The 'Chinese' situation is more complicated than that, and partly because the term typically translated as 'dialect' is more aptly translated as 'topolect' (the

The 'Chinese' situation is more complicated than that, and partly because the term typically translated as 'dialect' is more aptly translated as 'topolect' (the language of an area). While the Chinese government's language policies are shitty, fāngyán/topolect is, if anything a much more neutral term than 'dialect', which as a whole lot of extra baggage.