Chinese people

Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and countries linked to Chinese cultural and political history.

The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:

• A person who resides in and holds citizenship of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or the Republic of China. This definition stems from a legal perspective.

• The Zhonghua minzu (sometimes translated as "Chinese nation"), a supra-ethnic concept which includes the Han Chinese and other established ethnic groups who have lived within the borders of China since at least the Qing Dynasty. This definition stems from a nationality perspective, and includes most overseas Chinese.

• A person of Han Chinese ancestry is often simply referred to as Chinese or ethnic Chinese in Western countries. This includes most overseas Chinese. This definition stems from a genealogical perspective. Note that some overseas Chinese may not necessarily identify with either the PRC or the ROC.

Distribution of Han Chinese and other ethnolinguistic groups in China

Many factors must be considered when deciding whether a person is Chinese. Apart from nationality (legal) reasons, place of residence (geographical factors), race (biological reasons), and ancestry (historical and genealogical factors), recognition as a Chinese and identifying with Chinese by that person and other people (mainly with those who share a close or intimate relationship with that person) is also very important.

See also

• Han Chinese
• List of Chinese people
• List of ethnic groups in China