á ▁(/ ), ▁which ▁represented ▁the ▁people , ▁including ▁ 5 6 ▁minor ity ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁and ▁the ▁Han ▁Chinese , ▁with ▁a ▁single ▁culture ▁ident ifying ▁themselves ▁as ▁" Ch inese ". ▁The ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁both ▁used ▁the ▁title ▁" Z h ō ng hu á " ▁in ▁their ▁official ▁names . ▁Thus , ▁" Z h ō ng gu ó " ▁became ▁the ▁common ▁name ▁for ▁both ▁govern ments . ▁O verse as ▁Chinese ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁hu á qi á o ▁(/ ), ▁literally ▁" Ch inese ▁over se as ", ▁or ▁hu á y ì ▁(/ ), ▁literally ▁" Ch inese ▁desc endant " ▁( i . e ., ▁Chinese ▁children ▁born ▁over se as ). ▁ ▁Middle ▁Kingdom ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁translation ▁of ▁" Z h ong gu o " ▁as ▁the ▁" Middle ▁Kingdom " ▁entered ▁European ▁languages ▁through ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁and ▁became ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁By ▁the ▁mid ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁the ▁term ▁was ▁thoroughly ▁ent rench ed ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁language ▁to ▁reflect ▁the ▁Western ▁view ▁of ▁China ▁as ▁the ▁in wards ▁looking ▁Middle ▁Kingdom , ▁or ▁more ▁accur ately ▁the ▁Central ▁Kingdom . ▁End ym ion ▁Wil kin son ▁points ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁Chinese ▁were ▁not ▁unique ▁in ▁thinking ▁of ▁their ▁country ▁as ▁central , ▁although ▁China ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁culture ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁concept ▁for ▁their