Meaning & use
PRC
Last updated
Meaning
abbreviationproperformalspecialist
The People's Republic of China, the official name of the country governed from Beijing.
Grammar: Proper noun: used with 'the' in full, but the abbreviation is usually used without 'the', e.g. 'PRC officials.'
Patterns
- the PRC
- PRC government
- in the PRC
The PRC was founded in 1949.
Trade between the PRC and its neighbors has grown rapidly.
Common combinations
- PRC government
- The PRC government issued a new policy on renewable energy.
- the PRC
- The PRC is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
- PRC officials
- PRC officials attended the international summit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- China
- The everyday name; PRC is used in formal, legal, or diplomatic contexts to be precise.
- People's Republic of China
- The full official name; PRC is its abbreviation.
Commonly confused: PRC or ROC?
PRC vs ROC
ROC stands for Republic of China (Taiwan), a different political entity; do not confuse the two.
Practice
The agreement was signed by representatives of ___.
Choose one answer.
The full country name takes 'the' (the People's Republic of China), and the abbreviation is often used with 'the' in formal writing: 'the PRC.' 'PRC' alone is sometimes seen in headlines, but in a sentence like this 'the PRC' is the standard choice. 'A PRC' and 'PRCs' are wrong because it is a proper noun and not countable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “PRC”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.