WI: “Indochina” referring to Burma and Yunnan?

[GauchoBadger]

Is it possible for there to be an ATL scenario where the toponym “Indochina” refers to the overland region of Burma and the Yunnan region of China (mainly the eastern Tibeto-Burmese speaking regions), rather than the regions of OTL Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia?
Perhaps through an upsurge in trade in that region, so European explorers reach China from India through the land route first? Could an empire (more likely confederal) in the region, like a surviving Nanzhao or a larger Dali, help?

 

[Fehérvári]

In my understanding, Indochina does include Burma and Yunnan. Continental Malaysia too.

 

[GauchoBadger]

In my understanding, Indochina does include Burma and Yunnan. Continental Malaysia too.

I do recall the definition of "greater Indochina" including Burma and Yunnan, but what i'm asking for is the possibility of the most widespread geographical and geopolitical notion of "Indochina" being focused on Burma and Yunnan instead. Maybe a state or empire later defined by European explorers as "Indochina".
As i stated, one condition for this development could be traders and diplomats preferring the overland route from India to China rather than the maritime one through the Malacca Strait. It's indeed difficult from a certain point of view, but could it happen?

 

[Fehérvári]

i do recall the definition of "greater Indochina" including Burma and Yunnan, but what i'm asking for is the possibility of the most widespread geographical and geopolitical notion of "Indochina" being focused on Burma and Yunnan instead. Maybe a state or empire later defined by European explorers as "Indochina".
As i stated, one condition for this development could be traders and diplomats preferring the overland route from India to China rather than the maritime one through the Malacca Strait. It's indeed difficult from a certain point of view, but could it happen?

Maybe have a different name for "Indochina" develop. Meanwhile instead of being a clearly geographical term, the word "Indochinese" becomes widespread among linguisists, who start referring to the Sino-Tibetan languages of the area as such. Later, the lingustic term develops into a geographic one, which describes Burma and Yunnan.