2015 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

land

9,326,410 sq km

total

9,596,960 sq km

water

270,550 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

highest point

Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level)

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

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)

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) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak

Irrigated land

629,380 sq km (2006)

Land boundaries

border countries (14)

Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2,129 km, India 2,659 km, Kazakhstan 1,765 km, North Korea 1,352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4,630 km, Nepal 1,389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4,133 km, Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1,297 km

regional borders

Hong Kong 33 km, Macau 3 km

total

22,457 km

Land use

arable land 11.3%; permanent crops 1.6%; permanent pasture 41.8%

agricultural land

54.7%

forest

22.3%

other

23% (2011 est.)

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

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

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), arable land

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

0-14 years

17.08% (male 126,146,137/female 107,410,265)

15-24 years

13.82% (male 100,380,703/female 88,615,299)

25-54 years

47.95% (male 334,240,795/female 321,417,301)

55-64 years

11.14% (male 77,098,602/female 75,286,553)

65 years and over

10.01% (male 65,573,256/female 71,316,477) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

12.49 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2010)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

84.6% (2006)

Death rate

7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

13%

potential support ratio

7.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

36.6%

youth dependency ratio

23.5%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 93% of population

total: 95.5% of population

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 7% of population

total: 4.5% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai and other nationalities) 7.1%

note

the Chinese government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (2010 est.)

Health expenditures

5.6% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

780,000 (2012 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

12.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.44 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; 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)

note

Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.73 years (2015 est.)

male

73.38 years

total population

75.41 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.5% (2015 est.)

male

98.2%

total population

96.4%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

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)

soil contact disease

hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)

vectorborne disease

Japanese encephalitis

Major urban areas - population

Shanghai 23.741 million; BEIJING (capital) 20.384 million; Chongqing 13.332 million; Guangdong 12.458 million; Tianjin 11.21 million; Shenzhen 10.749 million (2015)

Median age

female

37.7 years (2015 est.)

male

36 years

total

36.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

7.3% (2014)

Physicians density

1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

1,367,485,388 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.45% (2015 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion 21.9%, Hindu < .1%, Jewish < .1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2%

note

officially atheist (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 86.6% of population

rural: 63.7% of population

total: 76.5% of population

urban: 13.4% of population

rural: 36.3% of population

total: 23.5% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2012)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.17 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.13 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.92 male(s)/female

at birth

1.15 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

55.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)

autonomous regions

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

municipalities

Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

note

China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

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

geographic coordinates

39 55 N, 116 23 E

name

Beijing

note

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

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 2004 (2015)

Country name

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Max Sieben BAUCUS (since 18 March 2014)

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

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

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; National People's Congress vote - 2,952 ; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with 2,940 votes

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election 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 Premiers ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), 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)

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, 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, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

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 2 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

note

in late 2014, China unveiled planned judicial reforms

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

description

unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and the People's Liberation Army; members serve 5-year terms); note - in practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987

elections

last held in December 2012-February 2013 (next to be held in late 2017 to early 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

TIAN Han/NIE Er

name

"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)

note

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"

National holiday

National Day, the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)

National symbol(s)

dragon; national colors: red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping]

note

China has 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

expenditures

$2.469 trillion (2014 est.)

revenues

$2.285 trillion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

2.25% (31 December 2014 est.)

2.25% (31 December 2013 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.6% (31 December 2014 est.)

6% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$219.7 billion (2014 est.)

$182.8 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$894.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$863.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

46.9 (2014 est.)

47.3 (2013 est.)

Economy - overview

After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, in July 2005 China 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. In 2014 the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) doubled the daily trading band within which the RMB is permitted to fluctuate.

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, growth of the private sector, development of stock markets and a modern banking system, 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 considered important to "economic security," explicitly looking to foster globally competitive industries. 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 2014 stood as the largest economy in the world, surpassing the US for the first time in modern history. Still, China's 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 consumption; (b) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and increasing numbers of college graduates; (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 2014 more than 274 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.

Several factors are converging to slow China's growth, including debt overhang from its credit-fueled stimulus program, industrial overcapacity, inefficient allocation of capital by state-owned banks, and the slow recovery of China's trading partners. The government's 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011 and reiterated at the Communist Party's "Third Plenum" meeting in November 2013, emphasizes continued economic reforms and the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent in the future on fixed investments, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals. The new government of President XI Jinping has signaled a greater willingness to undertake reforms that focus on China's long-term economic health, including giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources. In 2014 China agreed to begin limiting carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. China also implemented several economic reforms in 2014, including passing legislation to allow local governments to issue bonds, opening several state-owned enterprises to further private investment, loosening the one-child policy, passing harsher pollution fines, and cutting administrative red tape.

Exchange rates

Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar -

6.1428 (2014 est.)

6.1958 (2013 est.)

6.31 (2012 est.)

6.4615 (2011 est.)

6.7703 (2010 est.)

Exports

$2.343 trillion (2014 est.)

$2.209 trillion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, furniture, textiles, integrated circuits

Exports - partners

US 16.9%, Hong Kong 15.5%, Japan 6.4%, South Korea 4.3% (2014 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

23.9%

government consumption

14%

household consumption

36.8%

imports of goods and services

-21.7%

investment in fixed capital

46%

investment in inventories

1.1%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

(2014 est.)

agriculture

9.2%

industry

42.6%

services

48.2%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$12,900 (2014 est.)

$12,000 (2013 est.)

$11,100 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.4% (2014 est.)

7.8% (2013 est.)

7.8% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$10.38 trillion

note

because China's exchange rate is determined 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 (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$17.62 trillion (2014 est.)

$16.41 trillion (2013 est.)

$15.23 trillion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

48.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

49.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

50.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30%

lowest 10%

1.7%

note

data are for urban households only (2009)

Imports

$1.96 trillion (2014 est.)

$1.95 trillion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels; nuclear reactor, boiler, and machinery components; optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles; soybeans

Imports - partners

South Korea 9.7%, Japan 8.3%, US 8.1%, Taiwan 7.8%, Germany 5.4%, Australia 5% (2014 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (2014 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, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2014 est.)

2.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

801.6 million

note

by the end of 2012, China's population at working age (15-64 years) was 1.004 billion (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

(2012 est.)

agriculture

33.6%

industry

30.3%

services

36.1%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$6.065 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.499 trillion (31 December 2013)

$5.753 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Population below poverty line

6.1%

(2013 est.)

note

in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $400)

Public debt

15.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

15.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

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

$3.899 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.88 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$20 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$18.13 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$646.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$613.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$1.287 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$956.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$13.3 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$15.19 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$5.667 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.528 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.1% (2014 est.)

4.1% (2013 est.)

note

data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

10 billion Mt (2013 est.)

Crude oil - exports

12,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - imports

6.167 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - production

4.202 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

18.1 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

5.523 trillion kWh (2014)

Electricity - exports

18.16 billion kWh (2014)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

67.3% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

22.2% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

1.5% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

9% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - imports

6.75 billion kWh (2014)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.505 billion kW (2014 est.)

Electricity - production

5.65 trillion kWh (2014)

Natural gas - consumption

181.8 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - exports

2.647 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

58 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

130.2 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.3 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

10.76 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

593,400 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

600,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

9.648 million bbl/day (2013 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 users

percent of population

46.0% (2014 est.)

total

626.6 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)

Telephone system

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 - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

249.4 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

94 (2014 est.)

total

1.3 billion

Television broadcast stations

3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)

Airports

507 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

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

by type

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

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

container port(s) (TEUs)

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)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Tangshan, Zhejiang

major seaport(s)

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

river port(s)

Guangzhou (Pearl)

Railways

broad gauge

100 km 1.520-m gauge

narrow gauge

670 km 1.000-m gauge; 500 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

190,000 km 1.435-m gauge (92,000 km electrified)

total

191,270 km

Roadways

paved

3,453,890 km (includes 84,946 km of expressways)

total

4,106,387 km

unpaved

652,497 km (2011)

Waterways

110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

363,789,674 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

385,821,101

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

300,323,611 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

318,265,016

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

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)

Military expenditures

1.99% of GDP (2012)

2% of GDP (2011)

1.99% of GDP (2010)

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; the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan; 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

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; more people believed to be convicted and executed for drug offences than anywhere else in the world, according to NGOs (2008)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

undetermined (2014)

refugees (country of origin)

300,896 (Vietnam); undetermined (North Korea) (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Chinese adults and children are forced into prostitution and various forms of forced labor, including begging and working in brick kilns, coal mines, and factories; women and children are recruited from rural areas and taken to urban centers for sexual exploitation, often trafficked by criminal syndicates or gangs; state-sponsored forced labor continues to be an area of serious concern; Chinese men, women, and children also may be subjected to conditions of sex trafficking and forced labor worldwide, particularly in overseas Chinese communities; women and children are trafficked to China from neighboring countries, as well as Europe and Africa, for forced labor and prostitution

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however it is making significant efforts to do so; the government’s conflation of human trafficking with other crimes in 2013 made it difficult to assess law enforcement efforts to investigate and to prosecute trafficking offenses according to international law; authorities did not provide the data needed to ascertain the number of victims identified or assisted or the services provided; the National People’s Congress ratified a decision to abolish “reform through labor” (RTL); reports indicate some detainees were released and many RTL camps ceased operations, but others show that some RTL facilities have been converted into different types of detention centers; some North Korean refugees continued to be forcibly repatriated as illegal economic migrants, despite reports that some were trafficking victims (2014)