colonial period such as "China" or "Chinese Mainland". In Hong Kong laws,"Inland" is defined as any part of China except for Hong Kong and Macau. For example,Hong Kong's Air Pollution Control (Ocean Going Vessels) (Fuel at Berth) Regulation,Cap 311AA,specifies that "Inland means any part of China,but excludes Hong Kong and Macau." [50] The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Ordinance,Cap 632,defines "Inland" as "parts of China other than Hong Kong and Macau". [51]
On April 1,2006,the "Inland Affairs Liaison Office," under the Constitutional Affairs Bureau,was established,and on July 1,2007,during the administration of Donald Tsang,it was renamed the "Constitutional and Inland Affairs Bureau". [52]
In 1999,the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) passed the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Handling the Existing Laws of Macau in Accordance with Article 145 of the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China." This decision required that any references in Macau's laws that mentioned Inland China,Taiwan,Hong Kong,and Macau,either individually or together,should be interpreted as referring to parts of the People's Republic of China. [53] Law No. 1/1999 of Macau,also known as the "Reunification Law," restated relevant parts of the decision in its Annex IV. [54]
In 2003,the Ministry of Commerce and Macau's Secretary for Economy and Finance signed the "Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between Inland and Macau" which defined "Inland" as "all the tariff territory of the People's Republic of China". [55]
After the handover in 1999,the Macau Special Administrative Region government began to use the term "Inland" extensively in official documents and press releases,replacing the terms commonly used during the Portuguese administration. In Macau's laws and international treaties where the term "international" is involved,this generally excludes Inland China and Hong Kong. For example,in the "Air Services Agreement between the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland," it is stipulated that "locations in Inland China and Hong Kong shall not be used as intermediate or beyond points." [56]
In order to differentiate from the entertainment industries of Europe,America,Taiwan,Japan,Korea,and Hong Kong,the entertainment industry in Inland China is often referred to as the "Inland entertainment industry" or simply "Inland entertainment." Artists who have developed their careers within the People's Republic of China are also referred to as "Inland artists". [57]
Other geography-related terms which are used to avoid mentioning the political status of the PRC and ROC.
Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Jyutping | Hokkien POJ | Description |
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海峡两岸 | 海峽兩岸 | Hǎixiáliǎng'àn | Hoi2 haap6 loeng5 ngon6 | Hái-kiap lióng-gān | The physical shores on both sides of the straits,may be translated as "two shores". |
两岸关系 | 兩岸關係 | liǎng'àn guānxì | loeng5 ngon6 gwaan1 hai6 | lióng-gān koan-hē | Reference to the Taiwan Strait (cross-Strait relations,literally "relations between the two sides/shores [of the Strait of Taiwan]"). |
两岸三地 | 兩岸三地 | liǎng'àn sāndì | loeng5 ngon6 saam1 dei6 | lióng-gān sam-tè | An extension of this is the phrase "two shores,three places",with "three places" meaning mainland China,Taiwan,and either Hong Kong or Macau. |
两岸四地 | 兩岸四地 | liǎng'àn sìdì | loeng5 ngon6 sei3 dei6 | lióng-gān sù-tè | When referring to either Hong Kong or Macau,or "two shores,four places" when referring to both Hong Kong and Macau. |
The Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China is a law which was passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on October 28, 2003, promulgated by Decree No. 8 of the President of the PRC Hu Jintao, and took effect on May 1, 2004, on all parts of mainland China It is the People's Republic of China's first-ever law on road traffic safety, and was intended to address an alarmingly high traffic fatality rate, which is four or five times greater than other nations.
The Anti-Secession Law is a law of the People's Republic of China, passed by the 3rd Session of the 10th National People's Congress. It was ratified on March 14, 2005, and went into effect immediately. President Hu Jintao promulgated the law with Presidential Decree No. 34. Although the law, at ten articles, is relatively short, Article 8 formalized the long-standing policy of the PRC to use military means against Taiwan independence in the event peaceful means become otherwise impossible. The law does not explicitly equate "China" with the People's Republic of China.
The Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Resident is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This card-size biometric document is issued to Chinese citizens with permanent residency in Hong Kong and Macau for traveling to mainland China. The bearers can stay in mainland China indefinitely for any purpose, including working and studying, with no restriction imposed. The validity period for the card is 10 years or 5 years.
The proposed National Unification Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China is a document that appeared in early 2004 as a suggestion to create formal a legal basis for the People's Republic of China's unification with Taiwan. It was authored by a Chinese scholar Yu Yuanzhou (余元州), a professor from the Jianghan University in Wuhan who does not have a formal governmental position. Although no formal legislative action has been taken on the document, it was widely discussed in China. The reactions to the proposed document was mixed, with some, mainly in Taiwan, saying it provided evidence of hostile intent on the part of the PRC, while others praising it for proposing flexible solutions to the intractable conflict.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. In accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, since the handover in 1997, the passport has been issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong under the authorisation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. As the official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, the passport is printed bilingually in both Chinese and English. In addition, unlike Chinese passport which can be directly issued by Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, the Immigration Department of Hong Kong is the only issuing authority for HKSAR passports.
Chinese nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds nationality of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The primary law governing these requirements is the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, which came into force on September 10, 1980.
The Taiwan Entry Permit (入臺證), formally the Exit & Entry Permit Taiwan Republic of China, is an entry permit issued by the National Immigration Agency in Taiwan for Chinese citizens from mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to enter and exit the Taiwan Area.
The People's Republic of China passport is a passport issued to citizens of the People's Republic of China for the purpose of international travel, and entitles its bearer to the protection of China's consular officials overseas.
Taiwanese nationality law details the conditions in which a person is a national of the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan. The Nationality Act is based on the principle of jus sanguinis, children born to at least one Taiwanese parent are automatically nationals at birth. Foreign nationals with residency in Taiwan may naturalize after continuously living in the country for at least five (5) years. Certain foreign immediate family members of Taiwanese nationals may naturalize after continuously living in the country for at least three (3) years.
The visa policy of mainland China deals with the requirements which a foreign citizen must meet to travel to, enter, and remain in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. Several categories of visas are available, depending on the purpose and length of stay. Chinese visas are issued outside China by the Chinese diplomatic missions and in China by the exit and entry administrations (EEAs) of the county-level public security bureaus (PSBs). Visa exemptions exist for citizens of certain countries based on bilateral agreements and unilateral decisions.
The Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This card-size biometric document is issued to Chinese citizens residing in the mainland for traveling to and returning from Hong Kong and Macau for personal purposes.
Mainland Chinese or mainlanders are Chinese people who live in or have recently emigrated from mainland China, defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) except for Hong Kong, Macau, and the partly-PRC-controlled South China Sea Islands, and also excluding certain territories that are claimed by the PRC but not controlled, namely Taiwan a.k.a. the "Republic of China" (ROC), which is a state with limited recognition, and other associated territories that are ruled by Taiwan. The term also refers to historical groups of people of Chinese origin who immigrated to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan during the 20th century, especially in the context of specific historical events.
The People's Republic of China Travel Document (中华人民共和国旅行证) is a type of travel document issued by Chinese embassies, consulates, and other foreign offices to Chinese citizens for their international travel to China and other countries. The bearer of the Travel Document is legally a Chinese citizen in accordance with the Nationality Law.
The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region is a governmental office established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Macau in accordance with the Basic Law to handle foreign affairs related to Macau. The main responsibilities of the Commissioner's Office are to coordinate Macau's participation in international organizations and conferences, to deal with the application issues of international conventions in Macau, and to coordinate the establishment of consular offices by foreign governments in Macau.
The constitutional oath of office of China was implemented on January 1, 2016, through a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China. The oath of office requirement applies to state civil servants elected or appointed by the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee at or above the county level.
Hong Kong–mainland China relations refer to the relationship between Mainland China and Hong Kong. According to the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration, the United Kingdom handed control of Hong Kong over to the People's Republic of China, making it a special administrative region. In principle, Hong Kong became an autonomous administrative division based on the Hong Kong Basic Law.
The Boundaries of Hong Kong, officially the Boundary of the Administrative Division of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a regulated administrative border with border control in force under the One country, two systems constitutional principle, which separates the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from mainland China, by land border fence of 30 km (19 mi) and maritime boundary of 733 km (455 mi), enforcing a separate immigration and customs-controlled jurisdiction from mainland China.
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, also known as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan is the collective term used by the People's Republic of China for its two special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macao, as well as the Taiwan region, which is claimed as sovereign territory by the PRC but is actually governed by the government of the Republic of China. These areas are also referred to as the "three regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau." The permanent residents of these three regions are known as "compatriots of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan" or "residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan," and are considered by the government of the People's Republic of China as part of the broader Chinese nationality. All three regions apply the "One Country, Two Systems" policy and have significant differences from Mainland China, possessing special status under the laws of the People's Republic of China.
Article 3: The enforcement areas of Subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Act shall refer to areas under control of the Chinese Communists.
中國大陸人大網於106年5月16日公布了「中華人民共和國國家情報法(草案)」
綠軍所用的正式名稱,尊重獨立國體的一種正式稱呼,這種稱呼本身也不帶有任何敵意,敵意存在與否其實代表著內戰是否結束,在稱呼上特別要小心
规范使用与国家形象相关的特定标识、呼号、称谓、用语;例如:"中国大陆"英文翻译请统一使用"Chinese mainland"、"China's mainland"或"the mainland of China"的英文译法,杜绝使用"mainland China"或"Mainland China"的错误译法
中共控制之地區
中國大陸人大網於106年5月16日公布了「中華人民共和國國家情報法(草案)」
要求各地执行新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎疫情防控期间[...],春节假期结束后,自上班日起,全国公安机关出入境管理部门暂停受理、审批、签发内地居民赴港澳旅游签注(含团队旅游、个人旅游、深圳"一周一行")