The Romanization used in this dictionary for Chinese terms is the pinyin system that was developed and has by now become standard in the People’s Republic of China. For example, the full name of Mao, the CCP chairman, will be spelled Mao Zedong and not Mao Tse-tung or otherwise. However, names of some well-known figures and institutions (e.g., Confucius; Sun Yat-sen; Kuomintang; Tsinghua University), already deeply embedded in English because of earlier transcriptions according to the Wade-Giles or other conventions, are written here as established terms.
The dictionary keeps personal names in the same order they assume in Chinese: the family name precedes the given name. Thus the entry on Mao Zedong can be found under M and not Z.
In the case of certain nonidiomatic and already well-known translations of Chinese terms (e.g., “Red Five Categories” for “hongwulei”), the dictionary adopts these translations as established. The same applies in the dating convention. For instance, the “May 16 Circular” is treated as an established term although the consistent dating method used in this dictionary is date followed by month (e.g., 16 May). For the reader’s convenience, a glossary with pinyin spellings, Chinese characters, and English translations is included as an appendix to the dictionary.
Since important bodies like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as well as the country’s name—People’s Republic of China (PRC)—are used repeatedly, in many entries only the acronyms will appear. Bolding is used in the dictionary section to indicate that there are specific dictionary entries on the bolded items.