China

Background

China's historical civilization dates to at least the 13th century B.C., first under the Shang (to 1046 B.C.) and then the Zhou (1046-221 B.C.) dynasties. The imperial era of China began in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. During this period, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. In the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty suffered heavily from overextension by territorial conquest, insolvency, civil war, imperialism, military defeats, and foreign expropriation of ports and infrastructure. It collapsed following the Revolution of 1911, and China became a republic under SUN Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist) Party. However, the republic was beset by division, warlordism, and continued foreign intervention. In the late 1920s, a civil war erupted between the ruling KMT-controlled government, led by CHIANG Kai-shek, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Japan occupied much of northeastern China in the early 1930s, and then launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 1937. The resulting eight years of warfare devastated the country and cost up to 20 million Chinese lives by the time of Japan’s defeat in 1945. The Nationalist-Communist civil war continued with renewed intensity after the end of World War II and culminated with a CCP victory in 1949, under the leadership of MAO Zedong.

MAO and the CCP established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring the PRC's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and launched agricultural, economic, political, and social policies -- such as the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) -- that cost the lives of millions of people. MAO died in 1976. Beginning in 1978, leaders DENG Xiaoping, JIANG Zemin, and HU Jintao focused on market-oriented economic development and opening up the country to foreign trade, while maintaining the rule of the CCP. Since the change, China has been among the world’s fastest growing economies, with real gross domestic product averaging over 9% growth annually through 2021, lifting an estimated 800 million people out of poverty and dramatically improving overall living standards. By 2011, the PRC’s economy was the second largest in the world. Current leader XI Jinping has continued these policies but has also maintained tight political controls. Over the past decade, China has increased its global outreach, including military deployments, participation in international organizations, and a global connectivity plan in 2013 called the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI). Many nations have signed on to BRI agreements to attract PRC investment, but others have expressed concerns about such issues as the opaque nature of the projects, financing, and potentially unsustainable debt obligations. XI Jinping assumed the positions of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012 and President in 2013. In 2018, the PRC’s National People’s Congress passed an amendment abolishing presidential term limits, which allowed XI to gain a third five-year term in 2023. 

Area

Climate

highly varied; ranging from tropical zones in the south to subarctic regions in the north

Terrain

predominantly mountainous, with elevated plateaus and deserts in the west; flatlands, deltas, and hills in the east

Land use

Location

Located in Eastern Asia, adjacent to the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, situated between North Korea and Vietnam

Coastline

14,500 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

690,070 sq km (2012)

Major aquifers

North China Aquifer System (Huang Huai Hai Plain), Song-Liao Plain, and Tarim Basin

Map references

Asia

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

regular occurrences of typhoons (approximately five annually along southern and eastern coastlines); destructive floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; and land subsidence

volcanism: China is home to several historically active volcanoes, including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun, although most have seen limited activity in recent centuries.

Geography - note

note 1: the fourth largest nation in the world (following Russia, Canada, and the United States) and the largest nation entirely within Asia; Mount Everest, located on the border with Nepal, is recognized as the tallest peak above sea level worldwide.

note 2: the largest cave chamber on the planet is the Miao Room in the Gebihe cave system within China's Ziyun Getu He Chuandong National Park, containing approximately 10.78 million cubic meters (380.7 million cubic feet); the largest sinkhole globally is the Xiaoxhai Tiankeng sinkhole in Chongqing Municipality, measuring 660 meters deep, with a volume of 130 million cubic meters.

Natural resources

coal, iron ore, helium, petroleum, natural gas, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, cadmium, ferrosilicon, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, lithium, mercury, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, antimony, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, and significant hydropower potential (the largest in the world), alongside arable land.

Area - comparative

marginally smaller than the United States

Geographic coordinates

35 00 N, 105 00 E

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace resides in the eastern part of the nation; the western regions, characterized by extensive mountainous and desert landscapes, remain thinly populated; despite holding the title for the highest total population globally, its overall density is lower than that of several Asian and European nations; high population density can be observed along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and near Beijing, and in the industrial zone surrounding Shenyang.

Major lakes (area sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Yangtze - 6,300 km; Huang He - 5,464 km; Amur river source (shared with Mongolia and Russia [m]) - 4,444 km; Lancang Jiang (Mekong) river source (shared with Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km; Yarlung Zangbo Jiang (Brahmaputra) river source (shared with India and Bangladesh [m]) - 3,969 km; Yin-tu Ho (Indus) river source (shared with India and Pakistan [m]) - 3,610 km; Nu Jiang (Salween) river source (shared with Thailand and Burma [m]) - 3,060 km; Irrawaddy river source (shared with Burma [m]) - 2,809 km; Zhu Jiang (Pearl) (shared with Vietnam [s]) - 2,200 km; Yuan Jiang (Red river) source (shared with Vietnam [m]) - 1,149 km 

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Literacy

Languages

Religions

folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.1% (2021 estimate)

Sex ratio

Birth rate

7.28 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

7.97 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco use

Urbanization

Age structure

Ethnic groups

Han Chinese 91.1%, ethnic minorities 8.9% (includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

People - note

in October 2015, the Chinese authorities declared a modification in their policies, permitting all couples to have two children, thereby easing a 1979 regulation that had limited many couples to one child; the revised policy took effect on 1 January 2016 to tackle the challenges posed by China’s swiftly aging population and future economic demands

Child marriage

Dependency ratios

Physician density

3.11 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health expenditure

Net migration rate

-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Hospital bed density

5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.2 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

Education expenditure

Infant mortality rate

Population growth rate

-0.08% (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.57 (2025 est.)

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace resides in the eastern portion of the nation; the western regions, characterized by extensive mountainous and arid landscapes, remain sparsely inhabited; despite holding the top position globally in total population, the overall population density is lower than that of various Asian and European nations; significant population density is concentrated in the valleys of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (centered around Chengdu), in and near Beijing, and in the industrial zone surrounding Shenyang

Life expectancy at birth

Maternal mortality ratio

16 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

Alcohol consumption per capita

Major urban areas - population

29.211 million Shanghai, 21.766 million BEIJING (capital), 17.341 million Chongqing, 14.284 million Guangzhou, 14.239 million Tianjin, 13.073 million Shenzhen (2023)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.2% (2016)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

69.5% (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.4% (2013)

Climate

highly varied; ranging from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north

Geoparks

Land use

Urbanization

Methane emissions

Waste and recycling

Environmental issues

air pollution and acid rain resulting from coal dependency; carbon dioxide emissions linked to fossil fuel combustion; water scarcity, particularly in northern regions; water contamination due to unprocessed waste; coastal degradation caused by land reclamation, industrial expansion, and aquaculture practices; deforestation and loss of habitats; inadequate land management contributing to soil erosion, landslides, floods, droughts, dust storms, and desertification; trafficking in endangered species

Total water withdrawal

Carbon dioxide emissions

Particulate matter emissions

41.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.84 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

Flag

description: a red field featuring a prominent five-pointed yellow star accompanied by four smaller stars positioned in a vertical arc around the larger star, located in the upper-left corner.

meaning: the red color signifies revolution; the stars represent four social classes -- the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) -- all united under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Capital

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Constitution

Country name

Independence

1 October 1949 marks the establishment of the People's Republic of China; significant earlier events include the unification under the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C. and the replacement of the Qing Dynasty by the Republic of China on 1 January 1912.

Legal system

civil law is influenced by Soviet and continental European legal systems; the legislature maintains the authority to interpret laws.

Government type

state governed by a communist party.

Judicial branch

Executive branch

National holiday

National Day, which commemorates the founding of the People's Republic of China, is observed on 1 October (1949).

National color(s)

red, yellow

National heritage

Political parties

Chinese Communist Party or CCP

Legislative branch

National anthem(s)

National symbol(s)

dragon, giant panda

Administrative divisions

23 provinces (sheng, both singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, both singular and plural), 4 municipalities (shi, both singular and plural), and two special administrative regions (tebie xingzhengqu, both singular and plural)

provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)

autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uyghur, Xizang (Tibet)

municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

special administrative regions: Hong Kong, Macau

Diplomatic representation in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US

International organization participation

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

International law organization participation

has not provided a declaration of jurisdiction to the ICJ; non-party state to the ICCt

Budget

Exports

Imports

Industries

global leader in gross industrial output value; sectors include mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machinery manufacturing; defense production; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer goods (comprising footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation machinery, including cars, railcars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications devices, commercial space launch systems, satellites

Labor force

773.88 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Remittances

Exchange rates

Debt - external

Economic overview

the world’s second-largest economy in terms of nominal GDP; leading the globe in exports and manufacturing; historically robust growth is now decelerating; facing issues such as an aging workforce, low productivity, rising youth unemployment, a struggling real estate market, and public debt; characterized by state-driven economic regulations and substantial infrastructure initiatives

Unemployment rate

Exports - partners

USA 13%, Hong Kong 8%, Japan 5%, Germany 5%, S. Korea 4% (2023)

Imports - partners

S. Korea 7%, USA 7%, Japan 6%, Australia 6%, Russia 6% (2023)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP growth rate

Agricultural products

maize, rice, vegetables, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, cucumbers/gherkins, tomatoes, watermelons, pork (2023)

Exports - commodities

broadcasting equipment, computers, integrated circuits, garments, machine parts (2023)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, integrated circuits, iron ore, gold, natural gas (2023)

Current account balance

Taxes and other revenues

7.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$18.744 trillion (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

Population below poverty line

0% (2020 est.)

Average household expenditures

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Industrial production growth rate

5.3% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Natural gas

Nuclear energy

Electricity access

Energy consumption per capita

Electricity generation sources

Internet users

Broadcast media

All forms of broadcast media are either owned by or have affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or governmental bodies; there are no privately operated television or radio stations. The state-operated Chinese Central Television, along with provincial and municipal outlets, provides access to over 2,000 channels. The Central Propaganda Department, along with local officials at the provincial and municipal levels, oversees news reporting and vetting of all programming. Foreign television content is subject to approval and censorship before it can be aired. There is a prevalent use of online platforms such as Bilibili, Tencent Video, and iQiyi to view both domestic and international films and television series. The regulation of video platforms falls under the authority of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) as of 2022.

Internet country code

.cn

Telephones - fixed lines

Telephones - mobile cellular

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Ports

Airports

552 (2025)

Railways

Heliports

120 (2025)

Merchant marine

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

B

Military - note

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) stands as the largest military force globally, tasked primarily with external security responsibilities while also overseeing certain domestic security functions. China's articulated defense strategy focuses on protecting sovereignty, security, and developmental interests, alongside promoting an enhanced international role for the PLA. The PLA engages in various operations, including air, counterspace, cyber, electronic warfare, joint, land, maritime, missile, nuclear, and space missions. It undertakes regular training exercises, which encompass multinational and multiservice drills, participates in overseas deployments, and engages in international peacekeeping operations.

The internal security apparatus of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is mainly composed of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the People’s Armed Police (PAP), and the militia. The PLA provides support to these internal security entities when required:

--The MPS oversees the civilian national police force, which acts as the primary entity for maintaining public order. Its core mission includes domestic law enforcement and order maintenance, addressing issues such as anti-rioting and counter-terrorism.

--The MSS serves as the principal civilian intelligence and counterintelligence agency for the PRC.

--The PAP functions as a paramilitary branch associated with the PLA, primarily responsible for internal security, public order maintenance, maritime security, and supporting the PLA during warfare. The China Coast Guard (CCG) operates under the PAP's administration and undertakes various missions, including maritime sovereignty enforcement, surveillance, resource protection, anti-smuggling efforts, and general law enforcement activities, making it the largest maritime law enforcement fleet worldwide.

--The militia is an armed reserve of civilians that serves as an auxiliary and reserve force for the PLA when mobilized, though it is separate from the PLA's reserve forces. Militia units are organized within towns, villages, urban sub-districts, and enterprises, exhibiting a wide range of compositions and missions, with dual civilian and military command structures. A significant part of the militia consists of local maritime forces, known as the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM); this group comprises mariners and their vessels who receive training, equipment, and various forms of support from the Navy and CCG, despite remaining distinct from both entities. The PAFMM is tasked with maritime patrolling, surveillance, reconnaissance, emergency response, transportation, search and rescue, and auxiliary operational support during wartime; its operations are frequently conducted in conjunction with the Navy and CCG. The PAFMM has been utilized to assert Beijing's maritime claims in the Sea of Japan and the South China Sea (2025).

Military deployments

475 personnel in Lebanon (UNIFIL); 1,050 in South Sudan (UNMISS); 280 in Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA); additionally, a base has been established in Djibouti, housing around 400 marines, along with naval and support staff (2025).

Military expenditures

Military and security forces

People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces or People's Liberation Army Army (PLAA), Navy (PLAN, includes Marine Corps (PLANMC)), Air Force (PLAAF), Rocket Force (PLARF), Aerospace Force (ASF), Cyberspace Force (CSF), Information Support Force (ISF), Joint Logistics Support Force (JLSF); People's Armed Police (PAP, includes Coast Guard, Border Defense Force, Internal Security Forces); PLA Reserve Force (2025)

Military service age and obligation

Individuals aged 18-26, depending on their educational background, are eligible for both volunteer and selective compulsory military service, with a service commitment lasting 24 months (2025).

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The PLA predominantly relies on domestically manufactured weaponry, supplemented by a smaller proportion of imports, mainly from Russia. China possesses one of the largest defense-industrial sectors globally, capable of producing advanced weapon systems across all branches of the military (2025).

Military and security service personnel strengths

The active-duty strength of the PLA is approximately 2 million personnel (950,000-1 million in Ground Forces; 250,000 in the Navy, which includes around 50,000 Marines; 350-400,000 in the Air Force; 120,000 in Rocket Forces; and 150-175,000 in other forces) (2025).

Illicit drugs

Trafficking in persons

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Space launch site(s)

Jiuquan Launch Center (Inner Mongolia); Xichang Launch Center (Sichuan); Wenchang Launch Center (Hainan; Wenchang features a commercial launch pad, the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, which became operational in December 2024); Taiyuan Launch Center (Shanxi); Eastern Spaceport (Shandong; a coastal facility designed to support maritime launches) (2025)

Space agency/agencies

China National Space Administration (CNSA; founded in 1993); Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND; under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology); People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Aerospace Force (2025)

Space program overview

recognized as one of the foremost space powers globally, possessing a comprehensive and ambitious space agenda; capable of designing and operating a wide range of space launch vehicles (SLVs) and spacecraft, including crewed missions, lunar/interplanetary/asteroid probes, satellites (for communications, remote sensing, navigation, science, etc.), space stations, and reusable space transport; has a taikonaut program; engages in research and development of various space-related technologies, such as advanced telecommunications, optics, spacecraft components, and satellite payloads; participates in global space initiatives and co-leads (alongside Australia and Japan) the Global Earth Observation System of Systems; has established agreements with over 45 national space agencies, including those from Brazil, Canada, France, and Russia, as well as several international organizations; has also collaborated with ESA; the space sector is predominantly characterized by two state-owned aerospace companies, although there exists a significant commercial segment providing launch services (2025)

Key space-program milestones

1960s - commenced rocket launches and began satellite and satellite launch vehicle (SLV) programs

1970 - deployed first communications satellite (Dongfanghong I)

2003 - achieved first manned spaceflight; launched the first satellite for the global navigation system (Beidou)

2011 - deployed a temporary space station (Tiangong-1) into Earth orbit

2013 - executed the first unmanned lunar landing mission (Chang'e-3); placed a second temporary space station (Tiangong-2) into orbit around Earth

2017 - utilized a communications satellite (Micius) to conduct the world's inaugural quantum-encrypted virtual teleconference between Beijing and Vienna

2019 - successfully landed a rover (Chang’e-4) on the Moon's far side

2021 - landed a probe and operated a rover on Mars; signed a pact with Russia to establish an international manned lunar research station; announced plans to send a manned mission to Mars by 2033

2022 - finalized the construction of a permanent manned space station (Tiangong) in Earth orbit

2024 - achieved a successful landing and return of the robotic spacecraft/probe (Chang'e-6) from the far side of the Moon; initiated the first launch of the "Thousand Sails" commercial communications satellite constellation project

2025 - launched an asteroid sample return mission probe (Tianwen-2); launched the world's first quantum communications microsatellite (Jinan-1)