What is the meaning of term Chinese

Chinese (_Zhōngguó_) is the term most often used to mean Han people, Han culture and the various cultural spheres throughout various times in history which were predominantly influenced by Han Chinese people and their culture, although the modern country known as China is sometimes called "China". The term's meaning changed throughout various historical periods, but can be summarized as those who self-identified as being part of "Zhōngguó". While modern China is the largest country of Han Chinese people, there are significant communities living abroad.

As a demonym, "Chinese" is used to describe people from China regardless of ethnicity, though other terms with more ethnic significance, such as "Han" or "Huizu" are also used. While the word "Chinese" and its use to refer to people of Chinese descent has been prevalent in the English-speaking world since the 16th century, there are debates surrounding the term's application and significance, as it has historically carried pejorative and racial undertones, and in some contexts has been used to reinforce social and racial biases and oppression.

Historically, the term Chinese was understood to be all who lived in the "Four Seas", and those people are the descendants of the early Chinese dynasties. While today the vast majority of Chinese people are Han Chinese, there are 10 other recognised ethnic groups, most of whom inhabit the more peripheral areas of the country. There are approximately 50 distinct ethnic groups in the country, and in total approximately 13.4 million non-Han people live in China.