Greater China
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Greater China (Simplified Chinese: 大中华地区; Traditional Chinese: 大中華地區; pinyin: Dà Zhōnghuá Dìqū), or simply 大华/大華, is a term referring collectively to both the territories administered by the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), and territories administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan and some neighbouring islands), roughly similar to the term Sinosphere introduced by the West. The term is most commonly used in the investment and economics community, referring to their growing economic interaction and integration. Occasionally, the term also includes Mongolia, especially in reference to the region’s political dynamic.
The term is often used to refer to cultural and economic ties between these areas dating back to ancient times, often to avoid invoking sensitivities over the political status of Taiwan. Although geographically not part of East Asia, Singapore is sometimes included due to its sizeable Overseas Chinese cummunity which forms 75.6% of its native population. The approximately 7.59 million Overseas Chinese in Malaysia are also occasionally included, particularly in the context of the Chinese contemporary music industry. "新马港台" (新 for Singapore; 马 for Malaysia; 港 for Hong Kong and 台 for Taiwan) was a phrase referring to the music scene in the four markets in Greater China,[1] though increasingly including the word "中" for China itself.
Some Taiwan independence supporters object to the term as it implies an economic and cultural connection that they do not wish emphasised. Some supporters of Chinese reunification also object to the term as it implies that "Greater China" is different from China. Supporters of the One China concept would hold that all of Greater China is China.
The term is occasionally politicised, particularly by staunch irredentist Chinese nationalists who advance the notion of a unified Chinese state which brings together the core areas currently governed by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, all disputed territories including the South China Sea Islands, as well as areas formally controlled by China during its long history, such as Outer Mongolia, Tannu Uriankhai, parts of Kazakhstan, east Kyrgyzstan, and Outer Manchuria.[citation needed] This usage is rare, as this vision is not actively supported by the PRC or the ROC, and has little support in the general population.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
- Harry Harding (1993). "The Concept of 'Greater China': Themes, Variations, and Reservations", in The China Quarterly, 1993, pp.660-686.
Mainland China ·
Hong Kong ·
Macau ·
Taiwan