2013 Edition

Background

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.

Area

9,596,961 sq km 9,569,901 sq km 27,060 sq km

total

9,596,961 sq km

water

27,060 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the US

Climate

extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Coastline

14,500 km

Elevation extremes

Turpan Pendi -154 m Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest point in Asia)

highest point

Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest point in Asia)

lowest point

Turpan Pendi -154 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; China is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species

Environment - international agreements

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling none of the selected agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

554.1 cu km/yr (12%/23%/65%) 409.9 cu m/yr (2005)

per capita

409.9 cu m/yr (2005)

total

554.1 cu km/yr (12%/23%/65%)

Geographic coordinates

35 00 N, 105 00 E

Geography - note

world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak

Irrigated land

629,380 sq km (2006)

Land boundaries

22,117 km Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

border countries

Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km

regional borders

Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

total

22,117 km

Land use

11.62% 1.53% 86.84% (2011)

arable land

11.62%

other

86.84% (2011)

permanent crops

1.53%

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

12 nm 24 nm 200 nm 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries

volcanism

China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries

Natural resources

coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

Terrain

mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east

Total renewable water resources

2,840 cu km (2011)

Age structure

17.2% (male 124,773,577/female 107,286,198) 15.4% (male 109,922,192/female 98,325,568) 46.7% (male 322,161,347/female 308,101,780) 11.3% (male 77,374,476/female 75,289,733) 9.4% (male 60,597,243/female 65,753,724) (2013 est.)

0-14 years

17.2% (male 124,773,577/female 107,286,198)

15-24 years

15.4% (male 109,922,192/female 98,325,568)

25-54 years

46.7% (male 322,161,347/female 308,101,780)

55-64 years

11.3% (male 77,374,476/female 75,289,733)

65 years and over

9.4% (male 60,597,243/female 65,753,724) (2013 est.)

Birth rate

12.25 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2010)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

84.6% (2006)

Death rate

7.31 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios

36.8 % 24.7 % 12.1 % 8.2 (2013)

elderly dependency ratio

12.1 %

potential support ratio

8.2 (2013)

total dependency ratio

36.8 %

youth dependency ratio

24.7 %

Drinking water source

urban: 98% of population rural: 85% of population total: 91% of population urban: 2% of population rural: 15% of population total: 9% of population (2010 est.)

rural

15% of population

total

9% of population (2010 est.)

urban

2% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Han Chinese 91.5%, Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uighur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities 8.5% (2000 census)

Health expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2011)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

26,000 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

740,000 (2009 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

15.2 deaths/1,000 live births 15.16 deaths/1,000 live births 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

female

15.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

total

15.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry) Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)

Life expectancy at birth

74.99 years 72.96 years 77.27 years (2013 est.)

female

77.27 years (2013 est.)

total population

74.99 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 95.1% 97.5% 92.7% (2010 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.7% (2010 est.)

male

97.5%

total population

95.1%

Major infectious diseases

intermediate bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever Japanese encephalitis hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

soil contact disease

hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)

vectorborne disease

Japanese encephalitis

Major urban areas - population

Shanghai 16.575 million; BEIJING (capital) 15.594 million; Chongqing 9.401 million; Shenzhen 9.005 million; Guangzhou 8.884 million (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

37 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Median age

36.3 years 35.5 years 37.2 years (2013 est.)

female

37.2 years (2013 est.)

male

35.5 years

total

36.3 years

Nationality

Chinese (singular and plural) Chinese

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.7% (2008)

Physicians density

1.46 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

1,349,585,838 (July 2013 est.)

Population growth rate

0.46% (2013 est.)

Religions

Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% officially atheist (2002 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 74% of population rural: 56% of population total: 64% of population urban: 26% of population rural: 44% of population total: 36% of population (2010 est.)

rural

44% of population

total

36% of population (2010 est.)

urban

26% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

12 years 12 years 12 years (2011)

female

12 years (2011)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

1.12 male(s)/female 1.17 male(s)/female 1.11 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female 0.92 male(s)/female 1.06 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

0-14 years

1.17 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.11 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.92 male(s)/female

at birth

1.12 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.55 children born/woman (2013 est.)

Urbanization

50.6% of total population (2011) 2.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

50.6% of total population (2011)

Administrative divisions

23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural) 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) Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet) Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

autonomous regions

Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet)

municipalities

Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

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)

Capital

Beijing 39 55 N, 116 23 E UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone; many people in Xinjiang Province observe an unofficial "Xinjiang time zone" of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing

geographic coordinates

39 55 N, 116 23 E

name

Beijing

time difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982; amended several times, last in 2005 (2005)

Country name

People's Republic of China China Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Zhongguo PRC

abbreviation

PRC

conventional long form

People's Republic of China

conventional short form

China

local long form

Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

local short form

Zhongguo

Diplomatic representation from the US

Ambassador Gary LOCKE (since 1 August 2011) 55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002 [86] (10) 8531-3000 [86] (10) 8531-3300 Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan

chief of mission

Ambassador Gary LOCKE (since 1 August 2011)

consulate(s) general

Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan

embassy

55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing

FAX

[86] (10) 8531-3300

mailing address

PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002

telephone

[86] (10) 8531-3000

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013) 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 [1] (202) 495-2266 [1] (202) 495-2138 Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

chancery

3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 495-2138

telephone

[1] (202) 495-2266

Executive branch

President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013) Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premier ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), and Vice Premier WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013) State Council appointed by National People's Congress president and vice president elected by National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress XI Jinping elected president by National People's Congress with a total of 2,952 votes; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with a total of 2,940 votes

cabinet

State Council appointed by National People's Congress

chief of state

President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013)

election results

XI Jinping elected president by National People's Congress with a total of 2,952 votes; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with a total of 2,940 votes

elections

president and vice president elected by National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress

head of government

Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premier ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), and Vice Premier WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013)

Flag description

red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China

Government type

Communist state

Independence

1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China)

1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates

221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), 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, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases) note - in October 2012, China issued a white paper on planned judicial reform chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress; term limited to two consecutive 5-year terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the People's National Congress; term of other justices and judges NA Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues

highest court(s)

Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress; term limited to two consecutive 5-year terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the People's National Congress; term of other justices and judges NA

subordinate courts

Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues

Legal system

civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - criminal procedure law revised in early 2012

Legislative branch

unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and People's Liberation Army to serve five-year terms) last held in December 2007-February 2008 (next to be held in late 2012 to early 2013) percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987 in practice, only members of the CCP, its eight allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987

elections

last held in December 2007-February 2008 (next to be held in late 2012 to early 2013)

National anthem

"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers) TIAN Han/NIE Er adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as "Zhongguo Guoge" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, "Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm"

lyrics/music

TIAN Han/NIE Er

name

"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)

National holiday

Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)

National symbol(s)

dragon

Political parties and leaders

Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping] eight nominally independent small parties ultimately controlled by the CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders

no substantial political opposition groups exist

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish

Budget

$1.857 trillion $1.992 trillion (2012 est.)

expenditures

$1.992 trillion (2012 est.)

revenues

$1.857 trillion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

Central bank discount rate

2.25% (31 December 2012 est.) 2.25% (31 December 2011 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

6% (31 December 2012 est.) 6.56% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

$193.1 billion (2012 est.) $136.1 billion (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$728.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $685.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.4 (2012) 48.4 (2007)

Economy - overview

Since the late 1970s China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role - in 2010 China became the world's largest exporter. Reforms began with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, creation of a diversified banking system, development of stock markets, rapid growth of the private sector, and opening to foreign trade and investment. China has implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion. In recent years, China has renewed its support for state-owned enterprises in sectors it considers important to "economic security," explicitly looking to foster globally competitive national champions. After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, in July 2005 China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid 2005 to late 2008 cumulative appreciation of the renminbi against the US dollar was more than 20%, but the exchange rate remained virtually pegged to the dollar from the onset of the global financial crisis until June 2010, when Beijing allowed resumption of a gradual appreciation. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2012 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, having surpassed Japan in 2001. The dollar values of China's agricultural and industrial output each exceed those of the US; China is second to the US in the value of services it produces. Still, per capita income is below the world average. The Chinese government faces numerous economic challenges, including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic demand; (b) sustaining adequate job growth for tens of millions of migrants and new entrants to the work force; (c) reducing corruption and other economic crimes; and (d) containing environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2011 more than 250 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of population control policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. The Chinese government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on nuclear and alternative energy development. In 2010-11, China faced high inflation resulting largely from its credit-fueled stimulus program. Some tightening measures appear to have controlled inflation, but GDP growth consequently slowed to under 8% for 2012. An economic slowdown in Europe contributed to China's, and is expected to further drag Chinese growth in 2013. Debt overhang from the stimulus program, particularly among local governments, and a property price bubble challenge policy makers currently. The government's 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011, emphasizes continued economic reforms and the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent on exports in the future. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals.

Since the late 1970s China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role - in 2010 China became the world's largest exporter. Reforms began with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture,

(a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic demand; (b) sustaining adequate job growth for tens of millions of migrants and new entrants to the work force; (c) reducing corruption and other economic crimes; and (d) containing environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2011 more than 250 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of population control policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. The Chinese government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on nuclear and alternative energy development. In 2010-11, China faced high inflation resulting largely from its credit-fueled stimulus program. Some tightening measures appear to have controlled inflation, but GDP growth consequently slowed to under 8% for 2012. An economic slowdown in Europe contributed to China's, and is expected to further drag Chinese growth in 2013. Debt overhang from the stimulus program, particularly among local governments, and a property price bubble challenge policy makers currently. The government's 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011, emphasizes continued economic reforms and the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent on exports in the future. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals.

Exchange rates

Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.31 (2012 est.) 6.46 (2011 est.) 6.77 (2010 est.) 6.83 (2009) 6.94 (2008)

Exports

$1.971 trillion (2012 est.) $1.806 trillion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, radio telephone handsets, textiles, integrated circuits

Exports - partners

US 17.2%, Hong Kong 15.8%, Japan 7.4%, South Korea 4.3% (2012)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

36% 13.5% 45.7% 2.1% 25.8% -23.1% (2012 est.)

exports of goods and services

25.8%

government consumption

13.5%

household consumption

36%

imports of goods and services

-23.1%

investment in fixed capital

45.7%

investment in inventories

2.1%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

10.1% 45.3% 44.6% (2012 est.)

agriculture

10.1%

industry

45.3%

services

44.6%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$9,100 (2012 est.) $8,400 (2011 est.) $7,800 (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.7% (2012 est.) 9.3% (2011 est.) 10.4% (2010 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$8.11 trillion because China's exchange rate is determine by fiat, rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China's output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China's situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$12.26 trillion (2012 est.) $11.38 trillion (2011 est.) $10.42 trillion (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

Gross national saving

50.1% of GDP (2012 est.) 50.2% of GDP (2011 est.) 52.1% of GDP (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

3.5% 15% data are for urban households only (2008)

highest 10%

15%

lowest 10%

3.5%

Imports

$1.653 trillion (2012 est.) $1.57 trillion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels, optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles

Imports - partners

Japan 9.8%, South Korea 9.2%, US 7.1%, Germany 5.1%, Australia 4.3% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

7.9% (2012 est.)

Industries

world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.6% (2012 est.) 5.5% (2011 est.)

Labor force

798.5 million by the end of 2012, China's population at working age (15-64 years) was 1.0040 billion

Labor force - by occupation

34.8% 29.5% 35.7% (2011 est.)

agriculture

34.8%

industry

29.5%

services

35.7%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$3.665 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $3.408 trillion (31 December 2011) $4.763 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

13.4% in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $3,630) (2011)

Public debt

31.7% of GDP (2012 est.) 38.5% of GDP (2011) official data; data cover both central government debt and local government debt, which China's National Audit Office estimated at RMB 10.72 trillion (approximately US$1.66 trillion) in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, China Asset Management Company debt, and non-performing loans

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.341 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $3.213 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$15.49 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $13.52 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$509 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $424.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$1.344 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $1.232 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$12.81 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $10.92 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.907 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $4.6 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.5% (2012 est.) 6.5% (2011 est.) registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants, was 4.1% in 2012

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

8.715 billion Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

60,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

4.754 million bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

4.416 million bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

25.58 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)

Electricity - consumption

4.693 trillion kWh (2011)

Electricity - exports

17.65 billion kWh (2012)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

69.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

21.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

1.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

7.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

6.874 billion kWh (2012)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.146 billion kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

4.94 trillion kWh (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

147.1 billion cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - exports

3.195 billion cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - imports

42.5 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

108.4 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.517 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

9.79 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

623,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1.571 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

8.992 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

Broadcast media

all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department lists subjects that are off limits to domestic broadcast media with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast

Internet country code

.cn

Internet hosts

20.602 million (2012)

Internet users

389 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure; China in the summer of 2008 began a major restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the consolidation of its six telecom service operators to three, China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, each providing both fixed-line and mobile services interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users exceeded 564 million by the end of 2012; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations is in place country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2012)

domestic

interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users exceeded 564 million by the end of 2012; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations is in place

general assessment

domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure; China in the summer of 2008 began a major restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the consolidation of its six telecom service operators to three, China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, each providing both fixed-line and mobile services

international

country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2012)

Telephones - main lines in use

278.86 million (2012)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.1 billion (2012)

Airports

507 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

86 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

123

2,438 to 3,047 m

158

914 to 1,523 m

25

over 3,047 m

71

total

463

under 914 m

86 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

18 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

9

over 3,047 m

4

total

44

Heliports

47 (2013)

Merchant marine

2,030 barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 621, cargo 566, carrier 10, chemical tanker 140, container 206, liquefied gas 60, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 81, petroleum tanker 264, refrigerated cargo 33, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 23 22 (Hong Kong 18, Indonesia 2, Japan 2) 1,559 (Bangladesh 1, Belize 61, Cambodia 177, Comoros 1, Cyprus 6, Georgia 10, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 500, India 1, Indonesia 1, Kiribati 26, Liberia 4, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 14, North Korea 3, Panama 534, Philippines 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 65, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Sierra Leone 19, Singapore 29, South Korea 6, Thailand 1, Togo 1, Tuvalu 4, UK 7, Vanuatu 1, unknown 73) (2010)

foreign-owned

22 (Hong Kong 18, Indonesia 2, Japan 2)

registered in other countries

1,559 (Bangladesh 1, Belize 61, Cambodia 177, Comoros 1, Cyprus 6, Georgia 10, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 500, India 1, Indonesia 1, Kiribati 26, Liberia 4, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 14, North Korea 3, Panama 534, Philippines 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 65, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Sierra Leone 19, Singapore 29, South Korea 6, Thailand 1, Togo 1, Tuvalu 4, UK 7, Vanuatu 1, unknown 73) (2010)

total

2,030

Pipelines

condensate 9 km; gas 48,502 km; oil 23,072 km; oil/gas/water 31 km; refined products 15,298 km; water 9 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin Guangzhou (Pearl) Dalian (6,400,300), Guangzhou (14,260,400), Ningbo (14,719,200), Qingdao (13,020,100), Shanghai (31,739,000), Shenzhen (22,570,800), Tianjin (11,587,600)(2011)

container port(s)

Dalian (6,400,300), Guangzhou (14,260,400), Ningbo (14,719,200), Qingdao (13,020,100), Shanghai (31,739,000), Shenzhen (22,570,800), Tianjin (11,587,600)(2011)

major seaport(s)

Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin

river port(s)

Guangzhou (Pearl)

Railways

86,000 km 86,000 km 1.435-m gauge (36,000 km electrified) (2008)

total

86,000 km

Roadways

4,106,387 km 3,453,890 km (includes 84,946 km of expressways) 652,497 km (2011)

total

4,106,387 km

unpaved

652,497 km (2011)

Waterways

110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

385,821,101 363,789,674 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

363,789,674 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

385,821,101

Manpower fit for military service

318,265,016 300,323,611 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

300,323,611 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

318,265,016

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

10,406,544 9,131,990 (2010 est.)

female

9,131,990 (2010 est.)

male

10,406,544

Military branches

People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (PLAN; includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun Kongjun, PLAAF; includes Airborne Forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (Renmin Wuzhuang Jingcha Budui, PAP); PLA Reserve Force (2012)

People's Liberation Army (PLA)

Ground Forces, Navy (PLAN; includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun Kongjun, PLAAF; includes Airborne Forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (Renmin Wuzhuang Jingcha Budui, PAP); PLA Reserve Force (2012)

Military expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs; a recent military decision allows women in combat roles; the first class of women warship commanders was in 2011 (2012)

Disputes - international

continuing talks and confidence-building measures work toward reducing tensions over Kashmir that nonetheless remains militarized with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; China claims most of India's Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Seas, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon exploration; China asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei; the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan continue to reject both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in dispute with North Korea; North Korea and China seek to stem illegal migration to China by North Koreans, fleeing privations and oppression, by building a fence along portions of the border and imprisoning North Koreans deported by China; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; China and Tajikistan have begun demarcating the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China has reconsidered construction of 13 dams on the Salween River, but energy-starved Burma, with backing from Thailand, remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests; Chinese and Hong Kong authorities met in March 2008 to resolve ownership and use of lands recovered in Shenzhen River channelization, including 96-hectare Lok Ma Chau Loop; Hong Kong developing plans to reduce 2,000 out of 2,800 hectares of its restricted Closed Area by 2010

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry (2008)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

300,897 (Vietnam); estimated 30,000-50,000 (North Korea) (2012) 90,000 (2010)

IDPs

90,000 (2010)

refugees (country of origin)

300,897 (Vietnam); estimated 30,000-50,000 (North Korea) (2012)

Trafficking in persons

China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; the majority of trafficking in China occurs within the country's borders, there are many reports that Chinese men, women, and children may be subjected to conditions of sex trafficking and forced labor in numerous countries and territories worldwide; women and children are trafficked to China from Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, and even as far away as Europe and Africa for forced labor and prostitution; some Chinese adults and children are forced into prostitution and various forms of forced labor, including begging, stealing, and working in brick kilns, coal mines, and factories Tier 3 - China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and was downgraded to Tier 3 after the maximum of two consecutive annual waivers; the government has not demonstrated significant efforts to comprehensively prohibit and punish all forms of trafficking and to prosecute traffickers; the government also has not reported providing comprehensive victim protection services to domestic or foreign, male or female victims of trafficking; in 2013, the government released an eight-year national action plan, which includes measures to improve interagency and other internal coordination among anti-trafficking stakeholders and victim protection (2013)

current situation

China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; the majority of trafficking in China occurs within the country's borders, there are many reports that Chinese men, women, and children may be subjected to conditions of sex trafficking and forced labor in numerous countries and territories worldwide; women and children are trafficked to China from Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, and even as far away as Europe and Africa for forced labor and prostitution; some Chinese adults and children are forced into prostitution and various forms of forced labor, including begging, stealing, and working in brick kilns, coal mines, and factories

tier rating

Tier 3 - China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and was downgraded to Tier 3 after the maximum of two consecutive annual waivers; the government has not demonstrated significant efforts to comprehensively prohibit and punish all forms of trafficking and to prosecute traffickers; the government also has not reported providing comprehensive victim protection services to domestic or foreign, male or female victims of trafficking; in 2013, the government released an eight-year national action plan, which includes measures to improve interagency and other internal coordination among anti-trafficking stakeholders and victim protection (2013)