|
Mainland China (中国大陆), Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geographical and political term to describe the geopolitical area under the direct jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It generally excludes the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau; however, it usually includes Hainan. The term "mainland China", which avoids calling the area simply "China" and thereby recognizing the founding of the PRC as ''the'' "China", was coined by the Kuomintang (KMT) after it took control of Taiwan, particularly after 1949, when the KMT-led Republic of China (ROC) government was defeated in the Chinese Civil War on the mainland and fled to Taiwan, and pledged to "retake the Mainland". The KMT considers both sides of the Taiwan Strait (including Taiwan), as (one) "China" and one country, whereas Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) considers only mainland China as "China" and Taiwan (ROC) as "Taiwan" and maintains that they are different countries. There are two terms in Chinese for "mainland". Namely, ''Dalu'' (), which means "continent", and ''Neidi'' ( / ), literally "inland" or "inner land". In the PRC, the usage of the two terms are generally interchangeable and there is no prescribed method of reference in any jurisdiction. To emphasize "equal footing" in cross-strait relations, the term is used in official contexts with reference to Taiwan, with the PRC referring to itself as "the mainland side" (as opposed to "the Taiwan side"). But in its relations with Hong Kong and Macau, the PRC government refers to itself as "the Central People's Government". "Mainland" area is the opposing term to "Free area of the Republic of China" used in the ROC Constitution, as amended in April, 2000, which treats the "mainland" as part of ROC's territory despite lack of control.〔(Additional Articles to the Republic of China Constitution ), 6th Revision, 2000〕 ==Background== By 1949, the Communist Party of China's (CPC) People's Liberation Army had largely defeated the Kuomintang (KMT)'s National Revolutionary Army in the Chinese Civil War on the mainland. This forced the Kuomintang to relocate the Government and institutions of the Republic of China to the relative safety of Taiwan, an island which was placed under the control of the Republic of China 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 CPC-controlled government saw itself as the sole legitimate government of China,〔Jeshurun, Chandran. () (1993). China, India, Japan and the Security of Southeast Asia. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 981-3016-61-2. pg 146.〕 competing with the claims of the Republic of China, whose authority is now limited to Taiwan and other islands. This has resulted in a situation in which two co-existing governments compete for international legitimacy and recognition as the "government of China". The phrase "mainland China" emerged as a politically neutral term to refer to the area under control of the Communist Party of China, and later to the administration of the PRC itself. Until the late 1970s, both the PRC and ROC envisioned a military takeover of the other. During this time the ROC referred to the PRC government as "Communist Bandits" () while the PRC referred to the ROC as "Chiang Bandits" (). Later, as a military solution became less feasible, the ROC referred to the PRC as "Communist China"" (). With the democratization of Taiwan in the 1990s, the phrase "mainland China" soon grew to mean not only the area under the control of the Communist Party of China, but also a more neutral means to refer to the People's Republic of China government; this usage remains prevalent by the KMT today. 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.〔So, Alvin Y. Lin, Nan. Poston, Dudley L. Contributor Professor, So, Alvin Y. () (2001). The Chinese Triangle of mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Greenwood Publishing. ISBN 0-313-30869-1.〕 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 PRC central government towards the regions.〔LegCo. "(Legislative council HK )." ''Mainland Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Bill.'' Retrieved on 2008-03-10.〕 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. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mainland China」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|