Editing Chinese characters (section)

=== People's Republic of China ===
{{mim |direction=vertical |width=100px
| image1=們-order.gif |caption1=Traditional ({{zhi|t=們}})
| image2=们-order.gif |caption2=Simplified ({{zhi|s=们}})
| footer=Comparison between character forms, showing systematic simplification of the component {{lang|zh|⾨}} ('gate')
}}
The project of script reform in China was ultimately inherited by the Communists, who resumed work following the [[proclamation of the People's Republic of China]] in 1949. In 1951, Premier [[Zhou Enlai]] ordered the formation of a Script Reform Committee, with subgroups investigating both simplification and alphabetization. The simplification subgroup began surveying and collating simplified forms the following year,{{sfn|Bökset|2006|p=26}} ultimately publishing a [[Chinese Character Simplification Scheme|draft scheme of simplified characters and components]] in 1956. In 1958, Zhou Enlai announced the government's intent to focus on simplification, as opposed to replacing characters with [[Hanyu Pinyin]], which had been introduced earlier that year.{{sfn|Zhong|2019|pp=157–158}} The 1956 scheme was largely ratified by a [[General List of Simplified Chinese Characters|revised list of {{val|2235}} characters]] promulgated in 1964.{{sfn|Li|2020|p=142}} The majority of these characters were drawn from conventional abbreviations or ancient forms with fewer strokes.{{sfn|Chen|1999|pp=154–156}} The committee also sought to reduce the total number of characters in use by merging some forms together.{{sfn|Chen|1999|pp=154–156}} For example, {{zhc|c=雲|l=cloud}} was written as {{zhi|c=云}} in oracle bone script. The simpler form remained in use as a loangraph meaning 'to say'; it was replaced in its original sense of 'cloud' with a form that added a semantic {{lang|zh|⾬}} ('rain') component. The simplified forms of these two characters have been merged into {{zhi|s=云}}.{{sfn|Zhou|2003|p=63}}

A [[second round of simplified characters]] was promulgated in 1977, but was poorly received by the public and quickly fell out of official use. It was ultimately formally rescinded in 1986.{{sfn|Chen|1999|pp=155–156}} The second-round simplifications were unpopular in large part because most of the forms were completely new, in contrast to the familiar variants comprising the majority of the first round.{{sfn|Chen|1999|pp=159–160}} With the rescission of the second round, work toward further character simplification largely came to an end.{{sfn|Chen|1999|pp=196–197}} The ''Chart of Generally Utilized Characters of Modern Chinese'' was published in 1988 and included {{val|7000}} simplified and unsimplified characters. Of these, half were also included in the revised ''[[List of Commonly Used Characters in Modern Chinese]]'', which specified {{val|2500}} common characters and {{val|1000}} less common characters.{{sfnm|Zhou|2003|1p=79|Chen|1999|2p=136}} In 2013, the ''[[List of Commonly Used Standard Chinese Characters]]'' was published as a revision of the 1988 lists; it includes a total of {{val|8105}} characters.{{sfn|Li|2020|pp=145–146}}