▁in ▁the ▁south ▁Tib eto - B ur man ▁high lands . ▁ ▁The ▁inhabitants ▁referred ▁to ▁themselves ▁as ▁Z ina ▁according ▁to ▁W ade . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁China ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to : ▁ ▁the ▁modern ▁states ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁( P RC ) ▁and ▁( before ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ) ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁( RO C ) ▁ ▁" Main land ▁China " ▁( /, ▁Zh ō ng gu ó ▁D à l ù ▁in ▁Mand arin ), ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁P RC ▁minus ▁the ▁two ▁special ▁administrative ▁regions ▁of ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁Mac au ; ▁ ▁" Ch ina ▁proper ", ▁a ▁term ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁historical ▁heart lands ▁of ▁China ▁without ▁peri pher al ▁areas ▁like ▁Man ch uria , ▁Inner ▁Mong olia , ▁Tib et , ▁and ▁X in ji ang ▁ ▁In ▁economic ▁context s , ▁" Gre ater ▁China " ▁( /, ▁d à ▁Zh ō ng hu á ▁d ì q ū ) ▁is ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁neutral ▁and ▁non - polit ical ▁way ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁Main land ▁China , ▁Hong ▁Kong , ▁Mac au ▁and ▁Taiwan . ▁ ▁Sin olog ists ▁usually ▁use ▁" Ch inese " ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁restricted ▁sense , ▁a kin ▁to ▁the ▁classical ▁usage ▁of ▁Zh ong gu o , ▁to ▁the ▁Han ▁eth nic ▁group , ▁which ▁makes ▁up ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁China