Peoples Republic of China

Duane Johnson of Topeka, Kansas picked these plates up in Shanghai in September of 2000. They were said to be plates for a small vehicle--smaller than a car but larger than a bicycle. The plate with the sunburst is said to be for a private vehicle during the Kuomintang government period in 1923. This, at least, was the opinion of the recent owner.
The white on blue was said to have been issued during the Japanese occupation, probably in 1939, with a character representing Shanghai on it. However, the character is complicated compared to the currently used license plates (See below) because it is of the Japanese style, slightly different from the Chinese. Both of the plates are porcelain, with the older having no gloss remaining, if it ever had any. The older of the two is two sided.

Passenger car plates in the PRC are white on blue. This includes plates on taxis. There are local police cars also using the white on blue with the number after the first letter showing a letter O (not a zero). The province or administrative area is shown by the Chinese characters on the left side of the plate. Colors of actual plates are the same countrywide. Differences in color here are due to light when pictures were taken and plate aging caused by washing and sun fading. In order to own a plate for a car, you would have to pay the equivalent of $4,000.00 according to the Chinese state tourist guides. However, I doubt the accuracy of that statement, and have other sources with access to Chinese plates that say the figure is pure nonsense. The number is registered with the person and goes with them if cars are changed. That is why it is unlikely that collectors will ever see many current PRC plates on the market. These plates will be used well into the year 2000. Vehicles appear to be updated in some areas with yearly windshield stickers.

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Bus, truck and tractor plates are black on yellow. The front plate is the standard size of the passenger plate. Rear plates, however, are taller and less wide. On trucks, the serial number is quite often stenciled in large numbers on the tailgate along with having an attached plate.

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Beijing rear plate used on bus. Truck and tractor plates are similar.

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White on black plates are placed on cars that are owned by foreigners working with joint venture companies in China and vehicles owned by foreign consulates and embassies.

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Issued in Guangdong Province at Shantou office

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Issued on Hainan Island Province

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Issued in Jiangsu Province

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Issued to consulate in Shanghai. The red symbol at the right indicates it is a consulate or foreign embassy plate.
 

Black on white plates with red symbols or letters to the left indicates military plates issued to the Peoples Liberation Army or the plates of government bureaucrats and officials. Police vans also appeared to carry the black on white with red lettering or symbol plates, and red Chinese characters to the right. I was unable to get a picture of a police van plate.

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Plate placed on military jeep.
Picture was taken in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Plates placed on vehicles used at airports were white on green. I managed to get this picture while walking to board a plane in Xi'an (pronounced She-on)
Plates at Shanghai and Beijing airports were similar.
They were the only places that I was able to see the white on green style.
The plates appeared on refueling vehicles, airport authority cars, and baggage handling vehicles.
They are the standard passenger size.

Motorcycles used a smaller version of the black on yellow truck and bus plates, which the front plate placed on the front fender in alignment rather than perpendicular. Mopeds used a white on blue plate.

Rear motorcycle plate from Beijing.

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Rear moped plate from Beijing.

Rear plate placed on three wheeled pedal car in Beijing.
A variety of plates are used on these carts all over China.
Bicycles also have a variety of plate styles.
In Beijing they were small black on yellow metal plates bent around the back fender.
In Shanghai they appeared as narrow plastic plates affixed underneath the seat.