National Key Universities (Chinese: 国家重点大学; pinyin: guójiā zhòngdiǎn dàxué) previously referred to universities recognized as prestigious and which received a high level of support from the central government of the People's Republic of China.[1] The term is no longer in official use by 1990s.[2][3] The term "zhòngdiǎn" 重点, translated here as "key," in this phrase can also be translated as "major," "priority," or "focal."[4] The term "National Key Universities" then became defunct, and these schools are now normally referred to as "Double First Class Universities“, based on the China state Double First-Class Construction.[2][5] However, it remains part of the vernacular, as evidenced by some Chinese media articles which still refer to "National Key Universities".[1][6]