chinas

Chinas is a term sometimes used to refer collectively to the two political entities that claim to be the government of China: the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. The PRC, established in 1949 after the Chinese Civil War, is a unitary socialist state with its capital in Beijing. It governs mainland China and asserts authority over disputed territories; its government is led by the Communist Party. The PRC has the world’s second-largest nominal GDP and the largest economy by purchasing power parity, and it is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

The ROC, founded in 1912, retreated to Taiwan after the civil war and operates as a separate political entity with its capital in Taipei. Since the late 1980s, Taiwan has transitioned to democracy and holds elections for its president and legislature. The ROC maintains its own government, constitution, military, and foreign relations framework, though most countries do not officially recognize it as a separate state because of the PRC’s One-China policy.

Historically, “China” has also referred to the broader civilizational and cultural sphere associated with the Chinese empires and the term Zhongguo, or Middle Kingdom. The idea of a single Chinese state has been interpreted differently across dynasties and regimes and remains a central element in cross-strait relations and international diplomacy.