# Difference between Peoples Republic of China and R.O.C.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888 "2004-10-06T18:03:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/1 "2004-10-06T18:03:40Z")
I’m at work and we’re sending something via UPS to Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. My boss says that the “Republic of China” is different than the “Peoples Republic of China”. I can’t argue that with him, since I don’t know the answer. I assumed that it was the same as saying “United States” vs. “United States of America”. I’m having trouble locating the answer online. I’m sure someone here knows the answer and if anyone can provide a cite, that would be fantastic, too. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/2 "2004-10-06T18:07:13Z")
Republic of China is the official name of what we call Taiwan. PRoC is the official name of what we call (mainland) China. The government of the PRoC would proabbly disagree about what to call Tiawan, which they consider to be a renegade province. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/3 "2004-10-06T18:29:46Z")
Thank you. Even the UPS guy was confused. That clears things up now. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/4 "2004-10-06T18:59:29Z")
The one thing that Beijing and Taipei are in agreement on is that there is **one** nation named China with **one** legitimate government. They do, however, disagree about where that government is located: Beijing or Taipei. The Republic of China consists geographically of the large island of Taiwan, the small coastal islands of Quemoy and Matsu, and the Pescadores chain of islets, and lays claim to the big mainland country occupied by the PRoC – which overthrew it, except for that one set of islands, in the civil war lasting from before World War II to 1949. Between 1911, when the ROC replaced the Manchu Emperors, and 1949, it was the legal government of China as a whole, though great quantities of the country were not under its control at any given time. When I was growing up, there used to be a joke: Q. What’s the difference between Red China [i.e., PRoC] and Nationalist China [i.e., ROC]? A. The Formosa Strait ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/5 "2004-10-06T19:50:59Z")
Related asides: The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) are also different countries. ROK is “South Korea” and DPRK is “North Korea.” The Federal Republic of Germany (BRD) and German Democratic Republic (DDR) were “West Germany” and “East Germany” respectively. Generally, the word “People’s” indicates a Communist or Socialist government, and the word “Democratic” indicates that it isn’t. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/6 "2004-10-06T19:52:16Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > indicates that it isn’t. 😃 “that it isn’t Democratic,” that is. Damn me for not previewing. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/7 "2004-10-06T20:49:51Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > Generally, the word “People’s” indicates a Communist or Socialist government, and the word “Democratic” indicates that it isn’t. 😃 And if both “People’s” and “Democratic” are in the name, you know the country is really screwed up. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/8 "2004-10-07T00:37:03Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > The one thing that Beijing and Taipei are in agreement on is that there is **one** nation named China with **one** legitimate government. They do, however, disagree about where that government is located: Beijing or Taipei. Actually, more and more lately, the mood in Taiwan is toward seperation and “two Chinas”. The mainland isn’t going to let the Taiwanese get away with saying that, but it’s a pretty common attitude in Taiwan. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/9 "2004-10-07T02:04:46Z")
I’m in China now and my friend(Chinese) told me an inteteresting story. Down south, Chinese people can take a boat out just far enough to see Taiwan. Someone in Taiwan has put up a sign that says, “The revolution is coming!” Chinese think this is hilarious, since Taiwan is so small. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-peoples-republic-of-china-and-r-o-c/267888/10 "2004-10-08T18:48:00Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > And if both “People’s” and “Democratic” are in the name, you know the country is really screwed up. Hence the troubles in North Korea. And notice that when Zaire went from bad to worse a few years back, it became the Democratic Republic of Congo.