Editing Standard Chinese (section)

=== Mainland China ===
[[File:Map of sinitic languages cropped-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Distribution of the [[varieties of Chinese|Chinese dialect groups]] as of 1987, including Mandarin (light brown)]]
While Standard Chinese was made China's official language in the early 20th century, local languages continue to be the main form of everyday communication in much of the country. The language policy adopted by the Chinese government promotes the use of Standard Chinese while also making allowances for the use and preservation of local varieties.<ref>{{Citation |last=Spolsky |first=Bernard |title=Language management in the People's Republic of China |date=December 2014 |work=Linguistic Society of America |volume=90 |pages=168 |url=https://www.linguisticsociety.org/sites/default/files/02e_90.4Spolsky.pdf |access-date=13 May 2023 |archive-date=30 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930023014/https://www.linguisticsociety.org/sites/default/files/02e_90.4Spolsky.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> From an official point of view, Standard Chinese serves as a [[lingua franca]] to facilitate communication between speakers of mutually unintelligible [[varieties of Chinese]] and [[Languages of China|non-Sinitic languages]]. The name ''Putonghua'', or 'common speech', reinforces this idea. However, due to Standard Chinese being a "public" lingua franca, other Chinese varieties and even non-Sinitic languages have shown signs of losing ground to the standard dialect. In many areas, especially in southern China, it is commonly used for practical reasons, as linguistic diversity is so great that residents of neighboring cities may have difficulties communicating with each other without a lingua franca.

The Chinese government's language policy been largely successful, with over 80% of the Chinese population able to speak Standard Chinese as of 2020.<ref name="over80percent" /> The Chinese government's current goal is to have 85% of the country's population speak Standard Chinese by 2025, and virtually the entire country by 2035.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |title=China says 85% of citizens will use Mandarin by 2025 |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-85-citizens-mandarin-2025-81485477 |access-date=2021-12-22 |language=en}}</ref> Throughout the country, Standard Chinese has heavily influenced local languages through [[diglossia]], replacing them entirely in some cases, especially among younger people in urban areas.<ref>{{Citation |last=Zuo |first=Xinyi |title=Proceedings of the 2020 3rd International Conference on Humanities Education and Social Sciences (ICHESS 2020) |date=2020-12-16 |pages=56–59 |chapter=Effects of Ways of Communication on the Preservation of Shanghai Dialect |chapter-url=https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/ichess-20/125949177 |publisher=Atlantis Press |language=en |doi=10.2991/assehr.k.201214.465 |isbn=978-94-6239-301-1 |s2cid=234515573 |doi-access=free |access-date=13 May 2023 |archive-date=30 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930023038/https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/ichess-20/125949177 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Chinese government is keen to promote ''Putonghua'' as the national lingua franca: under the ''National Common Language and Writing Law'', the government is required to promote its use. Officially, the Chinese government has not stated its intent to replace regional varieties with Standard Chinese. However, regulations enacted by local governments to implement the national law have included measures to control the use of spoken dialects and [[traditional characters]] in writing.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} For example, the ''[[Guangdong National Language Regulations]]'' enacted in 2012 generally require broadcasts in the province to be in Standard Chinese, with programs and channels able to broadcast in other varieties if approved by the national or provincial government. Government employees, including teachers, conference holders, broadcasters, and TV staff are required to use Standard Chinese.<ref name="phxtvonline">{{Citation |date=18 December 2011 |script-title=zh:广东省国家通用语言文字规定 |trans-title=Full Text of Guangdong National Language Regulations |language=zh |work=news.ifeng.com |url=http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2011_12/18/11402971_0.shtml |access-date=6 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="world1">{{Citation |url=http://www.worldjournal.com/view/aChinanews/16824746/article-廣東限制粵語廣播恐爆抗議潮?instance=top_rec |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209120433/http://www.worldjournal.com/view/aChinanews/16824746/article-%E5%BB%A3%E6%9D%B1%E9%99%90%E5%88%B6%E7%B2%B5%E8%AA%9E%E5%BB%A3%E6%92%AD%E6%81%90%E7%88%86%E6%8A%97%E8%AD%B0%E6%BD%AE?instance=top_rec |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 February 2013 |website=worldjournal.com |language=zh |script-title=zh:廣東限制粵語廣播恐爆抗議潮 |trans-title=Protests Worries As Guangdong Pushes New Language Bill |access-date=6 January 2012}}</ref> In addition, public signage is to be written using [[simplified characters]], with exceptions for historical sites, pre-registered logos, or when approved by the state.<ref name="phxtvonline" /> Public brands, seals, documents, websites, signs, and trade names are not to use traditional characters or [[character variants]].<ref>{{Citation |url=http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20111218/00178_008.html |work=Oriental Daily (Hong Kong) |language=zh |script-title=zh:廣東廢粵語滅繁體 |trans-title=Guangdong Limits Use of Cantonese Language and Traditional Chinese Characters |access-date=6 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |url=http://club.dayoo.com/view-171298550-1-1.html |date=17 December 2011 |work=Guangzhou Daily |language=zh |script-title=zh:粤语将何去何从？广东省国家通用语言文字规定明年实行 |trans-title=Guangdong National Language Regulations Puts Cantonese Language in the Crosshairs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101204458/http://club.dayoo.com/view-171298550-1-1.html |archive-date=1 January 2012 |access-date=6 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |date=18 December 2011 |script-title=zh:粵嚴令媒體推普限制粵方言 |trans-title=Guangdong's Strict New Media Laws Oppresses Cantonese |language=zh |work=Sing Tao Daily |url=http://hk.news.yahoo.com/粵嚴令媒體-推普限制粵方言-220939679.html |access-date=6 January 2012 |via=Yahoo News Hong Kong}}</ref>

Some Chinese speakers who are older or from rural areas cannot speak Standard Chinese fluently or at all, though most are able to understand it. Meanwhile, those from urban areas—as well as younger speakers, who have received their education primarily in Standard Chinese—are almost all fluent in it, with some being unable to speak their local dialect.

The Chinese government has disseminated [[public service announcement]]s promoting the use of ''Putonghua'' on television and the radio, as well as on public buses. The standardization campaign has been challenged by local dialectical and ethnic populations, who fear the loss of their cultural identity and native dialect. In the summer of 2010, reports of a planned increase in the use of the ''Putonghua'' on local television in [[Guangdong]] led to demonstrations on the streets by thousands of [[Cantonese]]-speaking citizens.<ref>{{Citation |last=Luo |first=Chris |title=One-third of Chinese do not speak Putonghua, says Education Ministry |date=2014-09-23 |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1598040/3-10-chinese-citizens-do-not-speak-putonghua-says-education |access-date=2017-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602081902/http://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1598040/3-10-chinese-citizens-do-not-speak-putonghua-says-education |archive-date=2 June 2015 |url-status=live |place=Hong Kong}}</ref> While the use of Standard Chinese is encouraged as the common working language in predominantly [[Han Chinese|Han]] areas on the mainland, the PRC has been more sensitive to the status of non-Sinitic minority languages, and has generally not discouraged their social use outside of education.