Greater China

Greater China, or Greater China Region, is a term used to refer to Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. As a "phrase of the moment", the precise meaning is not entirely clear, and people may use it for only the commercial ties, only the cultural actions, or even as a euphemism for the Two Chinas, while others may use it for some combination of the three. The term is not specifically political in usage; ties common between the geographical regions, for instance Chinese-language television, film and music entertainment is commonly attributed to be a cultural aspect of "Greater China". Usage of the term may also vary as to the geographic regions it is meant to imply. In China, the most common geographic uses include those areas claimed by the government of the People's Republic of China.

The term Greater China is generally used for referring to the cultural and economic ties between the relevant territories, and is not intended to imply sovereignty. But to avoid any political connotation, the term Chinese-speaking world or Sinophone world is often used instead of Greater China.

Read more about Greater China:  History, Usage in Finance, Political Usage

Famous quotes containing the words greater and/or china:

    Even like two little bank-dividing brooks,
    That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams,
    And having ranged and searched a thousand nooks,
    Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames
    Where in a greater current they conjoin:
    So I my Best-Beloved’s am, so he is mine.
    Francis Quarles (1592–1644)

    The roof of England fell
    Great Paris tolled her bell
    And China staunched her milk and wept for bread
    Karl Shapiro (b. 1913)