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Is "PRC" a common abbreviation? Does it mean "China", or does it mean something else? Why not write China? I'm from KOS* (neighbor country of KON* and ROF*),

Is "PRC" a common abbreviation? Does it mean "China", or does it mean something else? Why not write China? I'm from KOS* (neighbor country of KON* and ROF*), so I don't know much. * Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Finland.

CamperBob2 11mo ago
People's Republic of China. As distinguished from ROC (Republic of China), known to much of the ROW (Rest of the World) as Taiwan.
i_am_proteus 11mo ago
PRC distinguishes from ROC ("Mainland China" vs "Taiwan") just as DPRK and ROK distinguish the two governments on the Korean peninsula. See also: "Germany" 1949-1990
paxys 11mo ago
Yes it is common. It is normally used when talking specifically about politics and the ruling party rather than the region or its people.
almostgotcaught 11mo ago
[flagged]
- JohnKemeny 11mo ago
  > Yes PRC is a common abbreviation amongst literate, engaged, people. So I'm either not literate, not engaged, or not people? I'm surprised to learn it is as common as USA, UK, and EU.
  - almostgotcaught 11mo ago
    [flagged]
  - fpoling 11mo ago
    On many products lately I have seen Made in PRC, not Made in China as it was typical 10 years ago.
  - Jedd 11mo ago
    > So I'm either not literate, not engaged, or not people? Technically you're one or more of those things. Either would indicate one of two options. (Common usage proponents, keen to reduce nuance in communications, notwithstanding.)
  - deleted 11mo ago
    [deleted]
  - pedroma 11mo ago
    Seems about as important as knowing FRG = West Germany, and GDR/DDR = East Germany in the 20th century.
Terr_ 11mo ago
Others answered the main reason, but sometimes I find myself using "PRC" to indicate a particular government (~1950-Present) which unlike "China" excludes past dynasties, and is less-likely to be interpreted as referring to the people or culture. For example, the potential differences between: "France has always been X." "The French republic has always been X." "The French monarchy has always been X."
- bloppe 11mo ago
  Which republic lol we're on #5
  - Terr_ 11mo ago
    I don't critique France['s governments] enough to know the right way of identifying them all, but I trust the underlying problem has been adequately demonstrated. :p
  - MengerSponge 11mo ago
    The French Republic has always existed in the nuclear age? The French Republic has always been founded by De Gaulle?
    - StopDisinfo910 11mo ago
      > The French Republic has always existed in the nuclear age? There were two different French republics since 1945 with their own different consitutions (one with a parliamentary system and one semi-presidential). I'm not sure the quip you are responding to make sense but it's always interesting to remind people that since the USA were founded, France went through three different monarchic systems, two empires, two periods where exceptional constitutional rules applied and five different republics. It puts in light how exceptional the American deference towards their original constitution is. Considering that the current republic was put in place in 1958, it's also interesting to consider that France managed to be a great power for 150 years while being politicaly extremely unstable. It puts in perspective the current world events. > The French Republic has always been founded by De Gaulle? Neither have. Michel Debré was the head of the government supervising the constitutional assembly which drafted the constitution of the 5th French Republic.
krageon 11mo ago
It's not really common except in a specific political climate (specifically one pressured by propaganda). Unlike the examples of the two koreas, colloquially the two chinas (communist china - commonly known as china - and fascist china, commonly known as taiwan) are not confusing. There's very little advantage to be gained by referring to what every reader knows as china as the PRC other than to emphasise some veiled pressure for people to figure out why on earth anyone would use that name. And in so doing discover the history of taiwan (but not too much history, lest we figure out that the origins of taiwan suck big time). In essence, it's an artefact of propaganda.

CamperBob2 11mo ago

People's Republic of China. As distinguished from ROC (Republic of China), known to much of the ROW (Rest of the World) as Taiwan.

i_am_proteus 11mo ago

PRC distinguishes from ROC ("Mainland China" vs "Taiwan") just as DPRK and ROK distinguish the two governments on the Korean peninsula. See also: "Germany" 1949-1990

paxys 11mo ago

Yes it is common. It is normally used when talking specifically about politics and the ruling party rather than the region or its people.

almostgotcaught 11mo ago

[flagged]

JohnKemeny 11mo ago
> Yes PRC is a common abbreviation amongst literate, engaged, people. So I'm either not literate, not engaged, or not people? I'm surprised to learn it is as common as USA, UK, and EU.
- almostgotcaught 11mo ago
  [flagged]
- fpoling 11mo ago
  On many products lately I have seen Made in PRC, not Made in China as it was typical 10 years ago.
- Jedd 11mo ago
  > So I'm either not literate, not engaged, or not people? Technically you're one or more of those things. Either would indicate one of two options. (Common usage proponents, keen to reduce nuance in communications, notwithstanding.)
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
- pedroma 11mo ago
  Seems about as important as knowing FRG = West Germany, and GDR/DDR = East Germany in the 20th century.

Terr_ 11mo ago

Others answered the main reason, but sometimes I find myself using "PRC" to indicate a particular government (~1950-Present) which unlike "China" excludes past dynasties, and is less-likely to be interpreted as referring to the people or culture. For example, the potential differences between: "France has always been X." "The French republic has always been X." "The French monarchy has always been X."

bloppe 11mo ago
Which republic lol we're on #5
- Terr_ 11mo ago
  I don't critique France['s governments] enough to know the right way of identifying them all, but I trust the underlying problem has been adequately demonstrated. :p
- MengerSponge 11mo ago
  The French Republic has always existed in the nuclear age? The French Republic has always been founded by De Gaulle?
  - StopDisinfo910 11mo ago
    > The French Republic has always existed in the nuclear age? There were two different French republics since 1945 with their own different consitutions (one with a parliamentary system and one semi-presidential). I'm not sure the quip you are responding to make sense but it's always interesting to remind people that since the USA were founded, France went through three different monarchic systems, two empires, two periods where exceptional constitutional rules applied and five different republics. It puts in light how exceptional the American deference towards their original constitution is. Considering that the current republic was put in place in 1958, it's also interesting to consider that France managed to be a great power for 150 years while being politicaly extremely unstable. It puts in perspective the current world events. > The French Republic has always been founded by De Gaulle? Neither have. Michel Debré was the head of the government supervising the constitutional assembly which drafted the constitution of the 5th French Republic.

krageon 11mo ago

It's not really common except in a specific political climate (specifically one pressured by propaganda). Unlike the examples of the two koreas, colloquially the two chinas (communist china - commonly known as china - and fascist china, commonly known as taiwan) are not confusing. There's very little advantage to be gained by referring to what every reader knows as china as the PRC other than to emphasise some veiled pressure for people to figure out why on earth anyone would use that name. And in so doing discover the history of taiwan (but not too much history, lest we figure out that the origins of taiwan suck big time). In essence, it's an artefact of propaganda.