| NEPA | National Environmental Protection Agency |
| NGOs | nongovernmental organizations |
| NIEO | New International Economic Order |
| NMD | national defense missile |
| NPT | Non-Proliferation Treaty |
| ODA | official development assistance |
| PLA | People's Liberation Army |
| PLAAF | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
| PLAN | PLA Navy |
| PPP | purchasing power parity |
| PRC | People's Republic of China |
| RFE | Russian Far East |
| RMA | Revolution in Military Affairs |
| RMB | renminbi |
| SAM | surface-to-air missiles |
| SDF | Self-Defense Forces |
| SLOC | Sea Lanes of Communication |
| SOCBs | state-owned commercial banks |
| SOEs | state-owned enterprises |
| SPC | State Planning Commission |
| SSBN | nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine |
| SSK | kilo-class diesel-electric submarines |
| SSN | nuclear-powered submarines |
| SSTC | State Science and Technology Commission |
| TATF | Technical Assistance Trust Funds Program |
| TMD | theater missile defense |
| TNW | theater nuclear weapons |
| TRA | Taiwan Relations Act |
| TVEs | town and village enterprises |
| TWG | Taiwan Working Group |
| UNCED | United Nations Conference on Environment and Development |
| UNCHE | United Nations Conference on the Human Environment |
| UNCLOS | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| UNDP | United Nations Development Program |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| USSR | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
| WBG | World Bank Group |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |