People's Republic of China

American

noun

a country in East Asia. 3,691,502 sq. mi. (9,560,990 sq. km). Beijing. PRC, P.R.C.

People's Republic of China ¹ Cultural

The government of China set up in 1949 after the victory of the communist forces of Mao Zedong. The People's Republic ruled the mainland of China, forcing the government of Nationalist China (see also Nationalist China) into exile on the island of Taiwan. For years, many Western nations, especially the United States, refused to recognize the People's Republic as the government of mainland China; instead, they exchanged ambassadors only with Nationalist China. The United States recognized the People's Republic as the government of China in 1979.

People's Republic of China ² Cultural

The official name for mainland China, which has a communist government.

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How does peoples-republic-of-china compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

People's Republic of China vs. Republic of China

Example Sentences

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People's Republic of China

Mao remains officially revered as the hero of the communist revolution and founder of the People's Republic of China.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Officials were quick to denounce supposed efforts by the People’s Republic of China to influence U.S. policy, noting that Wang’s alleged involvement occurred before she was elected to public office.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

“For Iran, the PRC is in a limited way a bit of a lifeline amid all the sanctions,” he said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

The military might of the People's Republic of China was on full display in a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025

He had come to prepare for his departure, with three others, for military training in the People’s Republic of China; we had renewed the contacts that Walter had made back in 1952.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023