Reflections | How China got its name, and what Chinese call the country

The Czech Republic has a new name – the easier and more catchy Czechia. So how did the place we call China get its short-form name?

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at Prague airport, in the Czech Republic, in March, for a two-day state visit. Picture: EPA

The short-form English name for the Czech Republic is now Czechia (pronounced CHEH-khiyah). Officially approved by the Czech government and formally registered with the United Nations, the name makes it easier for the international community to refer to the Central European nation.

The short English name for the biggest Asian country, of which Hong Kong is an inalienable part, is “China” (probably derived from the Qin dynasty), but what have the Chinese called their country?

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