The ambiguous geography of a term used by corporations and diplomats
In short: Is 'Greater China' a cultural reality, an economic shorthand, or a political minefield? While multinational giants use the term to streamline regional operations, its definition shifts depending on whether you are a sinologist, a corporation, or a government official.
The term 'Greater China' lacks a fixed definition, often serving as a convenient generalization for markets with deep cultural or economic links. In the corporate world, companies like Apple and Procter & Gamble use the label for regional headquarters in Shanghai or Guangzhou that oversee operations in Hong Kong and Taipei. However, the scope of the term is highly contested. While some use it to describe the linkages among the international Chinese community—sometimes including Singapore—others, such as sinologist Wang Gungwu, argue that applying the concept to overseas Chinese communities is a mistake.
Politically, the term is a source of significant tension. It is frequently employed to sidestep the sensitive issue of Taiwan's political status, allowing entities to acknowledge shared cultural ties without making definitive statements on sovereignty. Conversely, the term has been used in nationalist contexts to support irredentism, implying a need to reclaim 'lost territories.' Because of these sensitivities, the Chinese government often avoids the term, either to prevent perceptions of economic expansionism or to avoid suggesting that the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) exist on equal footing.
The concept's usage has evolved significantly over the last century. In the 1930s, American academic George Cressey used it to describe all territories once controlled by the Qing dynasty, rather than just 'China proper.' By the 1940s, the United States used it on government maps to include territories claimed by the Republic of China. The modern economic iteration re-emerged in the 1980s, following a 1979 reference in the Taiwanese journal Changqiao regarding growing commercial ties between the mainland and Hong Kong. Unlike the EU or ASEAN, Greater China is not an institutionalized entity, but a way to group closely linked markets.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Greater China
- Also: Wikidata — Greater China · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Greater China Unified Zhongyuan Tag Team Championship · CC0
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