Editor’s Note: Discontinuing the Use of Pinyin for Chinese Terms

Publication: China Brief Volume: 23 Issue: 1

Previous volumes of China Brief have used pinyin for Chinese terms. However, beginning with this volume, China Brief will include only the Chinese characters for terms and no longer include transliterations of such terms using pinyin.

For example, an author translating “中国式现代化” as “Chinese-Style Modernization” would now render it simply as “Chinese-Style Modernization” (中国式现代化) versus “Chinese-Style Modernization” (中国式现代化, Zhongguo shi xiandaihua).

China Brief recognizes the value of pinyin for Chinese language learners. The decision to omit pinyin from future issues stems primarily from the prevalence of online transliteration and dictionary services currently available to language students.

Should you have any concerns about this change, please do not hesitate to contact me at cbeditor@jamestown.org.- John S. Van Oudenaren, China Brief, Editor-in-Chief