Cross-Strait relations
In the People's Republic of China, the usage of the two terms is strictly speaking not interchangeable. To emphasize the One-China policy and not give the Republic of China (ROC) "equal footing" in Cross-Strait relations, the term must be used in PRC's official contexts with reference to Taiwan (with the PRC referring to itself as the "mainland side" dealing with the "Taiwan side"). But in terms of Hong Kong and Macau, the PRC government refers to itself as "the Central People's Government".