Юань Шикай
The concept of "Zhonghua minzu" was first publicly espoused by President Yuan Shikai in 1912, shortly after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the founding of the Republic of China. Facing the imminent independence of Outer Mongolia from China, Yuan Shikai stated, "Outer Mongolia is part of "Zhonghua minzu" [the Chinese nation] and has been of one family for centuries" ().