The promotion of Standard Chinese, abbreviated as Tuipu (推普), is a campaign by the government of the People's Republic of China, with the stated goal being to facilitate easier communication throughout the country, which has historically spoken many mutually unintelligible varieties of Chinese, as well as non-Sinitic languages. Currently, the promotion of Standard Chinese is organized by the , a regulatory agency within the Chinese government.职责、历史沿革 委领导 「推廣普通話的目的……同時也是為實現漢字的根本改革——走世界文字共同的拼音方向準備條件。」曹夫昂，文字改革工作問答。上海：上海教育工作社，1980年5月，第33頁。 「偉大領袖毛主席在一九五一年指示我們：『文字必須改革，要走世界文字共同的拼音方向。』毛主席又指出，漢字的拼音化需要做許多準備工作，在實現拼音化以前，必須簡化漢字，以利目前的應用。一九五八年，毛主席還指示我們：『一切幹部要學普通話。』毛主席的這些指示，是我國文字改革的指導方針。」摘自署名文華的文章〈文字必須改革〉，刊於《人民日報》1973年7月6日第三版。
These efforts aim to promote the social application of Putonghua, defined as the language with "Beijing pronunciation as the standard pronunciation, Northern dialects as the foundational dialect, and exemplary modern vernacular Chinese writings as the grammatical norm."
Initially, the campaign intended to prepare for the complete abolition of Chinese characters in favor of implementing a romanization of Chinese writing system (Pinyin) as part of a broader "script reform." However, the focus shifted to the promotion of simplified Chinese characters and Pinyin instead. Currently, the promotion of Putonghua is overseen by the State Language Commission (SLC).
At present, broadcast and television media on the mainland generally use Putonghua as the standard reporting language. While Putonghua has become mainstream, there have been calls for the preservation of regional dialects. The government acknowledges that dialects are valuable cultural assets but maintains that this recognition does not conflict with the implementation of policies and measures related to Standard Chinese promotion.
Overall regulations and policies
Article
The government of the People's Republic of China bases its efforts to promote Putonghua on constitutional principles and specific legislation such as the "Law on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language".
Official perspective According to the official stance of the People's Republic of China, the promotion of Putonghua has significantly contributed to economic, educational, and cultural development, as well as to social progress, achieving substantial accomplishments. China aims to achieve the preliminary popularization of Putonghua nationwide.
This official position has drawn attention and debate from various quarters.
Implementation measures
Putonghua Proficiency Test
To support the promotion of Putonghua, the government introduced the Putonghua Proficiency Test (Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi, PSC). This test is overseen by the National Putonghua Proficiency Testing Committee and implemented by relevant provincial and municipal organizations.
Media promotion Between 2000 and 2014, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) issued multiple directives aimed at limiting and suppressing the use of local dialects in regional broadcast media. This included prohibiting the use of dialects in dubbed films and reducing the airtime for local dialect programs. Outside of a few regions such as Guangdong, Southern Fujian, and Shanghai, the use of local dialects in media was minimal, with strict limitations on broadcast time and range. For example, programs in Shanghainese were restricted to a few radio and television programs, justified by the concern that "the standard of Putonghua was declining, and local dialects were becoming widespread". In July 2009, a spokesperson for NRTA, Zhu Hong, stated that except for regional opera productions, Chinese television dramas should primarily use Putonghua. Dialects and non-standard forms of Putonghua were not to be used, and even the language of prominent characters should adhere to Putonghua. However, in the 2014 TV drama "Deng Xiaoping at History's Crossroads" and the 2021 film "Mao Zedong in Caixi", both Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong still spoke in dialects.
In the Guangdong Province's Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, during the 1980s, the government specifically allowed local channels such as Southern TV (now Greater Bay Area TV), Pearl River Channel, Guangzhou Broadcasting Network, and Foshan TV to use Cantonese. This decision was driven by the need to compete with Hong Kong's television programs and to strengthen "political propaganda," rather than an effort to preserve or promote local culture, language, or customs.
Putonghua promotion activities Approved by the State Council of China, the third week of September each year is designated as National Putonghua Promotion Week. In addition, various regions hold Putonghua competitions at irregular intervals.
Promotional slogans Various slogans to promote Putonghua are frequently developed across mainland China, with periodic calls for public submissions. However, slogans such as "Don't speak dialects, don't use profanity, be a qualified citizen" have sparked concerns. These slogans can lead the younger generation to develop a biased view, equating the use of Putonghua with being "qualified" or "progressive," which undermines the recognition and cultural value of local dialects and mother tongues. The impact of such perceptions is notably more pronounced in regions using Beijing Mandarin and Jin dialects compared to southern areas.
Accent discrimination
Non-Han Chinese accents Since 2016, the Zhuang accent in Putonghua has been widely mocked, ridiculed, and sensationalized by speakers of standard Putonghua. This phenomenon gained significant attention after a particular segment of a Zhuang-language monologue about heartbreak went viral. The phrase "" (lán shòu, xiāng gū) was used as a humorous misinterpretation of the phrase "" (nán shòu xiǎng kū), meaning "I feel bad and want to cry." The phrase sounds like "lan shou, xiang gu", which is nonsensical in standard Mandarin but became a viral meme.
Local government measures
Guangxi Guangxi has historically been a multilingual region, with Cantonese exerting significant influence due to geographical factors. Later, the Guangxi Autonomous Region government implemented administrative measures to promote the use of Mandarin in several southeastern cities. In 1996, Nanning and Wuzhou were among the first cities to remove Nanning dialect () announcements from public buses. Additionally, Nanning's TV and radio stations were prohibited from broadcasting in Cantonese, depriving residents of a language environment via media broadcasts. Local authorities in Nanning also promoted the stigmatization of dialects as "vulgar" in schools and workplaces while associating Mandarin with being "civilized." In 2001, Nanning discontinued broadcasts of Guangdong TV's Pearl River Channel, followed by Beihai in 2002.
Before the Nanning Metro Line 2 commenced operations in 2017, there were reports suggesting that local dialects, including Yongxun dialects (such as Nanning dialect), would be incorporated into the line's station announcements. However, proposals to include Chinese dialects and minority languages in the announcements were delayed indefinitely, with authorities citing the lack of explicit approval. As a result, the line's announcements currently include only Mandarin and English.
Guangdong
In 1990, the State Language Commission designated Guangdong, Fujian, and Shanghai as key regions in southern China for Mandarin promotion. In 1991, specialized research teams conducted in-depth studies in certain areas of Guangdong and Fujian. Subsequently, on February 2, 1992, the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the Guangdong Provincial Government issued the "Decision on Vigorously Promoting Mandarin."
Guangzhou
In the 1980s, Guangzhou gradually prohibited teachers from using Cantonese as the medium of instruction in schools, mandating the use of Mandarin for all subjects. Additionally, schools were not allowed to offer separate Cantonese courses. This policy led to a significant increase in the number of younger generations who cannot speak, are unwilling to speak, or speak Cantonese incorrectly. This aggressive push for Mandarin resulted in widespread dissatisfaction. Former Guangzhou Mayor Li Ziliu was a staunch advocate for Mandarin promotion and was awarded the "Mandarin Promotion Medal" by the National Language Commission for his efforts.
Zhejiang
Hangzhou The development of Wu Chinese in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is facing significant challenges, with some local elementary school students unable to speak it at all. In response, some elementary schools in Hangzhou have introduced Hangzhou dialect interest classes, sparking widespread discussion.
Xinjiang
Since 2014, the authorities in Xinjiang have gradually implemented a series of measures to assimilate local communities, including changing language policies. The previous bilingual education policy has been gradually abandoned. In June 2017, the Education Bureau of Hotan in Xinjiang's southern region released the "Five Regulations on Bilingual Education," which mandated the use of Mandarin and Chinese characters in all preschool education (kindergartens) starting in the autumn. By the first grade of primary school and the first year of middle school, Mandarin would also be pushed, with the goal of fully transitioning to Mandarin-based education by 2020.
At the same time, a large number of Uyghur individuals were placed into "re-education" programs, and their children were sent to newly established boarding schools. In 2017 alone, more than 500,000 children enrolled in kindergartens in Xinjiang, with over 90% being Uyghur and other Muslim minority children. In the southern region, where Uyghurs are most concentrated, the authorities invested $1.2 billion to expand kindergartens, including constructing dormitories. Children were required to speak only Mandarin at school, with penalties for non-compliance.
Additionally, in 2017, Zhu Hailun, Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Affairs Committee, issued a directive to "re-education camps," emphasizing the learning of Mandarin (referred to as the "national language") as a key focus. The directive mandated the use of Mandarin textbooks, teaching in Mandarin, and rigorous oral and written exams. "Exam scores, especially those in Mandarin tests," were to be recorded in student files and used as a primary criterion for graduation.
Tibet While promoting Mandarin, the Tibetan government has simultaneously restricted Tibetan language education. In February 2018, the Tibet Autonomous Region Public Security Bureau issued a notice titled "Announcement on Reporting Clues of Criminal Activities of Criminal Organizations," in which the act of "protecting the mother tongue (Tibetan)" was labeled as "reactionary thought." It was also accused of having "close ties and collusion with various illegal organizations," and the public was urged to report such activities to the police.
Inner Mongolia