u ▁referred ▁to ▁all ▁subjects ▁of ▁the ▁Q ing ▁emp ire ▁regardless ▁of ▁eth nic ity ▁as ▁" Ch inese " ▁( ), ▁and ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁() ▁as ▁a ▁syn onym ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁Q ing ▁emp ire ▁while ▁using ▁" H àn ▁r én " ▁() ▁to ▁refer ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁core ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁with ▁the ▁entire ▁emp ire ▁viewed ▁as ▁multi eth nic . ▁ ▁Joseph ▁W . ▁E sh er ick ▁noted ▁that ▁while ▁the ▁Q ing ▁Em per ors ▁govern ed ▁front ier ▁non - H an ▁areas ▁in ▁a ▁different , ▁separate ▁system ▁under ▁the ▁L if any uan ▁and ▁kept ▁them ▁separate ▁from ▁Han ▁areas ▁and ▁administration , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁Man ch u ▁Q ing ▁Em per ors ▁who ▁expanded ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁Zh ong gu o ▁() ▁and ▁made ▁it ▁" flex ible " ▁by ▁using ▁that ▁term ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁Empire ▁and ▁using ▁that ▁term ▁to ▁other ▁countries ▁in ▁diplom atic ▁correspond ence , ▁while ▁some ▁Han ▁Chinese ▁subjects ▁critic ized ▁their ▁usage ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁and ▁the ▁Han ▁liter ati ▁Wei ▁Y uan ▁used ▁Zh ong gu o ▁only ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁sevent een ▁provinces ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁three ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁east ▁( Man ch uria ), ▁ex cluding ▁other ▁front ier ▁areas . ▁Due ▁to ▁Q ing ▁using ▁treat ies ▁clar ifying ▁the ▁international ▁borders ▁of ▁the ▁Q ing ▁state , ▁it ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁in cul c ate ▁in ▁the ▁Chinese ▁people