China proper
The concept of "China proper" also appeared before this 1795 book. It can be found in "The Gentleman's Magazine", published in 1790, and "The Monthly Review", published in 1749. In the nineteenth century, the term "China proper" was sometimes used by Chinese officials when they were communicating in foreign languages. For instance, the Qing ambassador to Britain Zeng Jize used it in an English language article, which he published in 1887.