Geopolitical area comprising a large part of China
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The geopolitical term "mainland China" (the highlighted area as shown above) defined as territories under direct administration of the People's Republic of China, including islands ofHainan andZhoushan etc.
"Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is ageopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of thePeople's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of theChinese Civil War. In addition to the geographical mainland, the geopolitical sense of the term includes islands such asHainan,Chongming, andZhoushan.[1]
By convention, territories covered by the term exclude:
Special administrative regions of China, which are regarded as subdivisions of the country, but retain distinct administrative, judicial and economic systems from those on the mainland:[2]
Taiwan, along withPenghu,Kinmen,Matsu and other minor islands, are collectively known as theTaiwan Area, where has been the major territorial base of thegovernment of Taiwan (ROC) since 1950. The ROC still claims the "Mainland Area" as its constitutionally defined territory.
In Taiwan, the term is often used to refer to all territories administered by the PRC.[3][4][5] The term is widely used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as well as internationally, including by manyOverseas Chinese communities and diasporas.Malaysian Chinese andChinese Singaporeans, in particular, often use this term to describe people from the "ancestral land".
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" excludesHong Kong andMacau.[8] Since the return of Hong Kong and Macau to Chinese sovereignty in1997 and1999, 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 theIMD Competitiveness Report. International news media often use "China" to refer only to the mainland of 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]
Dàlù (大陆;大陸), which means 'the continent'.
Nèidì (内地;內地), literally 'inland' or 'inner land'. It excludes Hong Kong and Macau.[11]
In the PRC, usage of the two terms is not strictly interchangeable. To emphasise theOne-China policy and not give the ROC "equal footing" incross-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 likeBilibili 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] TheForeign Ministry of the People's Republic of China prefers "Chinese mainland" because "mainland China" supposedly implies that there are other Chinas.[17]
Hong Kong andMacau have been territories of the PRC since 1997 and 1999 respectively. However, due to theOne 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 theNew 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 termNeidi (內地), meaning theinland but still translatedmainland in English, is commonly applied bySAR 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)[18] and Immigration Departments.[19] In theMainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (as well as theMainland 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".[20]
The ROC map shown as of May 1979 in the Sixth Session of the First National AssemblyCurrently, the scope of the "mainland area" defined in Taiwan's law (light green)[1]
References to the PRC and other lost continental territories as the mainland began appearing in Taiwan state documents as early as 1954.[21][22][23]
Legal definitions followed in the 1990s. The 1991Additional 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.[24] 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".[25] The relatedCross-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.[26] The issue on the mainland's territory also stated in theJudicial Yuan Interpretation No. 328 in 1993.[3][27] In 2012, theSupreme Court of the Republic of China's judgment #900 labeled theMacao Special Administrative Region as the "Mainland's Macau Area".[28] 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 theChinese Communists" (within thede factoborders of the People's Republic of China).[1][29][30]
Views of the term "mainland China" (中國大陸) vary on Taiwan. During theDangguo era, the KMT had previously referred to the territories under the control of theChinese 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)".[31] 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 thePan-Blue Coalition led by the KMT, while the latter term is preferred by thePan-Green Coalition led by theDemocratic Progressive Party (DPP), which opposes the term "mainland" and its suggestion that Taiwan is part of China. This has caused many political debates.[32][33]
Inland China[II] or simplyInland[III] is a political and legal term used in thePeople's Republic of China.[34] It refers to the areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China, excluding the regions ofHong Kong andMacao.[35] 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.[36][37][38]
On 30 December 1954, theSupreme 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.[39]
On 6 December 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.[40]
On 30 June 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".[41] This law symmetrically aligns "Inland China" with the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions,[41] and in English versions, both are uniformly translated as "Chinese Mainland".[42]
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, andInland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macau residents.[43][44][45][46]
In 1997, theStanding 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.[47] 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".[48]
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".[50]
On 1 April 2006, the "Inland Affairs Liaison Office", under the Constitutional Affairs Bureau, was established, and on 1 July 2007, during the administration of Donald Tsang, it was renamed the "Constitutional and Inland Affairs Bureau".[51]
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.[52] Law No. 1/1999 of Macau, also known as the "Reunification Law", restated relevant parts of the decision in its Annex IV.[53]
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."[55]
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".[56]
Many mainland people believe that Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are an inseparable part of China. Therefore, listing Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan alongside China would anger mainland people, and this might be seen as implying that Hong Kong is an independent country, violating the One China principle.[57][58][59]
^海南人为什么喜欢叫外省人叫大陆人？.wenwen.sogou.com.Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved28 October 2018.
^"社区公约 - 违法违禁".Bilibili (in Chinese (China)).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
^"「中國內地」官方英譯「Chinese Mainland」 湯家驊：用字不能馬虎 憶述一事令他無言以對" ["Chinese Mainland" is the official English translation. Tang Ka-wah: Word choice cannot be careless. He recalls an incident that left him speechless.].Headline Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 6 October 2025. Retrieved8 October 2025.
^中华人民共和国商务部、中华人民共和国香港特别行政区财政司."《内地与香港关于建立更紧密经贸关系的安排》 服务贸易协议".中华人民共和国商务部门户网站 (in Chinese (China)). 北京.Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved15 October 2018.
^中华人民共和国澳门特别行政区立法会."澳門特別行政區 第1/1999號法律 回歸法".澳门特别行政区印务局 (in Chinese (China)). 澳门.Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved15 October 2018.
^中华人民共和国商务部、中华人民共和国澳门特别行政区经济财政司."《内地与澳门关于建立更紧密经贸关系的安排》 服务贸易协议".中华人民共和国商务部门户网站 (in Chinese (China)). 北京.Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved15 October 2018.
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