(, 'ethnic group') to unambiguously refer to ethnicity. Including shaoshù mínzú, Sun Yat-sen used the term ''zhonghuá mínzú'' (, 'Chinese nation' or 'Chinese nationality') to reflect his belief that all of China's ethnic groups were parts of a single Chinese nation.

The ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the PRC include those residing within mainland China, as well as Taiwanese indigenous peoples