"
Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the Chinese Communist government of the People's Republic of China in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. The geopolitical sense of the term includes islands such as Hainan, Chongming, and Zhoushan, even though those islands are offshore of the Chinese mainland. By convention, the territories that fall outside of mainland China include:
- Special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which are regarded as subdivisions of the PRC but remained distinct governing authorities, juridical and capitalist systems from the mainland :
- Hong Kong, a quasi-dependent territory under PRC rule, formerly a British colony
- Macau, a quasi-dependent territory under PRC rule, formerly a Portuguese colony
- Territories administered by the state Republic of China, including Taiwan and Penghu (Pescadores) islands in the Taiwan Strait, along with the Kinmen, Matsu, and Wuqiu (Kinmen) islands off the Fujian coast.