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{{Distinguish2|the [[Republic of China]]}}
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{{Infobox Country
|native_name = <center>中华人民共和国<small>{{Ref label|names|a|}}</small><br />''Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó''</center>
|conventional_long_name = People's Republic of China
|common_name = China
|image_flag = Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
|image_coat = National Emblem of the People's Republic of China.svg
|symbol_type = Emblem
|image_map = People's Republic of China (orthographic projection).svg
|map_width = 220px
|national_anthem = "义勇军进行曲"<br/>([[March of the Volunteers]])
|official_languages = {{nobr|[[Standard Mandarin]] (spoken)<ref name="langlaw">[http://www.gov.cn/english/laws/2005-09/19/content_64906.htm Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language (Order of the President No.37)]</ref>}}<br />[[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified Chinese]] (written)<ref name="langlaw"/>
|languages_type = [[National language]]
|languages = {{nobr|[[Standard Mandarin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinatoday.com/general/a.htm |title=General Information of the People's Republic of China |publisher=Chinatoday.com |date=1949-10-01 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> (spoken)}}<br />[[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified Chinese]] (written)
|regional_languages = {{nobr|''See [[Languages of China]]''}}
|ethnic_groups = 91% [[Han Chinese|Han]]; 11+ minorities<br>{{collapsible list|title=[[List of ethnic groups in China|List of ethnic groups]]<br>|91.6% [[Han Chinese|Han]]|1.30% [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]]|0.86% [[Manchu]]|0.79% [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]]|0.79% [[Hui people|Hui]]|0.72% [[Miao people|Miao]]|0.65% [[Yi people|Yi]]|0.62% [[Tujia]]|0.47% [[Ethnic Mongols in China|Mongol]]|0.44% [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]]|0.26% [[Buyei]]|0.15% [[Koreans in China|Korean]]|1.05% other}}
|capital = [[Beijing]]
|latd=39 |latm=55 |latNS=N |longd=116 |longm=23 |longEW=E
|largest_city = [[Shanghai]]
|demonym = [[Chinese people|Chinese]]
|government_type = [[Socialist state]],<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-71005/China The role of the government, China], Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved on 21-02-2007.</ref><br/>[[Single-party state|Single-party]] [[communist state]],<br/>[[People's democratic dictatorship]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theory.people.com.cn/BIG5/49150/49152/5792291.html |title=People's Daily article on People's democratic republic|publisher=Theory.people.com.cn |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
|leader_title1 = [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Hu Jintao]]
|leader_title2 = [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier]]
|leader_name2 = [[Wen Jiabao]]
|leader_title3 = {{nobr|<small>[[Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|Chairman of NPCSC]]</small>}}
|leader_name3 = [[Wu Bangguo]]
|leader_title4 = {{nobr|<small>[[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|Chairman of CPPCC]]</small>}}
|leader_name4 = [[Jia Qinglin]]
|legislature = [[National People's Congress]]
|sovereignty_type = [[History of China|Establishment]]
|established_event1 = People's Republic of China proclaimed.
|established_date1 = 1 October 1949
|area_footnote ={{Ref label|territory|c|}} or 9,671,018 km<sup>2</sup>{{Ref label|territory|c|}}
|area_km2 = 9,640,821
|area_sq_mi = 3704427 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|area_rank = 3rd/4th
|area_magnitude = 1 E12
|percent_water = 2.8{{Ref label|mainland|c|}}
|population_estimate = 1,345,751,000<ref name=unpop>{{cite paper | url=http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf | title=World Population Prospects, Table A.1| version=2008 revision | format=.PDF | publisher=United Nations | author=Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Population Division | date=2009 | accessdate= 2009-03-12}}</ref>
|population_estimate_year = 2009
|population_estimate_rank = 1st
|population_census = 1,242,612,226
|population_census_year = 2000
|pop_den_footnote =
|population_density_km2 = 139.6
|population_density_sq_mi = 363.3 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 53rd
|GDP_nominal = $4.327 trillion<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 3rd
|GDP_nominal_year = 2008
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $3,259<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 104th <!---IMF--->
|GDP_PPP_year = 2008
|GDP_PPP = $7.926 trillion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=924&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=52&pr.y=6 |title=People's Republic of China|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2009-10-01}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 2nd
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $5,970<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 100th
|Gini = 47.0<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2172.html CIA World Factbook] [Gini rankings]</ref>
|Gini_year = 2007
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.772<ref>[http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf Human Development Report 2009]. The United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009</ref>
|HDI_rank = 92nd
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#fc0;">medium</span>
|currency = [[Renminbi]] (¥)
|currency_code = CNY
|time_zone = [[China Standard Time]]
|utc_offset = +8
|date_format = yyyy-mm-dd <br />''or'' yyyy{{lang|zh|年}}m{{lang|zh|月}}d{{lang|zh|日}} <br />([[Common Era|CE]]; [[Chinese calendar|CE-1949]])
|drives_on = right, except for [[Hong Kong]] & [[Macau]]
|cctld = [[.cn]]{{Ref label|mainland|b|}}
|calling_code = [[+86]]{{Ref label|mainland|b|}}
|footnotes =
a. {{note|names}} See also [[Name of China#Official names|Names of China]].
b. {{note|mainland}} Information for [[mainland China]] only. [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]] are excluded. In addition, the territories under the jurisdiction of the [[Republic of China]], commonly known as [[Taiwan]], are also excluded.
c. {{note|territory}} 9,598,086 km<sup>2</sup> Excludes all disputed territories.<br /> 9,640,821 km<sup>2</sup> Includes PRC-administered area ([[Aksai Chin]] and [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]], both territories claimed by India), Taiwan is not included.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.net/china/2008-01/24/content_6418067.htm |title=GDP expands 11.4 percent, fastest in 13 years |publisher=Chinadaily.net |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref>
}}
The '''People's Republic of China''' ('''PRC''') ({{zh|s={{linktext|lang=cmn-Hans|中华|人民|共和国}}|t={{linktext|lang=cmn-Hant|中華|人民|共和國}}|p={{linktext|lang=cmn-Latn|Zhōnghuá| Rénmín| Gònghéguó}}}} {{Audio|Zh-Zhonghua renmin gongheguo.ogg|listen}}), commonly known as '''[[China]]''', is the largest [[country]] in [[East Asia]] and the [[List of countries by population|most populous]] in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population. It is a [[Socialism with Chinese characteristics|socialist]] [[Socialist state|republic]] (specifically a [[people's democratic dictatorship]] according to its [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution]]) ruled by the [[Communist Party of China]] under a [[Single-party state|single-party]] system,<ref>{{cite book|last=Walton|first=Greg|coauthors=International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development|title=China's golden shield: corporations and the development of surveillance technology in the People's Republic of China|publisher=Rights & Democracy|date=2001|pages=5|chapter=Executive Summary|isbn=9782922084429|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=S9rP0A2q14UC&lpg=PA4&ots=LH0GtACK-m&dq=single-party%20%22people's%20republic%20of%20china%22&lr=&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=%22single-party%20state%22&f=false|accessdate=2009-08-29}}</ref> and has jurisdiction over 22 [[Province (China)|provinces]]<!--these are ONLY the provinces the PRC has jurisdictional control over. It is already mentioned as disputed in the "Administrative divisions" section below.-->, five [[Autonomous regions of China|autonomous regions]] ([[Xinjiang]], [[Inner Mongolia]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], [[Ningxia]], and [[Guangxi]]), four [[Direct-controlled municipality|municipalities]] (Beijing, [[Tianjin]], [[Shanghai]], and [[Chongqing]]), and two highly autonomous<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration|title=Sino-British Joint Declaration |accessdate=2008-09-08}}</ref> [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Region]]s ([[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]). The PRC's capital is [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html
|title=CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Adopted on December 4, 1982)
|date= May 29, 2007|publisher=People.com|accessdate=2009-05-09}}</ref>
At approximately 9.6 million square kilometres (3.7 million square miles), the People's Republic of China is the world's [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|third or fourth largest country by total area]],<ref>Area rank is disputed with the United States and is either ranked third or fourth. See [[List of countries and outlying territories by area]] for more information.</ref> and the second largest by land area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/countrycompare/area/3d.html;_ylt=As1XMsN8kgSx746VWazy_s7PecYF|title=Area Country Comparison Table|accessdate=2009-03-18}}</ref> Its landscape is diverse with [[Mongolian-Manchurian grassland|forest steppes]] and [[desert]]s (the [[Gobi Desert|Gobi]] and [[Taklamakan Desert|Taklamakan]]) in the dry north near [[Mongolia]] and Russia's [[Siberia]], and [[subtropical]] forests in the wet south close to [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], and [[Myanmar]]. The terrain in the west is rugged and [[high altitude]], with the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Tian Shan]] mountain ranges forming China's natural borders with [[India]] and [[Central Asia]]. In contrast, mainland China's eastern seaboard is low-lying and has a 14,500-kilometre long coastline bounded on the southeast by the [[South China Sea]] and on the east by the [[East China Sea]] beyond which lies [[Taiwan]], [[Korea]], and [[Japan]].
The ancient [[Chinese civilization]]—one of the world's earliest—flourished in the fertile basin of the [[Yellow River]] which flows through the [[North China Plain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/China2004/106396.htm |title=Rivers and Lakes |publisher=China.org.cn |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> For over 4,000 years, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies (also known as dynasties). The first of these dynasties was the [[Xia Dynasty|Xia]] but it was later the [[Qin Dynasty]] who first unified China in 221 BC. The last dynasty, the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]], ended in 1911 with the founding of the [[Republic of China]] (ROC) by the Nationalist [[Kuomintang]] (KMT). The first half of the 20th century saw China plunged into a period of [[Chinese Civil War|disunity and civil wars]] that divided the country into two main political camps – the Kuomintang and the [[Communist Party of China|Communists]]. Major hostilities ended in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established in [[mainland China]] by the victorious Communists. The KMT-led Republic of China government retreated to [[Taipei]], its jurisdiction now limited to [[Republic of China|Taiwan]] and several outlying islands. As of today, the PRC is still involved in disputes with the ROC over issues of sovereignty and the [[political status of Taiwan]].
China's importance in the world today<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=693 |title=Review of "China: The Balance Sheet -- What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower" |accessdate=2007-12-24 |last=Gordon |first=Peter |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=The Asia Review of Books}}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjir/6.1.03_miller.html |title=China an Emerging Superpower? |accessdate=2007-12-24 |last=Miller |first=Lyman |publisher=Stanford Journal of International Relations}}</ref> is reflected through its role as the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|third largest economy]] nominally (or [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|second largest]] by [[purchasing power parity|PPP]]) and a [[United Nations Security Council#Permanent members|permanent member]] of the [[United Nations|UN]] [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] as well as being a member of several other multilateral organizations including the [[WTO]], [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]], [[East Asia Summit]], and [[Shanghai Cooperation Organization]]. In addition, it is a recognized [[List of states with nuclear weapons|nuclear weapons state]] and has the world's [[List of countries by number of active troops|largest standing army]] with the [[List of countries by military expenditures|second largest defense budget]]. China is the largest foreign holder of [[U.S. public debt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE58M25U20090923|title=Factbox: U.S.-China Interdependence Outweighs Trade Spat|publisher=Reuters|date=2009-09-23|accessdate=2009-09-25}}</ref>
Since the introduction of market-based economic reforms in 1978, China has become one of the world's [[List of countries by GDP (real) growth rate|fastest growing economies]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm |title=Country profile: China |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-07-01 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> and the world's [[List of countries by exports|second largest exporter]] and the [[List of countries by imports|third largest importer]] of goods. Rapid industrialization has reduced its poverty rate from 53% in 1981 to 8% in 2001.<ref>[http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,contentMDK:20634060~pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469382,00.html Fighting Poverty: Findings and Lessons from China’s Success] (World Bank). Retrieved 10 August 2006.</ref> However, the PRC is now faced with a number of other problems including a rapidly aging population due to the [[one-child policy]],<ref> [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nationworld/stories/081108dnmetagingchina.43a6e47.html Jim Landers [China's rapidly aging population may strain its economy August 11, 2008. Accessed October 15, 2008].</ref> a widening rural-urban income gap, and [[Pollution|environmental degradation]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/world/asia/29china.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6247119.stm |title=Asia-Pacific | China fails environment targets |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-01-10 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> Moreover, China has been criticized for its [[human rights]] violations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/china/page.do?id=1011134 |title=China Human Rights |publisher=Amnestyusa.org |date=2008-04-01 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> and for having a problematic record of interfering with [[press freedom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/en-rapport57-China.html |title=Reporters Sans Frontières |publisher=Rsf.org |date=2009-04-30 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|limit=3}}
==History==
{{Main|History of China|History of the People's Republic of China|History of Hong Kong|History of Macau}}
[[File:PRCFounding.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mao Zedong]] proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949.]]
Major combat in the [[Chinese Civil War]] ended in 1949 with the Communist Party of China in control of mainland China, and the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) retreating to [[Taiwan]]. On 1 October 1949, [[Mao Zedong]] proclaimed the People's Republic of China.<ref>[http://www.isop.ucla.edu/eas/documents/mao490921.htm The Chinese people have stood up]. UCLA Center for East Asian Studies. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> "Communist China" or "Red China" were two of the names of the PRC.<ref>Smith, Joseph. Davis, Simon. [2005] (2005). The A to Z of the Cold War. Issue 28 of Historical dictionaries of war, revolution, and civil unrest. Volume 8 of A to Z guides. Scarecrow Press publisher. ISBN 0810853841, 9780810853843.</ref>
The economic and social plan known as the [[Great Leap Forward]] resulted in an estimated 36 million deaths.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chinaelections.org/newsinfo.asp?newsid=18328 |title=A hunger for truth: a new book banned on the mainland, is becoming the definitive account of the Great Famine |publisher=En.chinaelections.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the [[Cultural Revolution]], which would last until Mao's death a decade later. The Cultural Revolution, motivated by power struggles within the Party and a fear of the [[Soviet Union]], led to a major upheaval in Chinese society. In 1972, at the peak of the [[Sino-Soviet split]], Mao and [[Zhou Enlai]] met [[Richard Nixon]] in Beijing to establish relations with the United States. In the same year, the PRC was admitted to the [[United Nations]], [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758|replacing the Republic of China]] for China's membership of the [[United Nations]], and permanent membership of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]].
The [[1976 Tangshan earthquake]], with death toll estimated to be between 240,000 to 655,000, is believed to be the largest [[earthquake]] of the 20th century by death toll.<ref>Spignesi, Stephen J. [2005] (2005). Catastrophe!: The 100 Greatest Disasters of All Time. ISBN 0806525584</ref> The [[2008 Sichuan earthquake]] that took lives of close to 70,000 was the greatest since 1976.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3918438.ece Sichuan quake recalls China's most deadly]. Times Online. May 12, 2008.</ref>
After Mao's death in 1976 and the arrest of the [[Gang of Four]], blamed for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, [[Deng Xiaoping]] quickly wrested power from Mao's anointed successor [[Hua Guofeng]]. Although he never became the head of the Party or State himself, Deng was in fact the [[Paramount Leader]] of China at that time, his influence within the Party led the country to economic reforms of significant magnitude. The Communist Party subsequently loosened governmental control over citizens' personal lives and the [[People's commune|communes]] were disbanded with many peasants receiving multiple land leases, which greatly increased incentives and agricultural production. This turn of events marked China's transition from a planned economy to a [[mixed economy]] with an increasingly open market environment, a system termed by some<ref>[[Martin Hart-Landsberg]] and [[Paul Burkett]]. [http://www.monthlyreview.org/chinaandsocialism.htm "China and Socialism. Market Reforms and Class Struggle"]. Retrieved 30 October 2008.</ref> "[[market socialism]]". The PRC adopted its current [[constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution]] on 4 December 1982.
In 1989, the death of pro-reform official, [[Hu Yaobang]], helped to spark the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]], during which students and others campaigned for several months for more [[democracy|democratic]] rights and [[freedom of speech]]. However, they were eventually put down on 4 June when [[People's Liberation Army|PLA]] troops and vehicles entered and forcibly cleared the square, resulting in numerous casualties. This event was widely reported and [[Tank Man|famously videotaped]], which brought worldwide condemnation and sanctions against the government.
President [[Jiang Zemin]] and Premier [[Zhu Rongji]], both former mayors of [[Shanghai]], led post-Tiananmen PRC in the 1990s. Under Jiang Zemin's ten years of administration, the PRC's economic performance pulled an estimated 150 million peasants out of poverty and sustained an average annual [[gross domestic product|GDP]] [[economic growth|growth rate]] of 11.2%.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-07/11/content_244499.htm Nation bucks trend of global poverty] (11 July 2003). China Daily</ref><ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200003/01/eng20000301X115.html China's Average Economic Growth in 90s Ranked 1st in World] (1 March 2000). People's Daily Online.</ref> The country formally joined the [[World Trade Organization]] in 2001.
Although the PRC needs economic growth to spur its development, the government has begun to worry that rapid economic growth has negatively impacted the country's resources and environment. Another concern is that certain sectors of society are not sufficiently benefiting from the PRC's economic development. As a result, under current President [[Hu Jintao]] and Premier [[Wen Jiabao]], the PRC has initiated policies to address these issues of equitable distribution of resources, but the outcome remains to be seen.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4913622.stm "China worried over pace of growth"]. BBC. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> More than 40 million farmers have been displaced from their land,<ref>[http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=3166_0_3_0 China: Migrants, Students, Taiwan]. Migration News. January 2006.</ref> usually for economic development, contributing to the 87,000 demonstrations and riots across China in 2005.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701588.html In Face of Rural Unrest, China Rolls Out Reforms]. The Washington Post. January 28, 2006.</ref> For much of the PRC's population in major urban centres, [[standard of living|living standards]] have seen extremely large improvements, and freedom continues to expand, but political controls remain tight and rural areas poor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/etc/transcript.html|title=''Frontline'': ''The Tank Man'' transcript| accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2006-04-11 |work=Frontline |publisher=PBS}}</ref>
==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of the People's Republic of China}}<!--Please add new information to relevant articles of the series-->
{{See also|Government of the People's Republic of China|Chinese nationalism|Propaganda in the People's Republic of China|Chinese law|Politics of the Republic of China|Neoconservatism in China|Politics of Hong Kong|Politics of Macau}}
[[File:Tiananmen Square Visit.jpg|thumb|The [[Great Hall of the People]], where the [[National People's Congress]] convenes.]]
The PRC is regarded by several [[Political science|political scientists]] as one of the last five [[Communist state]]s (along with [[Vietnam]], [[North Korea]], [[Laos]], and [[Cuba]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/11/inordinate_fear.html |title=Randall Hoven, 7 November 2007 American Thinker |publisher=Americanthinker.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>Cienciala, Anna(1996). [http://web.ku.edu/~eceurope/communistnationssince1917/intro.html The Rise and Fall of Communist Nations 1917-1994]. Retrieved 16 October 2008.</ref><ref> Juan Carlos Espinosa[http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/asce/cuba9/espinosa.pdf Civil Society in Cuba: The logic of emergence in comparative perspective, Retrieved 16 October 2008]</ref> but simple characterizations of PRC's [[political structure]] since the 1980s are no longer possible.<ref>Boum, Aomar (1999). [http://jpe.library.arizona.edu/volume_6/goodmanonoivol6.htm Journal of Political Ecology: Case Studies in History and Society]. Retrieved 5 May 2007.</ref> The PRC government has been variously described as [[communism|communist]] and [[socialism|socialist]], but also as [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]], with heavy restrictions remaining in many areas, most notably on [[Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China|the Internet]], [[freedom of the press|the press]], [[freedom of assembly]], [[reproductive rights]], and [[freedom of religion]].
However, compared to its closed-door policies until the mid-1970s, the liberalization of the PRC is such that the administrative climate is much less restrictive than before, though the PRC is still far from the [[liberal democracy]] practiced in most of Europe or North America, and the National People's Congress has been described as a "[[Rubber stamp (politics)|rubber stamp]]" body.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/china_politics/government/html/7.stm |title=BBC, Country Report: China |publisher=BBC News |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> The PRC's incumbent [[President]] is [[Hu Jintao]] and its [[Premier]] is [[Wen Jiabao]].
The country is run by the [[Communist Party of China]] (CPC), which is guaranteed power by the Constitution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html |title=Constitution Of The People'S Republic Of China |publisher=English.people.com.cn |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> There are other political parties in the PRC, referred to in China as "democratic parties", which participate in the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|People's Political Consultative Conference]] and the [[National People's Congress]]. There have been some moves toward political liberalization, in that open contested elections are now held at the village and town levels,<ref name="poll">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-12/08/content_288018.htm|title=Beijingers Get Greater Poll Choices|accessdate = 2007-02-18|publisher=China Daily|year=2003|author=Unknown Author}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib775/aib775n.pdf "Does China’s Land-Tenure System Discourage Structural Adjustment?" by Bryan Lohmar and Agapi Somwaru]. 1 May 2006. USDA Economic Research Service. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> and that legislatures have shown some assertiveness from time to time. However, the Party retains effective control over government appointments: in the absence of meaningful opposition, the CPC wins by default most of the time. Political concerns in the PRC include lessening the growing gap between rich and poor and fighting corruption within the government leadership.<ref>[http://www.mindfully.org/WTO/China-Wealth-Gap11may02.htm China sounds alarm over fast-growing gap between rich and poor]. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
The level of support that the Communist Party of China has among the PRC population in general is unclear since there are no consistently contested national elections.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} According to a survey titled "''Top 10 political figures in Mainland China and Taiwan"'' conducted in Hong Kong, approximately 1000 participants were given a list of 10 well-known political leaders in Mainland China and Taiwan. Mainland leaders (such as [[Wen Jiabao]], [[Zhu Rongji]] and [[Hu Jintao]]) have received higher rating than leaders in Taiwan (such as [[Chen Shui-bian]], [[Ma Ying-jeou]] and [[Lien Chan]]).<ref>[http://hkupop.hku.hk/english/release/release361.html University of Hong Kong releases the latest ratings of the top 10 political figures in Mainland China and Taiwan as well as people's appraisal of past Chinese leaders"]. 4 April 2006. accessed 3 May 2006.</ref>
===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:Hu Jintao Bush.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hu Jintao]] with then-[[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]]]
The People's Republic of China maintains diplomatic relations with most major countries in the world. [[Sweden]] was the first western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic on 9 May 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinaembassy.se/eng/zrgx/t100751.htm |title=China and Sweden |publisher=Chinaembassy.se |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> In 1971, the PRC replaced the [[Republic of China]] as the sole representative of China in the [[United Nations]] and as one of the five permanent members of the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref>Eddy Chang (22 August 2004). [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2004/08/22/2003199768 Perseverance will pay off at the UN] The Taipei Times.</ref> The PRC was also a former member and leader of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]].
Under its interpretation of the [[One-China policy]], the PRC has made it a precondition to establishing diplomatic relations that the other country acknowledges its claim to [[Taiwan]] and severs official ties with the [[Republic of China]] government. The government opposes publicized foreign travels by former and present ROC officials promoting [[Taiwan independence|Taiwan's independence]], such as [[Lee Teng-hui]] and [[Chen Shui-bian]], and other politically controversial figures, such as [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Tenzin Gyatso]], the [[Dalai Lama]] of [[Tibetan Buddhism]], in an official context{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}.
The PRC has been playing an increasing role in calling for [[free trade area]]s and security pacts amongst its Asia-Pacific neighbors. In 2004, the PRC proposed an entirely new [[East Asia Summit]] (EAS) framework as a forum for regional security issues that pointedly excluded the United States.<ref>Dillon, Dana and John Tkacik Jr, [http://www.policyreview.org/134/dillon.html "China’s Quest for Asia"], ''Policy Review'', December 2005 and January 2006, Issue No. 134. Retrieved 22 April 2006.</ref> The EAS, which includes [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three|ASEAN Plus Three]], India, Australia and New Zealand, held its inaugural summit in 2005. The PRC is also a founding member of the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]] (SCO), with Russia and the [[Central Asia]]n republics.
Sinophobic attitudes often target Chinese minorities and nationals living outside of China. Sometimes the anti-Chinese attitudes turn violent, such as the [[May 13 Incident]] in Malaysia in 1969 and the [[Jakarta riots of May 1998]] in Indonesia, in which more than 2,000 people died.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4323219 Malaysia's race rules]. The Economist Newspaper Limited ([[2005]]-[[08-25]]). Requires login.</ref> In recent years, a number of anti-Chinese riots and incidents have also occurred in [[Africa]] and [[Oceania]].<ref>"[http://en.afrik.com/article16008.html Algeria: Xenophobia against Chinese on the rise in Africa]". Afrik.com. August 5, 2009.</ref><ref>"[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25524906-2703,00.html Looters shot dead amid chaos of Papua New Guinea's anti-Chinese riots]". The Australian. May 23, 2009.</ref> Anti-Chinese sentiment is often rooted in socio-economics.<ref>"[http://media.economist.com/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=14207132 Overseas and under siege]". The Economist. August 11, 2009.</ref>
Much of the current foreign policy is based on the concept of [[China's peaceful rise]]. Conflicts with foreign countries have occurred at times in its recent history, particularly with the United States; for example, the [[NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade|U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy]] in [[Belgrade]] during the [[Kosovo War|Kosovo conflict]] in May 1999 and the [[Hainan Island incident|U.S.-China spy plane incident]] in April 2001. Its foreign relations with many Western nations suffered for a time following the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]], though they have since recovered.
The relationship between [[Sino-Japanese relations|China and Japan]] has been strained at times by Japan's refusal to acknowledge its [[World War II|wartime]] past to the satisfaction of the PRC; take for instance [[Historical revisionism|revisionist]] comments made by prominent Japanese officials and in some [[Japanese history textbook controversies|Japanese history textbooks]]. Another point of conflict between the two countries is the frequent visits by Japanese government officials to the [[Yasukuni Shrine]]. However, Sino-Japanese relations have warmed considerably since [[Shinzo Abe]] became the new Japanese Prime Minister in September 2006. A joint historical study to be completed by 2008 of [[Japanese war crimes|WWII atrocities]] is being conducted by the PRC and Japan.
Equally bordering the most countries in the world alongside Russia, the PRC was in a number of [[Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China#International territorial disputes|international territorial disputes]]. China's territorial disputes have led to localized wars in the last 50 years, including the [[Sino-Indian War]] in 1962, the [[Sino-Soviet border conflict]] in 1969, and the [[Sino-Vietnamese War]] in 1979. In 2001, the PRC and Russia signed the [[2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship|Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship]],<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-03/21/content_548330.htm Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation] (21 March 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> which paved the way in 2004 for Russia to transfer [[Yinlong Island]] as well as one-half of [[Heixiazi]] to China, ending a long-standing [[Sino-Russian relations|Sino-Russian]] border dispute. Other territorial disputes include islands in the [[East China Sea|East]] and [[South China Sea]]s, and undefined or disputed land borders with India and [[Bhutan]].
While accompanying a rapid economic rise, the PRC since the 1990s seeks to maintain a policy of quiet diplomacy with its neighbors. It does so by keeping economic growth steady and participating in regional organizations and cultivating bi-lateral relations in order to ease suspicion over China's burgeoning military capabilities. The PRC has started a policy of [[Chinese involvement in Africa|wooing African nations]] for trade and bilateral co-operation.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0330/p01s01-woaf.html. Abraham McLaughlin, "A rising China counters US clout in Africa", ''The Christian Science Monitor'', 30 March 2005 edition. [http://www.cfr.org/publication/8436/ Princeton N. Lyman. "China’s Rising Role in Africa", 21 July 2005 Council of Foreign Relations]. Retrieved 26 June 2007.</ref> Xinhua, China's official news agency, states that there are no less than 750,000 Chinese nationals working or living in [[Africa]].<ref>"[http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=690 China and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration]". Malia Politzer, ''Migration Information Source''. August 2008</ref> There are some discussions about whether China will become a [[Potential superpowers#China|new superpower]] in the [[Chinese Century|21st century]], with certain commentators pointing out its economic progress, military might, very large population, and increasing international influence but others claiming it is headed for economic collapse.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/magazine/27world-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin|title=Waving Goodbye to Hegemony|publisher=New York Times|last=Khanna|first=Parag|date=2008-01-27|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=848|title=China as a global power|publisher=University of Southern California US-China Institute|date=2007-11-13|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/4591,opinion,chinas-bad-loans-will-ruin-us-all|title=The Dragon’s catastrophic potential|publisher=The First Post|author=Philip Delves Broughton|date=2004-01-23|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/s6_29.asp|title=China's utterly distorted economy is a train wreck waiting to happen|publisher=World Tribune|last=Sanders|first=Sol|date=2007-06-29|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/FA23Dj01.html|title=China-US: Double bubbles in danger of colliding|publisher=Asia Times|last=Williams|first=Ian|date=2004-01-23|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref>
===Human rights===
{{Main|Human rights in the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:TiananmennBrutality.jpg|thumb|right|[[Human rights]] groups have been critical of China's treatment of [[religious freedom|religious]] and [[press freedom]]s]]
While economic and social controls have been greatly relaxed in China since the 1970s, [[political freedom]] is still tightly controlled by both central and local governments. The [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]] states that the "fundamental rights" of citizens include [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of the press]], the [[right to a fair trial]], [[freedom of religion]], [[universal suffrage]], and [[Property|property rights]]. However, these provisions do not afford significant protection in practice against criminal prosecution by the State.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrw.org/en/world-report-2009/china |title=Human Rights Watch, World Report 2009 |publisher=Hrw.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>''Will the Boat Sink the Water?: The Life of China's Peasants'' / [[Chen Guidi]] and Wu Chuntao (2006) ISBN 1586483587</ref><ref>''Empire of Lies: The Truth About China in the Twenty-First Century'' / [[Guy Sorman]] (2008) ISBN 1594032165</ref>
Tens of millions who have moved to the cities find themselves treated as [[second class citizen]]s by China's urban population, who tend to look down on country folk.<ref name=ruralmillions>{{cite web|last=Wingfield |first=Rupert |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4782194.stm |title=China’s rural millions left behind |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-03-07 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> There is dissatisfaction from [[peasant]]s as a result of land seizures by the wealthy [[middle class]] of the cities.<ref name=ruralmillions/> Official [[discrimination]], such as in the [[hukou system]] of household registration, between [[rural]] and [[Urban area|urban]] is often described as an [[apartheid]] system.<ref name=apartheid>{{cite web|last=Luard |first=Tim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4424944.stm |title=China rethinks peasant apartheid |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-11-10 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> Today, a farmer has to pay three times more in taxes even though his income is one sixth that of the average urban dweller.<ref name=apartheid/>
[[Censorship in the People's Republic of China|Censorship]] of political speech and information is openly and routinely used to silence criticism of government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party.<ref name=right>[http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/hr_facts.html China Human Rights Fact Sheet] (March 1995). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> In particular, press control is notoriously tight: [[Reporters Without Borders]] considers the PRC one of the least free countries in the world for the press.<ref name = "rsf.org-554">{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=554 |title=Reporters sans frontières - Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index - 2005 |publisher=Rsf.org |date=2009-04-30 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> In the [[Reporters Without Borders]]' Annual World Press Freedom Index of 2005,<ref name = "rsf.org-554"/> the PRC ranked 159 out of 167 places.
Chinese journalist [[He Qinglian]] in her 2004 book ''Media Control in China''<ref>[http://hrichina.org/public/contents/article?revision%5fid=29582&item%5fid=29576 Media Control in China] published 2004 by Human Rights in China, New York. Revised edition 2006 published by Liming Cultural Enterprises of Taiwan</ref> documents government controls on the [[Internet]] and other media in China. The government has a policy of limiting groups, organizations, and beliefs that it considers a potential threat to "social stability" and control, as was the case with the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]]. The Communist Party has had mixed success in controlling information: a very strong media control system faces very strong market forces, an increasingly educated citizenry, and cultural change that are making China more open, especially on environmental issues.<ref>[http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/chplca.htm 1998 U.S. Embassy Beijing report "The Fading of Environmental Secrecy"]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}}. Retrieved 4 February 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/ngo3.htm 1997 U.S. Embassy Beijing report "Environmental NGOs in China: Green is Good, But Don't Openly Oppose the Party"]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}}. Retrieved 4 February 2007.</ref> <!-- should be a comment here about the internet freedom issue and no more apologetics -->
A number of foreign governments and [[non-governmental organization|NGO]]s routinely criticize the PRC, alleging widespread civil rights violations including systematic use of lengthy detention without trial, forced confessions, torture, mistreatment of prisoners, restrictions of freedom of speech, [[freedom of assembly|assembly]], [[freedom of association|association]], religion, the press, and [[labor rights]].<ref name=right /> China leads the world in [[capital punishment]], accounting for roughly 90% of total executions in 2004.<ref>http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0405-07.htm 5 April 2005. Accessed 23 June 2006. ''The Independent/UK'' article, republished.</ref> Civil rights issues are one of the factors driving independence movements in [[Tibet]] and [[Xinjiang]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}
The PRC government has responded by arguing that the notion of human rights should take into account a country's present level of [[economic development]], and focus more on the people's rights to subsistence and development in poorer countries.<ref name = "yqlgro">[http://english.gov.cn/official/2005-07/28/content_18115.htm "China's Progress in Human Rights"] July 2005, Accessed: 18 April 2008.</ref> The rise in the [[standard of living]], [[literacy]], and [[life expectancy]] for the average Chinese in the last three decades is seen by the government as tangible progress made in human rights.<ref>[http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/first%20beginning/t56058.htm "China's reform and opening-up promotes human rights, says premier"]. 11 December 2003. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. Retrieved 28 April 2006.</ref> Efforts in the past decade to combat deadly natural disasters, such as the perennial [[Yangtze River]] floods, and work-related accidents are also portrayed in China as progress in human rights for a still largely poor country.<ref name = "yqlgro"/>
==Administrative divisions==
{{Main|Administrative divisions of China|Administrative divisions of Hong Kong|Administrative divisions of Macau}}
{{See also|List of cities in the People's Republic of China|Names of the territories of the People's Republic of China in Simplified and Traditional Chinese}}
The People's Republic of China has administrative control over twenty-two [[Province (China)|provinces]] and considers [[Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China|Taiwan]] to be its twenty-third province.<ref>Gwillim Law (2 April 2005). [http://www.statoids.com/ucn.html Provinces of China]. Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> There are also five [[Autonomous regions of China|autonomous regions]], each with a designated minority group; four [[Direct-controlled municipality|municipalities]]; and two [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Region]]s that enjoy considerable autonomy. The twenty-two provinces, five autonomous regions, and four municipalities can be collectively referred to as "[[mainland China]]", a term which usually excludes Hong Kong and Macau.
{{PRC provinces small imagemap/province list}}
==Geography and climate==
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{{Main|Geography of China|Geography of the People's Republic of China|Geography of Hong Kong|Geography of Macau}}
{{See also|Environment of China|Water resources of the People's Republic of China}}
{{See also|List of countries and outlying territories by total area}}
The People's Republic of China is the second largest [[country]] in Asia by [[area]] after Russia, and is considered the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|third largest]]<ref>[http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018965313021 "The People's Republic of China"] (7 September 2005). Foreign & Commonwealth Office</ref> in the world in respect to land and sea area. The uncertainty over size is related to (a) the validity of claims by China on territories such as [[Aksai Chin]] and [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]]{{Citation needed|July 2009|date=July 2009}} (both territories also claimed by India), and (b) how the total size of the United States is calculated: ''The World Factbook'' gives 9,826,630 km²,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/DYB2005/Table03.pdf|format=PDF|title=Population by Sex, Rate of Population Increase, Surface Area and Density|publisher=UN Statistics Division|work=Demographic Yearbook 2005|accessdate=2008-03-25}}</ref> and the ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' gives 9,522,055 km².<ref>{{cite web|url=http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:2lOa44xXcrgJ:www.britannica.com/eb/article-9111233/United-States+United+States+Area+encyclopedia+britannica&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us|title=United States|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|accessdate=2008-03-25}}</ref> China borders 14 nations (counted clockwise from south): [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], [[Burma]], [[India]], [[Bhutan]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]],<ref>China's border with Pakistan falls in the disputed [[Kashmir]] province. The area under Pakistani-administration is claimed by India.</ref> [[Afghanistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Russia]], [[Mongolia]] and [[North Korea]]. Additionally the border between PRC and ROC is located in [[territorial waters]].
{{Multiple image
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| image2 = Sanya Sun Photo by Dale Preston.jpg
| caption2 = [[South China Sea]] by [[Hainan]]
| image3 = Lijiang river, Guangxi, China.jpg
| caption3 = [[Lijiang River|Li River]] in [[Guangxi]]
}}
The territory of China contains a large variety of landscapes. In the east, along the shores of the [[Yellow Sea]] and the [[East China Sea]], there are extensive and densely populated [[alluvium|alluvial plains]], while on the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, grasslands can be seen. Southern China is dominated by hill country and low [[mountain range]]s. In the central-east are the [[river delta|deltas]] of China's two major rivers, the [[Yellow River]] and [[Yangtze River]] (Chang Jiang). Other major rivers include the [[Xi River|Xi]], [[Mekong]], [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] and [[Amur River|Amur]].
To the west, major mountain ranges, notably the [[Himalayas]], with China's highest point at the eastern half of [[Mount Everest]], and high [[plateau]]s feature among the more arid landscapes such as the [[Taklamakan Desert|Taklamakan]] and the [[Gobi Desert]].
A major issue is the continued expansion of deserts, particularly the Gobi Desert.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4915690.stm "Beijing hit by eighth sandstorm"]. BBC news. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref> Although barrier tree lines planted since the 1970s have reduced the frequency of sandstorms, prolonged [[drought]] and poor agricultural practices result in [[dust storm]]s plaguing northern China each spring, which then spread to other parts of East Asia, including [[Korea]] and Japan. China is losing a million acres per year to [[desertification]].<ref>"[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-gathering-sandstorm-encroaching-desert-missing-water-399653.html The gathering sandstorm: Encroaching desert, missing water]". The Independent. November 9, 2007.</ref> Water, [[erosion]], and pollution control have become important issues in China's relations with other countries.
China has some relevant environmental regulations: the 1979 Environmental Protection Law, which was largely modeled on U.S. legislation. But the environment continues to deteriorate.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ma Xiaoying |coauthors=Leonard Ortalano |title=Environmental Regulation in China |origyear=2000 |origmonth=May |year=2002 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers}}</ref> While the regulations are fairly stringent, they are frequently disregarded by local communities while seeking economic development. Twelve years after the law, only one Chinese city was making an effort to clean up its water discharges.<ref>Sinkule, Barbara J., ''Implementing Environmental Policy in China'', Praeger Publishers, 1995, ISBN 0-275-94980-X</ref> This indicates that China is about twenty years behind the U.S. schedule of environmental regulation.
Part of the price China is paying for increased prosperity is damage to the environment. Leading Chinese environmental campaigner [[Ma Jun (environmentalist)|Ma Jun]] has warned that water pollution is one of the most serious threats facing China. According to the [[Ministry of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Water Resources]], roughly 300 million Chinese are drinking unsafe water. This makes the crisis of water shortages more pressing, with 400 out of 600 cities short of water.<ref name="water">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/392-Tackling-China-s-water-crisis-online|title=Tackling China's Water Crisis Online|accessdate=2007-02-18|publisher=www.chinadialogue.net|year=2006|author=Ma, Jun, Li, Naomi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200412/23/eng20041223_168329.html|title=300 million Chinese drinking unsafe water|date=2004-12-23|publisher=People's Daily Online|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref> Melting glaciers in the [[Himalayas]] could lead to [[water shortage]]s for hundreds of millions of people.<ref>"[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27894721/ Himalaya glaciers melting much faster]". Msnbc.msn.com. November 24, 2008.</ref>
{{clear}}
==Military==
{{Main|People's Liberation Army}}
[[File:Shenzhen (DDG 167).jpg|thumb|[[Type 051B destroyer|''Luhai'' class destroyer]] of the [[People's Liberation Army Navy|PLAN]]]]
With 2.3 million active troops, the [[People's Liberation Army]] (PLA) is the largest military in the world.<ref>[http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/press-coverage-2005/august-2005/china-seeks-to-allay-us-fears-as-summit-nears/ China Seeks to Allay U.S. Fears as Summit Nears] (2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> The PLA consists of an [[People's Liberation Army Ground Force|army]], [[People's Liberation Army Navy|navy]], [[People's Liberation Army Air Force|air force]], and strategic [[People's Liberation Army#Nuclear weapons|nuclear]] force. The official announced [[Military budget of the People's Republic of China|budget]] of the PLA for 2009 was $70 billion. However, the United States claims China does not report its real military spending. The [[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]] estimates that the real Chinese military budget for 2008 could be anywhere from US$105 to US$150 billion.<ref> Although this is still only a fraction of US spending.[http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Power_Report_2009.pdf U.S. Department of Defense]</ref>
The PRC, despite possession of [[nuclear weapon]]s and delivery systems, is widely seen by military researchers both within and outside of China as having only limited [[power projection]] capability; this is, among other things, because of the limited effectiveness of its navy. It is considered a major military [[regional power]] and an [[Potential superpowers|emerging military superpower]].<ref>Nolt, James H. [http://www.atimes.com/china/BA27Ad01.html Analysis: The China-Taiwan military balance]. Asia Times. Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> In order to protect its critical supply lines without a power projection capability, China has been establishing foreign military relationships that have been compared to a [[String of Pearls (China)|String of Pearls]].
Much progress has been made in the last decade and the PRC continues to make efforts to modernize its military. It has purchased state-of-the-art fighter jets from Russia, such as the [[Sukhoi Su-30]]s, and has also produced its own modern fighters, specifically the Chinese [[Chengdu J-10|J-10]]s and the [[Shenyang J-11|J-11]]s.<ref>http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/j10b.asp</ref> It has also acquired and improved upon the Russian [[S-300 (missile)|S-300]] [[surface-to-air missile]] systems, which are considered to be among the best aircraft-intercepting systems in the world,<ref>[http://www.sinodefence.com/army/surfacetoairmissile/hongqi9.asp SinoDefence: Surface-to-air Missile System] (2006). Retrieved 7 July 2009.</ref> albeit Russia has since produced the new generation [[S-400 Triumf]], which has been reported to at least have been semi-developed with China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jsws/jsws9067.html |title=HQ-19 (S-400) (China) - Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems |publisher=Janes.com |date=2008-12-23 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> The PRC's armored and rapid-reaction forces have been updated with enhanced electronics and targeting capabilities. In recent years, much attention has been focused on building a [[People's Liberation Army Navy|navy]] with [[Blue-water navy|blue-water]] capability.<ref>[http://www.sinodefence.com/research/aircraft-carrier/China_Aircraft_Carrier_Ambition.pdf SinoDefence: Aircraft carrier programme] (2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref>
==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of the People's Republic of China|Economy of Hong Kong|Economy of Macau}}
[[File:Prc1952-2005gdp.gif|thumb|250px|left|Nominal [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] from 1952 to 2005.]]
{{See also|Economic history of China|Foreign exchange reserves of the People's Republic of China}}
From its founding in 1949 to late 1978, the People's Republic of China was a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-style centrally [[planned economy]]. [[Private sector|Private businesses]] and [[capitalism]] did not exist. To propel the country towards a modern, industrialized [[communist]] society, [[Mao Zedong]] instituted the [[Great Leap Forward]] which is now widely seen – both within the PRC and outside – as a major economic failure and a great humanitarian disaster.
Following Mao's death and the end of the [[Cultural Revolution]], [[Deng Xiaoping]] and the new Chinese leadership began to [[Economic reform in the People's Republic of China|reform the economy]] and move to a market-oriented [[mixed economy]] under one-party rule. China's economy is mainly characterized as a market economy based on private property ownership.<ref>http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~yqian/how%20far%20across%20the%20river.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.eastday.com/e/ICS/u1a4035916.html |title=China is already a market economy - Long Yongtu, Secretary General of Boao Forum for Asia |publisher=English.eastday.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> [[Collective farming|Collectivization]] of the [[Agriculture in China|agriculture]] was dismantled and farmlands were privatized to increase productivity.
A wide variety of small-scale enterprises were encouraged while the government relaxed price controls and promoted foreign investment. Foreign trade was focused upon as a major vehicle of growth, which led to the creation of [[Special Economic Zone]]s (SEZs) first in [[Shenzhen]] (near [[Hong Kong]]) and then in other Chinese cities. Inefficient [[Government-owned corporation|state-owned enterprises]] (SOEs) were restructured by introducing western-style management system and the unprofitable ones were closed, resulting in massive job losses.
[[File:Shanghai Stock Exchange Building.jpg|thumb|[[Shanghai Stock Exchange]] building at [[Shanghai]]'s [[Pudong]] financial district]]
Since economic liberalization began in 1978, the PRC's investment- and export-led<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-11/21/content_7228346.htm China must be cautious in raising consumption] China Daily. Retrieved on February 8, 2009.</ref> economy has grown 70 times bigger<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24913760-5017997,00.html China jumps to world's No 3 economy] The Australian. Retrieved on January 21, 2009.</ref> and is the fastest growing major economy in the world.<ref>[http://www.chinability.com/GDP.htm GDP growth 1952-2007]. [http://www.chinability.com/index.html Chinability]. Retrieved on 2008-10-16.</ref> It now has the world's third largest nominal [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] at 30 trillion yuan (US$4.4 trillion), although its [[per capita]] income of US$3,300 is still low and puts the PRC behind roughly a hundred countries.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/22/content_10700833.htm China's GDP grows by seven-year low of 9% in 2008] Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved on January 27, 2009.</ref> The [[primary sector of economic activity|primary]], [[secondary sector of economic activity|secondary]], and [[tertiary sector of economic activity|tertiary]] industries contributed 11.3%, 48.6%, and 40.1% respectively to the total economy. If [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]] is taken into account, the PRC's economy is second only to the US at US$7.9 trillion corresponding to US$6,000 per capita.<ref>[http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2007&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C446%2C914%2C666%2C612%2C668%2C614%2C672%2C311%2C946%2C213%2C137%2C911%2C962%2C193%2C674%2C122%2C676%2C912%2C548%2C313%2C556%2C419%2C678%2C513%2C181%2C316%2C682%2C913%2C684%2C124%2C273%2C339%2C921%2C638%2C948%2C514%2C943%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C522%2C692%2C622%2C694%2C156%2C142%2C624%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C283%2C228%2C853%2C924%2C288%2C233%2C293%2C632%2C566%2C636%2C964%2C634%2C182%2C238%2C453%2C662%2C968%2C960%2C922%2C423%2C714%2C935%2C862%2C128%2C716%2C611%2C456%2C321%2C722%2C243%2C942%2C248%2C718%2C469%2C724%2C253%2C576%2C642%2C936%2C643%2C961%2C939%2C813%2C644%2C199%2C819%2C184%2C172%2C524%2C132%2C361%2C646%2C362%2C648%2C364%2C915%2C732%2C134%2C366%2C652%2C734%2C174%2C144%2C328%2C146%2C258%2C463%2C656%2C528%2C654%2C923%2C336%2C738%2C263%2C578%2C268%2C537%2C532%2C742%2C944%2C866%2C176%2C369%2C534%2C744%2C536%2C186%2C429%2C925%2C178%2C746%2C436%2C926%2C136%2C466%2C343%2C112%2C158%2C111%2C439%2C298%2C916%2C927%2C664%2C846%2C826%2C299%2C542%2C582%2C443%2C474%2C917%2C754%2C544%2C698%2C941&s=PPPGDP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=48&pr.y=17 World Economic Outlook Database] International Monetary Fund (April 2008). Retrieved on 27 July 2008.</ref>
The PRC is the fourth most visited country in the world with 49.6 million inbound international visitors in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/unwto_barom07_2_en.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - UNWTO_Barom07_2_en.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> It is a member of the [[World Trade Organization|WTO]] and is the world's third largest trading power behind the US and Germany with a total international trade of US$2.56 trillion – US$1.43 trillion in exports (#2) and US$1.13 trillion in imports (#3). Its [[foreign exchange reserves]] have reached US$2.1 trillion, making it by far the world's largest.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=alZgI4B1lt3s China’s Foreign-Exchange Reserves Surge, Exceeding $2 Trillion ] Bloomberg (July 15, 2009). Retrieved on 12 August 2009.</ref> The PRC owns an estimated $1.6 trillion of U.S. [[Security (finance)|securities]].<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSPEK16627420090820 China must keep buying US Treasuries for now-paper]. Reuters. August 19, 2009.</ref> It is among the world's favorite destination for [[Foreign direct investment|FDI]], attracting more than US$80 billion in 2007 alone.<ref>[http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/newsrelease/commonnews/200802/20080205384808.html FDI doubles despite tax concerns] Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (19 February 2008). Retrieved 26 July 2008.</ref>
The PRC's success has been primarily due to manufacturing as a low-cost producer. This is attributed to a combination of cheap labor, good infrastructure, medium level of technology and skill, relatively high productivity, favorable government policy, and some say, an undervalued exchange rate. The latter has been sometimes blamed for the PRC's bulging trade surplus (US$262.7 billion in 2007)<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/11/content_6387775.htm 2007 trade surplus hits new record - $262.2B] ChinaDaily.com.cn (11 January 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> and has become a major source of dispute between the PRC and its major trading partners – the US, [[European Union|EU]], and Japan – despite the yuan having been de-pegged and risen in value by 20% against the [[United States dollar|US dollar]] since 2005.<ref>[http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/gyzg/t213645.htm China widens yuan, non-dollar trading range to 3%] (23 September 2005). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> The PRC, holding US$801.5 billion in [[Treasury bond]]s, is the largest foreign financier of the [[U.S. public debt]].<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/29/news/economy/china_america_lender_respect.fortune/index.htm Washington learns to treat China with care]. CNNMoney.com. July 29, 2009.</ref>
[[File:DengXiaoping.jpg|thumb|left|upright|In 1978, [[Deng Xiaoping]] initiated the PRC's market-oriented reforms.]]
The state still dominates in strategic "pillar" industries (such as [[energy]] and [[heavy industry|heavy industries]]), but private enterprise (30 million private businesses)<ref>[http://www.cis.org.au/issue_analysis/IA95/ia95.html Putting Democracy in China on Hold] John Lee, The Center for Independent Studies. Retrieved 26 July 2008.</ref> now accounts for anywhere between 33%<ref>http://english.people.com.cn/200507/13/eng20050713_195876.html</ref> (People's Daily Online 2005) to 70%<ref>http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948478.htm</ref> (BusinessWeek, 2005) of GDP in 2005, while the OECD estimate is over 50%<ref>http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/16/3/36174313.pdf</ref> of China's national output, up from 1% in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948478.htm |title="China Is a Private-Sector Economy" |publisher=BussinessWeek |date=2005-08-22 |accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref> Its stock market in [[Shanghai Stock Exchange|Shanghai]] (SSE) is raising record amounts of [[Initial public offering|IPO]]s and its benchmark [[SSE Composite|Shanghai Composite index]] has doubled since 2005. SSE's [[market capitalization]] reached US$3 trillion in 2007 and is the [[List of stock exchanges|world's fifth largest exchange]].
China now ranks 29<sup>th</sup> in the [[Global Competitiveness Index]].<ref>[http://www.weforum.org/pdf/GCR09/GCR20092010fullreport.pdf The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010] World Economic Forum. Retrieved on 24 September 2009.</ref> Thirty-seven Chinese companies made the list in the 2009 [[Fortune Global 500]] (Beijing alone with 26).<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2008/countries/Australia.html GLOBAL 500] CNN Money.com. Retrieved on 27 July 2008.</ref> Measured using [[market capitalization]], four of the world's top ten [[List of corporations by market capitalization|most valuable companies]] are in China including first-ranked [[PetroChina]] (world's most valuable oil company), third-ranked [[Industrial and Commercial Bank of China]] (world's most valuable bank), fifth-ranked [[China Mobile]] (world's most valuable telecommunications company) and seventh-ranked [[China Construction Bank]].<ref>[http://media.ft.com/cms/27fa616e-6c76-11de-a6e6-00144feabdc0.pdf Global 500 2009] Financial Times.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2009.</ref>
Although still poor by the world's standard, the PRC's rapid growth managed to [[Poverty in China|pull hundreds of millions]] of its people out of poverty since 1978. Today, about 10% of the Chinese population (down from 64% in 1978) live below the [[poverty line]] of US$1 per day ([[Purchasing power parity|PPP]]) while [[life expectancy]] has dramatically increased to 73 years. More than 90% of the population is literate,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html |title=CIA – The World Fact Book |publisher=Cia.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> compared to 20% in 1950.<ref>Plafker, Ted, [http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/02/12/rchina.t.php China's Long — but Uneven — March to Literacy] International Herald Tribune</ref> Urban [[unemployment]] declined to 4 percent in China by the end of 2007 (true overall unemployment might be higher at around 10%).<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6342385.html Urban unemployment declines to 4% in China] People's Daily Online (22 January 2008). Retrieved on 27 July 2008.</ref>
Its middle class population (defined as those with annual income of at least US$5,000) has now reached 80–150 million.<ref>[http://www.euromonitor.com/Chinas_middle_class_reaches_80_million China’s middle class reaches 80 million] Euromonitor International (25 July 2007). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref><ref>[http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/china/middle-class/leslie-chang-text/1 China's Middle Class] Leslie T. Chang, National Geographic.com (May 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13063298 Burgeoning bourgeoisie] The Economist (12 Feb 2009). Retrieved on 5 May 2009.</ref> China's retail market is worth RMB8921 billion (US$1302 billion) in 2007 and growing at 16.8% annually.<ref>[http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/monthlydata/t20080313_402467812.htm Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods (2007.12)] National Bureau of Statistics of China (13 March 2008). Retrieved on 21 November 2008.</ref> It is also now the world's third biggest consumer of luxury goods with 12% of the global share.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/03/21/chinas_hunger_for_luxury_goods_grows/ China's hunger for luxury goods grows] Jehangir S. Pocha, The Boston Globe (21 March 2006). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref>
The PRC's growth has been uneven when comparing different geographic regions and rural and urban areas. The [[List of countries by income equality|urban-rural income gap is getting wider]] in the PRC with a [[Gini coefficient]] of 46.9%. Development has also been mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal regions while the remainder of the country are left behind. To counter this, the government has promoted development in the [[China Western Development|western]], [[Revitalize Northeast China|northeastern]], and [[Rise of Central China Plan|central]] regions of China.
The economy is also highly energy-intensive and inefficient – it uses 20%-100% more energy than [[OECD]] countries for many industrial processes.<ref name="China Quick Facts">[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20680895~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK:318950,00.html China Quick Facts] The World Bank. Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> It has now become the world's second largest energy consumer behind the US<ref>[http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/China/Background.html China - Background] Energy Information Administration – U.S. government official statistics. Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> but relies on [[coal]] to supply about 70% of its energy needs.<ref>[http://www.ecoworld.com/home/articles2.cfm?tid=450 China's Coal] Gordon Feller, ECOworld. Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> Coupled with a lax environmental regulation, this has led to a massive water and air pollution (China has 20 of the world's 30 most polluted cities).<ref name="China Quick Facts"/> Consequently, the government has promised to use more [[renewable energy]] with a target of 10% of total energy use by 2010 and 30% by 2050.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS39879+12-Mar-2008+BW20080312 China have set a Renewable Energy Target of 10% of Electric Power Capacity by 2010] Thomson Reuters (11 March 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref>
==Science and technology==
{{Main|Science and technology in the People's Republic of China|List of Chinese inventions}}
[[File:Wind power plants in Xinjiang, China.jpg|thumb|[[Wind turbine]]s in [[Xinjiang]]. The Dabancheng project is Asia's largest [[wind farm]].]]
After the [[Sino-Soviet split]], China started to develop its own [[nuclear weapon]]s and delivery systems, successfully detonating its first surface [[nuclear testing|nuclear test]] in 1964 at [[Lop Nur]]. A natural outgrowth of this was a satellite launching program, which culminated in 1970 with the launching of [[Dong Fang Hong I]], the first Chinese satellite. This made the PRC the fifth nation to independently launch a satellite.
In 1992, the [[Shenzhou spacecraft|Shenzhou]] manned spaceflight program was authorized.<ref>[http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_26079.htm China's First Man-made Satellite] (2003). Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> After four unmanned tests, ''[[Shenzhou 5]]'' was launched on 15 October 2003, using a [[Long March 2F]] [[launch vehicle]] and carrying Chinese astronaut [[Yang Liwei]], making the PRC the third country to put a human being into [[outer space|space]] through its own endeavors.<ref>Wade, Mark. [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/shenzhou.htm Shenzhou] (6 January 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> China completed its second manned mission with a crew of two, ''[[Shenzhou 6]]'' in October 2005. In 2008, China successfully completed the [[Shenzhou 7]] mission, making it the third country to have the capability to conduct a spacewalk. The country plans to build a [[Project 921-2|Chinese Space Station]] in the near future and achieve a lunar landing in the next decade.<ref>Wade, Mark. (30 March 2005)[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/prot9212.htm Project 921-2]. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
China has the world's second largest [[research and development]] budget, and is expected to invest over $136 billion in 2006 after growing more than 20% in 2005 the past year.<ref>[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/da4ed9f2-82fa-11db-a38a-0000779e2340.html "China overtakes Japan on R&D"] ''Financial Times''. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> The Chinese government continues to place heavy emphasis on research and development by creating greater public awareness of innovation, and reforming financial and tax systems to promote growth in cutting-edge industries.
In 2006, President Hu Jintao called for China to make the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to an innovation-based one and the National People's Congress have approved large increases in research funding. [[Stem cell]] research and [[gene therapy]], which some in the [[Western world]] see as controversial, face minimal regulation in China. China has an estimated 926,000 researchers, second only to the 1.3 million in the United States.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8LQ0OI00.htm OECD: China to spend $136 billion on R&D]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}} ''BusinessWeek''. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref>
China is also actively developing its [[computer software|software]], [[semiconductor]] and [[energy industry|energy]] industries, including [[renewable energy|renewable energies]] such as hydro, wind and solar power.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2006/gb20060331_921612.htm "Blinding Science: China's Race to Innovate"] Bruce Einhorn, ''Business Week'', 31 March 2006, accessed: 16 April 2006.</ref> In an effort to reduce pollution from coal-burning power plants, China has been pioneering the deployment of [[pebble bed reactor|pebble bed nuclear reactors]], which run cooler and safer, and have potential applications for the [[hydrogen economy]].<ref>[http://daga.dhs.org/daga/readingroom/newsclips/2004/wto/41005scmp03.htm "China leading world in next generation of nuclear plants"] Robert J. Saiget. ''DAGA''. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
China currently has the [[List of countries by number of mobile phones in use|most cell phone users]] in the world with over 700 million users in July 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90857/90860/6747627.html |title=Over 700 million mobile phone users in China |publisher=People's Daily |date= |accessdate=2009-09-04}}</ref> It also has the largest number of [[List of countries by number of Internet users|internet]] and [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet users|broadband users]] in the world.
==Transportation==
{{Main|Transport in the People's Republic of China|Transportation in Hong Kong|Transportation in Macau}}
{{See also|Rail transport in the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:Central Jingshi Expressway9.jpg|left|thumb|G030 northbound in [[Hebei]]. There are 45,000 km (28,000 mi) of expressways in China. This is the second-longest total in the world, and half that of the United States.]]
Transportation in the mainland of the People's Republic of China has improved significantly since the late 1990s as part of a government effort to link the entire nation through a series of [[Expressways of China|expressways]] known as the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). The total length of expressway is 61,000 km at the end of 2008, second only to the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200612/30/eng20061230_337130.html |title=China to build more highways in 2007 |publisher=English.peopledaily.com.cn |date=2006-12-30 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinagate.com.cn/english/45626.htm |title=Expressways Being Built at Frenetic Pace |publisher=Chinagate.com.cn |date=2006-04-05 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> Most of the expressways, however, require tolls.
Private car ownership is increasing at an annual rate of 15%, although it is still uncommon because of government policies which make car ownership expensive, such as taxes and toll roads.<ref> [http://www.earlywarning.com/articles/2005_06_13_china_cars_drive "China's Car Drive"] (13 June 2005). Earlywarning.</ref> Private highway driving is becoming more common, being almost nonexistent ten years ago.
Domestic air travel has increased significantly, but remains too expensive for most. Long distance transportation is dominated by [[Rail transport|railways]] and charter bus systems. Railways are the vital carrier in China; they are monopolized by the state, divided into various railway bureaus in different regions. At the rates of demand it experiences, the system has historically been subject to overcrowding during travel seasons such as ''[[Chunyun]]'' during the [[Chinese New Year]].
Cities such as [[Beijing]] and [[Shanghai]] both have a rapidly expanding network of [[Rapid transit|underground]] or [[light rail]] systems, while several other cities also have running rapid transit. Numerous cities are also constructing subways. [[Transport in Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] has one of the most developed transport systems in the world. Shanghai has a [[Shanghai Maglev Train|Maglev]] rail line connecting Shanghai's urban area to [[Shanghai Pudong International Airport|Pudong International Airport]].
==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of the People's Republic of China|Demographics of Hong Kong|Demographics of Macau|List of ethnic groups in China}}
{{See also|International rankings of the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:PRC Population Density.svg|thumb|A population density map of the People's Republic of China. The eastern, coastal provinces are much more densely populated than the western interior.]]
{{As of|2009}}, there are 1,338,612,968 people in the PRC. About 21% (male 145,461,833; female 128,445,739) are 14 years old or younger, 71% (male 482,439,115; female 455,960,489) are between 15 and 64 years old, and 8% (male 48,562,635; female 53,103,902) are over 65 years old. The population growth rate for 2006 is 0.6%.<ref name = pop/>
The PRC officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the [[Han Chinese]], who constitute about 91.9% of the total population.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html CIA factbook] (29 March 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> Large ethnic minorities include the [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]] (16 million), [[Manchu]] (10 million), [[Hui people|Hui]] (9 million), [[Miao people|Miao]] (8 million), [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]] (7 million), [[Yi people|Yi]] (7 million), [[Tujia]] (5.75 million), [[Mongols]] (5 million), [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]]s (5 million), [[Buyei]] (3 million), and [[Koreans]] (2 million).<ref>Stein, Justin J (Spring 2003). [http://www.princeton.edu/~jpia/pdf2003/Ch%208%20Xinjiang-Stein-JPIA%202003.pdf Taking the Deliberative in China]. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
In the past decade, China's cities expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 41.8% between 1978 and 2005, a scale unprecedented in human history.<ref>Zhou Qun, Lin Yanhua. [http://www.chinanews.cn/news/2005/2005-11-18/14441.html China's urbanization encounters "urban disease"], Chinanews.cn (中国新闻网), 11 November 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2005.</ref> Between 150 and 200 million [[migrant worker]]s work part-time in the major cities and return home to the countryside periodically with their earnings.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/01/china.migrants/index.html|title=Migrants are China's 'factories without smoke'|publisher=CNN.com|first=Alexandra|last=Harney|date=2008-02-03|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2009/gb2009024_357998.htm|title=A Tough New Year for China's Migrant Workers|publisher=Business Week|first=Chi-Chu|last=Tschang|date=2009-02-04|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref>
Today, the People's Republic of China has dozens of major cities with one million or more long-term residents, including the three [[global city|global cities]] of [[Beijing]], [[Hong Kong]], and [[Shanghai]].
Major cities in China play key roles in national and regional identity, culture and economics.
===Largest cities===
{{See also|List of cities in the People's Republic of China|List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population|Metropolitan regions of China}}
The figures below are from the 2008 census, and are only estimates of the population within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large floating populations of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult;<ref>Francesco Sisci, "China's floating population a headache for census", ''The Straits Times'', 22 September 2000.</ref> the figures below do not include the floating population, only long-term residents.
{{Largest cities of the People's Republic of China}}
===Population policy===
{{Main|One-child policy}}
[[File:ChinaDemography.svg|thumb|300px|Population of China from 1961 to 2006.]]
With a population of over 1.3 billion, the PRC is very concerned about its [[population growth]] and has attempted, with mixed results,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/11/1171 |title=The New England Journal of Medicine, September 2005 |doi=10.1056/NEJMhpr051833 |publisher=Content.nejm.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> to implement a strict [[family planning]] policy. The government's goal is [[one-child policy|one child per family]], with exceptions for ethnic minorities and flexibility in rural areas. The government's goal is to stabilize population growth early in the 21st century, though some projections estimate a population of anywhere ranging from 1.4 billion to 1.6 billion by 2025. Hence, the country's family planning minister has indicated that China will maintain its one-child policy until at least the year 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/10/china.onechild/index.html |title=China to keep one-child policy - CNN.com |publisher=Edition.cnn.com |date=2008-03-10 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
The policy is resisted, particularly in rural areas, because of the need for [[agriculture|agricultural]] labour and a traditional preference for boys (who can later serve as male [[heir]]s). Families who breach the policy often lie during the [[census]].<ref name="censuslie">http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/fertl2b.htm {{Dead link|date=March 2009}}</ref> Official government policy opposes [[Compulsory sterilization|forced sterilization]] or [[abortion]], but allegations of coercion continue as local officials, who are faced with penalties for failing to curb population growth, may resort to forced abortion or sterilization, or manipulation of census figures.
The decreasing reliability of PRC population statistics since family planning began in the late 1970s has made evaluating the effectiveness of the policy difficult.<ref name="censuslie"/> Estimates by Chinese demographers of the [[Total fertility rate|average number of children for a Chinese woman]] vary from 1.5 to 2.0. The government is particularly concerned with the large imbalance in the [[human sex ratio|sex ratio]] at birth, apparently the result of a combination of traditional preference for boys and family planning pressure, which led to the ban of using [[ultrasound]] devices for the purpose of preventing [[sex-selective abortion and infanticide|sex-selective abortion]].
Other factors include under-reporting of female children to circumvent the law and that some areas unofficially allow a second child if the first is not a male but not otherwise. On the basis of a 2005 report by China's [[National Population and Family Planning Commission]], there were 118.6 boys born for every 100 girls, and in some rural areas the boy/girl ratio could be as high as 130/100.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} As this trend of gender imbalance is on the increase, experts warn of increased social instability should this trend continue.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2790469|title=China Fears Lopsided Sex Ratio Could Spark Crisis By 2020, There Will Be 30 Million More Men than Women -- Making it Hard for a Guy to Find a Bride|last=Loyd|first=Beth|date=2007-01-12|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6962650.stm|title=China warned on gender imbalance|date=2007-08-24|date=2007-01-12|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6254763.stm|title=Chinese facing shortage of wives|date=2007-01-12|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>
==Education==
[[File:Tsinghua Observatory.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tsinghua University]] is a well regarded university in [[mainland China]].]]
{{Main|Education in the People's Republic of China|Education in Hong Kong|Education in Macau}}
In 1986, China set the long-term goal of providing compulsory nine-year basic education to every child. {{As of|2007}}, there were 396,567 primary schools, 94,116 secondary schools and 2,236 higher education institutions in the PRC.<ref>[http://caedu.yzu.edu.cn/en/Article_show.asp?ID=55 Factbox: Education in China] (2008). China-Arab Education Information Network</ref> In February 2006, the government advanced its basic education goal by pledging to provide completely free nine-year education, including textbooks and fees, in the poorer western provinces.<ref>[http://en.ce.cn/National/Rural/200602/21/t20060221_6154334.shtml China pledges free 9-year education in rural west] (21 February 2006). China Economic Net.</ref>
{{As of| 2002}}, 90.9% (male: 95.1%; female: 86.5%) of the population over age 15 are literate.<ref name=pop>[http://travelblog.org/World/ch-ppl.html "Chinese People"] (2005). TravelBlog.</ref> China's youth (age 15 to 24) literacy rate was 98.9% (99.2% for males and 98.5% for females) in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/file_download.php/b44872c5f2dfd9c825236194562a2b7fRoss_China.doc|title=Where And Who Are The World’s Illiterates: China|accessdate=2009-07-14|publisher=UNESCO}}</ref> In March 2007, China announced the decision of making education a national "strategic priority", the central budget of the national scholarships will be tripled in two years and 223.5 billion Yuan (28.65 billion US dollars) of extra funding will be allocated from the central government in the next 5 years to improve the compulsory education in rural areas.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/05/content_5800996.htm Premier Wen announces hefty educational investment] (2007). Retrieved 6 March 2007.</ref>
The quality of [[List of universities in the People's Republic of China|Chinese colleges and universities]] varies considerably across the country. The consistently top-ranked universities in mainland China are:<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/21/content_418027.htm 2005 Chinese University Ranking unveiled] (21 February 2005). China Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref><ref>[http://rank2003.netbig.com/en/rnk_1_0_0.htm All-around Ranking] (2003). Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref>
*[[Beijing]]: [[Peking University]], [[Tsinghua University]], [[Renmin University of China]], [[Beijing Normal University]]
*[[Shanghai]]: [[Fudan University]], [[Shanghai Jiao Tong University]], [[Tongji University]]
*[[Harbin]]: [[Harbin Institute of Technology]]
*[[Tianjin]]: [[Nankai University]], [[Tianjin University]]
*[[Xi'an Jiaotong University]] ([[Xi'an]])
*[[Nanjing University]] ([[Nanjing]])
*[[University of Science and Technology of China]] ([[Hefei]])
*[[Zhejiang University]] ([[Hangzhou]])
*[[Wuhan University]] ([[Wuhan]])
*[[Guangzhou]]: [[Sun Yat-sen University]] (aka [[Zhongshan University]])
Many parents are highly committed to their children's education, often investing large portions of the family's income on education. Private lessons and recreational activities, such as in foreign languages or music, are popular among the middle-class families who can afford them.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3693714.stm "China's graft: Tough talk, old message" by Mary Hennock]. 27 September 2004. BBC News. ''Accessed 2 May 2006''.</ref>
==Public health==
{{Main|Public health in the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:BeijingSmogComparison-Aug2005a.gif|thumb|250px|China includes some of the most polluted cities in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20680895~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:318950,00.html |title=The World Bank - China Quick Facts |publisher=Web.worldbank.org |date=2009-01-16 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> The number of respiratory illnesses has increased because of [[Environment of China|widespread air pollution]].<ref name = "FT-china-pollution">{{cite web |url= http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8f40e248-28c7-11dc-af78-000b5df10621.html|title= 750,000 a year killed by Chinese pollution|accessdate=2007-07-22 |publisher= [[Financial Times]]|date= 2007-07-02|author= McGregor, Richard}}</ref>]]
The [[Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Health]], together with its counterparts in the provincial health bureaus, oversees the health needs of the Chinese population.<ref>[http://www.casy.org/Chindoc/mohprofile.htm China AIDS Survey at Yahoo]. Retrieved 18 April 2006.</ref> An emphasis on [[public health]] and [[Preventive medicine|preventative treatment]] characterized health policy since the early 1950s. At that time, the [[Communist Party of China|party]] started the [[Patriotic Health Campaign]], which was aimed at improving [[sanitation]] and [[hygiene]], as well as attacking several [[disease]]s. This has shown major results as diseases like cholera, typhoid, and scarlet fever were nearly eradicated.
With economic reform after 1978, the health of the Chinese public improved rapidly because of better nutrition despite the disappearance, along with the People's Communes, of much of the free public health services provided in the countryside. Health care in China became largely private fee-for-service. This was widely criticised by the Islamic Hui populations of the North West, who were often unable to obtain medical support in their remote communities. By 2000, when the [[World Health Organization]] made a large study of public health systems throughout the world, [http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/ The World Health Report 2000 Health Systems: Improving Performance] the Chinese public health system ranked 144 of the 191 UN member states ranked.
The country's [[Life expectancy|life expectancy at birth]] jumped from about 35 years in 1949 to 73.18 years in 2008,<ref>[http://www.globalgeografia.it/temi/Population%20Growth%20in%20China.pdf "Population Growth in China : The Basic Characteristics of China’s Demographic Transition" by Maristella Bergaglio].</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html "China"]. CIA World Factbook, 2008-05-16</ref> and [[infant mortality]] went down from 300 per thousand in the 1950s to about 23 per thousand in 2006.<ref name=autogenerated2>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html CIA World Factbook]. 20 April 2006. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref><ref>[http://www.china.org.cn/english/19012.htm China’s Infant Mortality Rate Down]. 11 September 2001. CHINA.ORG.CN. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> [[Malnutrition]] {{As of|2002|lc=yes}} stood at 12% of the population according to [[United Nations]] [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] sources.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/nutrition/cpr-e.stm|title= Nutrition country profiles: China summary|accessdate=2007-07-22}}</ref>
<!--Recent health insurance initiatives like the Ningxia Cooperative Plan should be mentioned here-->
Despite significant improvements in health and the introduction of western style medical facilities, China has several emerging [[public health]] problems, which include respiratory problems as a result of [[Environment of China|widespread air pollution]]<ref name = "FT-china-pollution"/> and millions of [[tobacco smoking|cigarette smokers]],<ref>[http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/~pine/Phil110/chinasmoking.html "Smoking 'will kill one third of young Chinese men'"]. 16 August 2001. Honolulu Community College. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref> a possible future [[HIV/AIDS in the People's Republic of China|HIV/AIDS epidemic]], and an increase in [[obesity]] among urban youths.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50/dispatches/09.23.health/ "Serving the people?"]. 1999. Bruce Kennedy. CNN. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref><ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200008/04/eng20000804_47271.html "Obesity Sickening China's Young Hearts"] 4 August 2000. People's Daily. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref> China's large population and close living quarters has led to some serious disease outbreaks in recent years, such as the 2003 outbreak of [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome|SARS]] (a pneumonia-like disease) which has since been largely contained.<ref>[http://www.who.int/csr/don/2004_05_18a/en/index.html "China’s latest SARS outbreak has been contained, but biosafety concerns remain"]. 18 May 2004. [[World Health Organization]]. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref>
Estimates of excess deaths in China from environmental pollution (apart from smoking) are placed at 760,000 people per annum from air and water pollution (including [[indoor air quality|indoor air pollution]]).<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6265098.stm China 'buried smog death finding']". BBC News. July 3, 2007.</ref> In 2007, China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of [[CO2]].<ref>"[http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/19/china.usnews China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter]". Guardian.co.uk. June 19, 2007.</ref> Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of [[water pollution]],<ref>"[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/07/content_449451.htm China says water pollution so severe that cities could lack safe supplies]". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2005-06-07.</ref> and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water.<ref>"[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes]". The New York Times. August 26, 2007.</ref> Reports by the World Bank and the New York Times have claimed industrial pollution, particularly of the air, to be significant health hazards in China.
==Religion==
[[File:Huxisanxiaotu.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Buddhism]] are one'', a ''litang'' style painting portraying three men laughing by a river stream, 12th century, [[Song Dynasty]].]]
{{Main|Religion in China|Religion in Hong Kong|Religion in Macau}}
{{See also|Feng shui}}
China does allow a limited degree of religious freedom, however official tolerance is only extended to members of state-approved religious organizations and not to those who worship underground, such as [[house church]]es. An accurate number of religious adherents is hard to obtain because of a lack of official data, but there is general consensus that religion has been enjoying a resurgence over the past 20 years.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6337627.stm |title=Asia-Pacific | Survey finds 300m China believers |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-02-07 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> A survey by Phil Zuckerman on [[Adherents.com]] found that in 1998, 59% (over 700 million)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_473.html |title=Bot generated title -> |publisher=Adherents.com<! |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> of the population was [[irreligious]]. Meanwhile, another survey in 2007 found that there are 300 million (23% of the population) believers as distinct from an official figure of 100 million.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>
Despite the surveys' varying results, most agree that China's traditional religions – [[Buddhism in China|Buddhism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Chinese folk religion]]s – are the dominant faiths. According to a number of sources, [[Buddhism in China]] accounts for between 660 million (~50%) and over 1 billion (~80%)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vipassanafoundation.com/Buddhists.html |title=Buddhists in the world |publisher=Vipassanafoundation.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> while Taoists number 400 million (~30%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=468&Itemid=34 |title=How Now Tao? |publisher=Asia Sentinel |date=2007-04-27 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcworld.org/downloads/SCMP%20Daoism%2030%20April%202007.pdf |title=Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> However, the number of adherents to these religions can be overcounted because one person may subscribe to one or more of these traditional beliefs simultaneously, and the difficulty in clearly differentiating Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religions. In addition, subscribing to Buddhism and Taoism is not necessarily considered religious by those who follow the philosophies in principle but stop short of subscribing to any kind of [[divinity]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/religion/ |title=Religions and Beliefs in China |publisher=Travelchinaguide.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacu.org/religion.html |title=Society for Anglo Chinese Understanding |publisher=SACU |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.index-china.com/index-english/people-religions-s.html |title=Index-China Chinese Philosophies and religions |publisher=Index-china.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
Most Chinese Buddhists are nominal adherents because only a small proportion of the population (over 8% or over 100 million)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://adherents.com/largecom/com_buddhist.html |title=Buddhism |publisher=Adherents.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90133.htm |title=International Religious Freedom Report 2007 - China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau) |publisher=State.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> may have taken the formal step of [[Refuge (Buddhism)|going for refuge]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.askasia.org/teachers/essays/essay.php?no=16 |title=Buddhism in China |publisher=AskAsia |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globaled.org/curriculum/china/bessay1.htm |title=TheAmericanForum For Global Education |publisher=Globaled.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> Even then, it is still difficult to estimate accurately the number of Buddhists because they do not have congregational memberships and often do not participate in public ceremonies.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71338.htm |title=U.S. Department of States - International Religious Freedom Report 2006: China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau) |publisher=State.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> [[Mahayana]] (大乘, ''Dacheng'') and its subsets [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]] (Amidism), [[Tiantai]] and [[Zen]] are the most widely practiced denominations of Buddhism. Other forms, such as [[Theravada]] and [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan]], are practiced largely by ethnic minorities along the geographic fringes of the Chinese mainland.<ref>Macintosh, R. Scott. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0309/p01s04-woap.html China's prosperity inspires rising spirituality] (9 March 2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref>
[[Christianity in China]] was first introduced during the [[Tang Dynasty|Tang period]] in the 7<sup>th</sup> century with the arrival of [[Nestorianism]] in 635 CE. This was followed by [[Franciscan]] missionaries in the 13<sup>th</sup> century, [[Jesuits]] in the 16<sup>th</sup> century, and finally [[Protestantism|Protestants]] in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, during which time Christianity began to make significant foothold in China.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} Of the minority religions, [[Christianity]] has been particularly noted as one of the fastest growing (especially since the last 200 years) and today may number between 40 million (3%)<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2007690,00.html | title=Christian population in China | publisher=guardian.co.uk | accessdate=2007-08-27}}</ref> and 54 million (4%)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.assistnews.net/STORIES/2007/s07100011.htm |title=China Survey Reveals Fewer Christians than Some Evangelicals Want to Believe |publisher=Assistnews.net |date=2007-10-01 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> according to independent surveys, while official estimates suggested that there are only 16 million Christians.<ref>{{cite web | title=Chinese government official statistics on Christian population in China | url=http://hrwf.org/religiousfreedom/news/2007PDF/China%202007.doc | publisher=hrwf.org | accessdate=2007-08-27}}</ref>
[[Islam in China]] dates to a mission in 651, eighteen years after [[Muhammad]]'s death. Muslims came to China for trade, dominating the import/export industry during the [[Song Dynasty]].<ref name=bbc>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/china_1.shtml |title=BBC Islam in China (650-present) |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2002-10-02 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref name=islamicculture>{{cite web|url=http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1656&C=1645|title=Islamic culture in China}}</ref> They became influential in government circles, including [[Zheng He]], [[Lan Yu]] and [[Yeheidie'erding]]. [[Nanjing]] became an important center of Islamic study.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hsais.org/2essay0405_4.htm|title=Looking East: The challenges and opportunities of Chinese Islam}}</ref> The [[Qing Dynasty]] waged war and [[Genocides in history|genocide]] against Muslims in the [[Dungan revolt]] and [[Panthay rebellion]].<ref>Levene, Mark. Genocide in the Age of the Nation-State. I.B.Tauris, 2005. ISBN 1845110579, page 288</ref><ref>Giersch, Charles Patterson. Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier. Harvard University Press, 2006. ISBN 1845110579, page 219</ref><ref>Dillon, Michael. [http://www.hsais.org/2essay0405_4.htm China’s Muslim Hui Community]. Curzon, 1999. ISBN 0700710264, page xix</ref> The [[Islam in China#Number of Muslims in China|number of Muslims in China]] today is estimated between 20 and 100 million<ref name=bbc/> by one source while most estimates figures that there are 20 to 30 million Muslims (1.5% to 2% of the population).<ref>Counting up the number of people of traditionally Muslim nationalities who were enumerated in the 1990 census gives a total of 17.6 million, 96% of whom belong to just three nationalities: Hui 8.6 million, Uyghurs 7.2 million, and Kazakhs 1.1 million. Other nationalities that are traditionally Muslim include Kyrghyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Tatars, Salar, Bonan, and Dongxiang. See Dru C. Gladney, "Islam in China: Accommodation or Separatism?", Paper presented at Symposium on Islam in Southeast Asia and China, Hong Kong, 2002. Available at http://www.islamsymposium.cityu.edu.hk. The 2000 census reported a total of 20.3 million members of Muslim nationalities, of which again 96% belonged to just three groups: Hui 9.8 million, Uyghurs 8.4 million, and Kazakhs 1.25 million.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html |title=CIA – The World Factbook – China |publisher=Cia.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71338.htm |title=China (includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet) |publisher=State.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-07/09/content_6831389.htm |title=NW China region eyes global Muslim market |publisher=China Daily |date=2008-07-09 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=1922 |title=Muslim Media Network |publisher=Muslim Media Network |date=2008-03-24 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=38&sub_cat_id=1413 |title=China’s Halal Food and Muslim Commodities Festival Begins Today |publisher=Islamtoday.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>BBC Islam in China (650-present) [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/china_4.shtml BBC - Religion & Ethics - Islam in China (650-present)]</ref>
There are also followers of minority religions including [[Hinduism in China|Hinduism]], [[Dongbaism]], [[Bön]], and a number of new religions and sects (particularly [[Xiantianism]]). In July 1999, the [[Falun Gong]] spiritual practice was officially banned by the authorities,<ref name=ban>[[Xinhua]], [http://english.people.com.cn/special/fagong/1999072200A101.html China Bans Falun Gong], [[People's Daily]], 22 July 1999</ref> and many international organizations have criticized the [[history of Falun Gong|government's treatment of Falun Gong]] that has occurred since then.<ref>Mary-Anne Toy, [http://www.theage.com.au/world/underground-existence-for-falun-gong-faithful-20080725-3l2p.html?page=-1 Underground existence for Falun Gong faithful], [[The Age]], July 26, 2008.<br/>"The US State Department, US Congress, the United Nations and human rights groups such as Amnesty say persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China is a continuing abuse of human rights."</ref> According to official estimates, 50–70 million Chinese practised Falun Gong in 1998.<ref>Joseph Kahn, [http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/042799china-protest-leader.html "Notoriety Now for Exiled Leader of Chinese Movement"], ''The New York Times'', 27 April 1999</ref> Other estimates have varied, however: Falun Gong itself claims to have as many as 100 million practitioners, while the China's Ministry of Civil Affairs later claimed that there were as few as 2 million.<ref> Xu Jiatun, [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/1999/09/08/1308 Cultural Revolution revisited in crackdown], Taipai Times, 8 September 1999.</ref> As there is no official membership or lists, current global numbers are unknown.
==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of the People's Republic of China|Culture of Hong Kong|Culture of Macau|Culture of China|Chinese mythology|Media of the People's Republic of China|Music of China|Chinese literature|Chinese art|Traditional Chinese medicine|Chinese cuisine|Cinema of China}}
{{See also|Society of the People's Republic of China|Zhonghua minzu|Han Chinese clothing|Chinese architecture|Chinese animation|List of Chinese people}}
[[File:Chinese meal.jpg|thumb|left|Chinese meal in [[Suzhou]] with [[rice]], [[shrimp]], [[eggplant]], [[Pickled tofu|fermented tofu]], [[Stir frying|vegetable stir-fry]], [[Mock duck|vegetarian duck]] with meat and [[bamboo]]]]
For centuries, opportunity for economic and social advancement in China could be provided by high performance on [[Imperial examination]]s. The literary emphasis of the exams affected the general perception of cultural refinement in China, such as the belief that [[East Asian calligraphy|calligraphy]] and literati painting were higher forms of art than dancing or drama. China's traditional values were derived from various versions of [[Confucianism]] and [[conservatism]]. A number of more [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] and [[rationalism|rational]] strains of thought have also been influential, such as [[Legalism (Chinese philosophy)|Legalism]]. There was often conflict between the philosophies, such as the [[individualism|individualistic]] [[Song Dynasty]] [[Neo-Confucianism|neo-Confucians]], who believed Legalism departed from the original spirit of Confucianism. [[Examination]]s and a [[meritocracy|culture of merit]] remain greatly valued in China today. In recent years, a number of [[New Confucianism|New Confucians]] have advocated that democratic ideals and human rights are quite compatible with traditional Confucian "Asian values."<ref>Bary, Theodore de. [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccba/cear/issues/fall97/graphics/special/debary/debary.htm "Constructive Engagement with Asian Values"]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}}. Columbia University.</ref>
[[File:Pekin przedstawienie tradycjnego teatru chinskiego 7.JPG|thumb|Beijing opera is a quintessential aspect of traditional Chinese culture and holds an important position in the world treasure of art.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.cnta.gov.cn|title=Tour Guidebook: Beijing|publisher=China National Tourism Administration}}</ref>]]
The first leaders of the People's Republic of China were born in the old society but were influenced by the [[May Fourth Movement]] and reformist ideals. They sought to change some traditional aspects of Chinese culture, such as rural land tenure, sexism, and a Confucian education, while preserving others, such as the family structure and obedience to the state. Many observers believe that the period following 1949 is a continuation of traditional Chinese [[Dynasty|dynastic]] history, while others say that the CPC's rule has damaged the foundations of Chinese culture, especially through political movements such as the [[Cultural Revolution]], where many aspects of traditional culture were labeled 'regressive and harmful' or 'vestiges of feudalism' by the regime and thus, were [[Cultural revolution#Destruction of antiques.2C historical sites and culture|destroyed]]. They further argue that many important aspects of traditional Chinese morals and culture, such as [[Confucianism]], [[Chinese art]], literature, and performing arts like [[Beijing opera]], were altered to conform to government policies and propaganda at the time.
Today, the Chinese government has accepted a great deal of traditional [[Culture of China|Chinese culture]] as an integral part of Chinese society, lauding it as an important achievement of the [[China|Chinese civilization]] and emphasizing it as vital to a [[Chinese nationalism|Chinese national identity]]. Since the Cultural Revolution ended, various forms of traditional Chinese art, literature, music, film, fashion and architecture have seen a vigorous revival,<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+cn0133) "China: Traditional arts". Library of Congress - Country Studies.] Accessed: 26 December 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-258942/China "China: Cultural life: The arts". Encyclopædia Britannica Online] Accessed: 26 December 2007.</ref> and folk and variety art in particular have gained a new found respectability, and sparked interest nationally and even worldwide.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+cn0138) "China: Folk and Variety Arts". Library of Congress - Country Studies.] Accessed: 26 December 2007.</ref>
[[File:Wangfujingbasketball.jpg|thumb|Evening pickup basketball game in a Beijing neighborhood]]
Chinese culture and the West were linked by the [[Silk Route]]. Artifacts from the history of the silk route, as well as from the natural history of the [[Gobi desert]], are displayed in the [[Silk Route Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.silkroutemuseum.com |title=Silk Route Museum |publisher=Silk Route Museum |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesilkroadfund.org/downloads/SRM_Tour_Promo.pdf |title=Tourism Guide 2009 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesilkroadfund.org/silk.pdf |title=First Annual Silk Road Museum International Arts Competition 2009 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
===Sports and recreation===
{{Main|Sport in the People's Republic of China|Sports in Hong Kong|Sports in Macau}}
{{See also|Public holidays in the People's Republic of China}}
China has one of the [[Sports in China|oldest sporting cultures]] in the world, spanning the course of several millennia. There is, in fact, evidence that a form of [[Association football|football]] was played in China in ancient times.<ref>[http://athleticscholarships.net/history-of-soccer.htm Origins of the Great Game]. 2000. Athleticscholarships.net. Retrieved 23 April 2006.</ref> Besides football,<ref>[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=370457&cc=5901 ESPN Soccernet]. 2002. ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 26 January 2006.</ref> some of the most popular sports in the country include [[Chinese martial arts|martial arts]], [[table tennis]], [[badminton]], [[swimming (sport)|swimming]], [[basketball]] and [[snooker]]. [[Board game]]s such as [[Go (board game)|Go]] (Weiqi), and [[Xiangqi]] (Chinese chess) and recently [[chess]] are also commonly played and have organized competitions.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
[[Physical fitness]] is widely emphasized in [[culture of China|Chinese culture]]. Morning exercises are a common activity and often one can find the elderly practicing [[qigong]] and [[tai chi chuan]] in parks or students doing stretches on school campuses. Young people are especially keen on [[basketball]], especially in urban centers with limited space and grass areas. The [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] has a huge following among Chinese youths, with [[Yao Ming]] being the idol of many.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/asia/2003/heroes/yao_ming.html |title=Yao Ming |accessdate=2007-03-30 |last=Beech |first=Hannah |year=2003 |work=Asian Heroes |publisher=Time Magazine }}</ref> Major sporting events were also held in [[Beijing]] such as the [[1990 Asian Games]] and the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].
Many traditional sports are also played. The popular Chinese [[dragon boat]] [[dragon boat racing|racing]] (龙舟) occurs during the [[Dragon Boat Festival]]. In [[Inner Mongolia]], sports such as [[Mongolian wrestling|Mongolian-style wrestling]] and [[horse racing]] are popular. In [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], [[archery]] and [[equestrianism]] are a part of traditional festivals.<ref>Qinfa, Ye. [http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa032301a.htm Sports History of China]. About.com. Retrieved 21 April 2006.</ref>
==Other names==
{{Main|Names of China}}
{{clear}}
==See also==
{{portal|People's Republic of China|Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg}}
* [[Index of China-related articles]]
* [[Outline of China]]
==References==
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{{Reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
{{sisterlinks|China}}
*{{cite book|last=Chang|first=Jung|title=Wild Swans|year=1992|publisher=Doubleday |isbn=0385425473}}
*Farah, Paolo, ''Five Years of China’s WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives on China’s Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism'', Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, Volume 33, Number 3, pp. 263–304, 2006. [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=916768 Abstract].
*Heilig, Gerhard K., ''[http://www.china-profile.com/bib/bib_start.htm China Bibliography - Online].'' 2006, 2007.
*{{cite book |last=Lynch |first=Michael |title=People’s Republic of China 1949–90 |year=1998 |publisher=[[Trafalgar Square Publishing]] |isbn=0-340-68853-X}}
*{{cite book |last=Murphey |first=Rhoads |title=East Asia: A New History |year=1996 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |isbn=0-321-07801-2 }}
*{{cite book |author=Sang Ye |title=China Candid: The People on the People's Republic |year=2006 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location= |isbn=0-520-24514-8}}
*{{cite book |last=Selden |first=Mark |title=The People's Republic of China: Documentary History of Revolutionary Change |year=1979 |publisher=Monthly Review Press|location=New York |isbn=0853455325}}
*{{cite book |last=Terrill |first=Ross |title=The New Chinese Empire, And What It Means For The United States |year=2003 |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York |isbn=0-465-08412-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Thurston |first=Anne F. |title=China Bound: A Guide to Academic Life and Work in the PRC |year=1994 |publisher=[[National Academies Press]]|location=Washington |isbn=0-309-04932-6}}
==External links==
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{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Overviews'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/china/home.html People's Daily: China at a Glance]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm BBC News — ''Country Profile: China'']
*{{CIA World Factbook link|ch|China}}
*[http://www.monthlyreview.org/1105wu.htm "Rethinking ‘Capitalist Restoration’ in China"] by Yiching Wu
</div>
'''Documentaries'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/china/ "China on the Rise"] PBS Online NewsHour. October 2005.
*''[http://www.nytimes.com/specials/chinarises/intro/index.html China Rises]'' a documentary co-produced by ''The New York Times'', ''Discovery Times'', CBC, ZDF, France 5 and S4C. 9 April 2006.
*[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/red/ ''China in the Red''], 1998–2001. PBS Frontline.
*''[http://www.pbs.org/kqed/chinainside/ China From the Inside]'' A documentary series co-produced by KQED Public Television and Granada Television.
</div>
'''Government'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://english.gov.cn/ The Central People's Government of People's Republic of China (English)]
*[http://www.china.org.cn/ China's Official Gateway for News & Information (English)]
</div>
{{col-2}}
'''Studies'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://ifri.org/files/Securite_defense/Prolif_Paper_Minxin_Pei.pdf Assertive Pragmatism: China's Economic Rise and Its Impact on Chinese Foreign Policy] – analysis by Minxin Pei, IFRI Proliferation Papers n°15, 2006
*[http://www.globalpolitician.com/articles.asp?ID=341 The Dragon's Dawn: China as a Rising Imperial Power] 11 February 2005.
*[http://www.china-profile.com/history/hist_list_1.htm History of The People's Republic of China] Timeline of Key Events since 1949.
*[http://www.danwei.org/ Media, advertising, and urban life in China.]
</div>
'''Travel'''
<div class="references-small">
*{{wikitravel|China}}
</div>
'''Maps'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=China&ll=30.600094,103.710938&spn=64.10009,177.1875&om=1 Google Maps - China]
*[http://www.china-profile.com/maps/map_overview_1.htm Google Maps - China] Interesting locations
{{Wikiatlas|the People's Republic of China}}
</div>
{{col-end}}
{{editsection}}
{{People's Republic of China topics}}
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New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext ) | '{{Redirect|PRC}}
{{Distinguish2|the [[Republic of China]]}}
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2. Please refrain from adding a flagicon in the disambiguation link.
(DO NOT EDIT THE ABOVE SECTION WITHOUT DISCUSSION ON [[Talk: People's Republic of China]])
-->{{pp-move-indef}}{{contains Chinese text}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = <center>中华人民共和国<small>{{Ref label|names|a|}}</small><br />''Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó''</center>
|conventional_long_name = People's Republic of China
|common_name = China
|image_flag = Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
|image_coat = National Emblem of the People's Republic of China.svg
|symbol_type = Emblem
|image_map = People's Republic of China (orthographic projection).svg
|map_width = 220px
|national_anthem = "义勇军进行曲"<br/>([[March of the Volunteers]])
|official_languages = {{nobr|[[Standard Mandarin]] (spoken)<ref name="langlaw">[http://www.gov.cn/english/laws/2005-09/19/content_64906.htm Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language (Order of the President No.37)]</ref>}}<br />[[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified Chinese]] (written)<ref name="langlaw"/>
|languages_type = [[National language]]
|languages = {{nobr|[[Standard Mandarin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinatoday.com/general/a.htm |title=General Information of the People's Republic of China |publisher=Chinatoday.com |date=1949-10-01 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> (spoken)}}<br />[[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified Chinese]] (written)
|regional_languages = {{nobr|''See [[Languages of China]]''}}
|ethnic_groups = 91% [[Han Chinese|Han]]; 11+ minorities<br>{{collapsible list|title=[[List of ethnic groups in China|List of ethnic groups]]<br>|91.6% [[Han Chinese|Han]]|1.30% [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]]|0.86% [[Manchu]]|0.79% [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]]|0.79% [[Hui people|Hui]]|0.72% [[Miao people|Miao]]|0.65% [[Yi people|Yi]]|0.62% [[Tujia]]|0.47% [[Ethnic Mongols in China|Mongol]]|0.44% [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]]|0.26% [[Buyei]]|0.15% [[Koreans in China|Korean]]|1.05% other}}
|capital = [[Beijing]]
|latd=39 |latm=55 |latNS=N |longd=116 |longm=23 |longEW=E
|largest_city = [[Shanghai]]
|demonym = [[Chinese people|Chinese]]
|government_type = [[Socialist state]],<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-71005/China The role of the government, China], Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved on 21-02-2007.</ref><br/>[[Single-party state|Single-party]] [[communist state]],<br/>[[People's democratic dictatorship]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theory.people.com.cn/BIG5/49150/49152/5792291.html |title=People's Daily article on People's democratic republic|publisher=Theory.people.com.cn |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
|leader_title1 = [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Hu Jintao]]
|leader_title2 = [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier]]
|leader_name2 = [[Wen Jiabao]]
|leader_title3 = {{nobr|<small>[[Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|Chairman of NPCSC]]</small>}}
|leader_name3 = [[Wu Bangguo]]
|leader_title4 = {{nobr|<small>[[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|Chairman of CPPCC]]</small>}}
|leader_name4 = [[Jia Qinglin]]
|legislature = [[National People's Congress]]
|sovereignty_type = [[History of China|Establishment]]
|established_event1 = People's Republic of China proclaimed.
|established_date1 = 1 October 1949
|area_footnote ={{Ref label|territory|c|}} or 9,671,018 km<sup>2</sup>{{Ref label|territory|c|}}
|area_km2 = 9,640,821
|area_sq_mi = 3704427 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|area_rank = 3rd/4th
|area_magnitude = 1 E12
|percent_water = 2.8{{Ref label|mainland|c|}}
|population_estimate = 1,345,751,000<ref name=unpop>{{cite paper | url=http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf | title=World Population Prospects, Table A.1| version=2008 revision | format=.PDF | publisher=United Nations | author=Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Population Division | date=2009 | accessdate= 2009-03-12}}</ref>
|population_estimate_year = 2009
|population_estimate_rank = 1st
|population_census = 1,242,612,226
|population_census_year = 2000
|pop_den_footnote =
|population_density_km2 = 139.6
|population_density_sq_mi = 363.3 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 53rd
|GDP_nominal = $4.327 trillion<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 3rd
|GDP_nominal_year = 2008
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $3,259<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 104th <!---IMF--->
|GDP_PPP_year = 2008
|GDP_PPP = $7.926 trillion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=924&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=52&pr.y=6 |title=People's Republic of China|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2009-10-01}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 2nd
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $5,970<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 100th
|Gini = 47.0<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2172.html CIA World Factbook] [Gini rankings]</ref>
|Gini_year = 2007
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.772<ref>[http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf Human Development Report 2009]. The United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009</ref>
|HDI_rank = 92nd
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#fc0;">medium</span>
|currency = [[Renminbi]] (¥)
|currency_code = CNY
|time_zone = [[China Standard Time]]
|utc_offset = +8
|date_format = yyyy-mm-dd <br />''or'' yyyy{{lang|zh|年}}m{{lang|zh|月}}d{{lang|zh|日}} <br />([[Common Era|CE]]; [[Chinese calendar|CE-1949]])
|drives_on = right, except for [[Hong Kong]] & [[Macau]]
|cctld = [[.cn]]{{Ref label|mainland|b|}}
|calling_code = [[+86]]{{Ref label|mainland|b|}}
|footnotes =
a. {{note|names}} See also [[Name of China#Official names|Names of China]].
b. {{note|mainland}} Information for [[mainland China]] only. [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]] are excluded. In addition, the territories under the jurisdiction of the [[Republic of China]], commonly known as [[Taiwan]], are also excluded.
c. {{note|territory}} 9,598,086 km<sup>2</sup> Excludes all disputed territories.<br /> 9,640,821 km<sup>2</sup> Includes PRC-administered area ([[Aksai Chin]] and [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]], both territories claimed by India), Taiwan is not included.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.net/china/2008-01/24/content_6418067.htm |title=GDP expands 11.4 percent, fastest in 13 years |publisher=Chinadaily.net |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref>
}}
The '''People's Republic of China''' ('''PRC''') ({{zh|s={{linktext|lang=cmn-Hans|中华|人民|共和国}}|t={{linktext|lang=cmn-Hant|中華|人民|共和國}}|p={{linktext|lang=cmn-Latn|Zhōnghuá| Rénmín| Gònghéguó}}}} {{Audio|Zh-Zhonghua renmin gongheguo.ogg|listen}}), commonly known as '''[[China]]''', is the largest [[country]] in [[East Asia]] and the [[List of countries by population|most populous]] in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population. It is a [[Socialism with Chinese characteristics|socialist]] [[Socialist state|republic]] (specifically a [[people's democratic dictatorship]] according to its [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution]]) ruled by the [[Communist Party of China]] under a [[Single-party state|single-party]] system,<ref>{{cite book|last=Walton|first=Greg|coauthors=International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development|title=China's golden shield: corporations and the development of surveillance technology in the People's Republic of China|publisher=Rights & Democracy|date=2001|pages=5|chapter=Executive Summary|isbn=9782922084429|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=S9rP0A2q14UC&lpg=PA4&ots=LH0GtACK-m&dq=single-party%20%22people's%20republic%20of%20china%22&lr=&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=%22single-party%20state%22&f=false|accessdate=2009-08-29}}</ref> and has jurisdiction over 22 [[Province (China)|provinces]]<!--these are ONLY the provinces the PRC has jurisdictional control over. It is already mentioned as disputed in the "Administrative divisions" section below.-->, five [[Autonomous regions of China|autonomous regions]] ([[Xinjiang]], [[Inner Mongolia]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], [[Ningxia]], and [[Guangxi]]), four [[Direct-controlled municipality|municipalities]] (Beijing, [[Tianjin]], [[Shanghai]], and [[Chongqing]]), and two highly autonomous<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration|title=Sino-British Joint Declaration |accessdate=2008-09-08}}</ref> [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Region]]s ([[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]). The PRC's capital is [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html
|title=CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Adopted on December 4, 1982)
|date= May 29, 2007|publisher=People.com|accessdate=2009-05-09}}</ref>
At approximately 9.6 million square kilometres (3.7 million square miles), the People's Republic of China is the world's [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|third or fourth largest country by total area]],<ref>Area rank is disputed with the United States and is either ranked third or fourth. See [[List of countries and outlying territories by area]] for more information.</ref> and the second largest by land area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/countrycompare/area/3d.html;_ylt=As1XMsN8kgSx746VWazy_s7PecYF|title=Area Country Comparison Table|accessdate=2009-03-18}}</ref> Its landscape is diverse with [[Mongolian-Manchurian grassland|forest steppes]] and [[desert]]s (the [[Gobi Desert|Gobi]] and [[Taklamakan Desert|Taklamakan]]) in the dry north near [[Mongolia]] and Russia's [[Siberia]], and [[subtropical]] forests in the wet south close to [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], and [[Myanmar]]. The terrain in the west is rugged and [[high altitude]], with the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Tian Shan]] mountain ranges forming China's natural borders with [[India]] and [[Central Asia]]. In contrast, mainland China's eastern seaboard is low-lying and has a 14,500-kilometre long coastline bounded on the southeast by the [[South China Sea]] and on the east by the [[East China Sea]] beyond which lies [[Taiwan]], [[Korea]], and [[Japan]].
The ancient [[Chinese civilization]]—one of the world's earliest—flourished in the fertile basin of the [[Yellow River]] which flows through the [[North China Plain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/China2004/106396.htm |title=Rivers and Lakes |publisher=China.org.cn |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> For over 4,000 years, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies (also known as dynasties). The first of these dynasties was the [[Xia Dynasty|Xia]] but it was later the [[Qin Dynasty]] who first unified China in 221 BC. The last dynasty, the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]], ended in 1911 with the founding of the [[Republic of China]] (ROC) by the Nationalist [[Kuomintang]] (KMT). The first half of the 20th century saw China plunged into a period of [[Chinese Civil War|disunity and civil wars]] that divided the country into two main political camps – the Kuomintang and the [[Communist Party of China|Communists]]. Major hostilities ended in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established in [[mainland China]] by the victorious Communists. The KMT-led Republic of China government retreated to [[Taipei]], its jurisdiction now limited to [[Republic of China|Taiwan]] and several outlying islands. As of today, the PRC is still involved in disputes with the ROC over issues of sovereignty and the [[political status of Taiwan]].
China's importance in the world today<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=693 |title=Review of "China: The Balance Sheet -- What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower" |accessdate=2007-12-24 |last=Gordon |first=Peter |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=The Asia Review of Books}}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjir/6.1.03_miller.html |title=China an Emerging Superpower? |accessdate=2007-12-24 |last=Miller |first=Lyman |publisher=Stanford Journal of International Relations}}</ref> is reflected through its role as the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|third largest economy]] nominally (or [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|second largest]] by [[purchasing power parity|PPP]]) and a [[United Nations Security Council#Permanent members|permanent member]] of the [[United Nations|UN]] [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] as well as being a member of several other multilateral organizations including the [[WTO]], [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]], [[East Asia Summit]], and [[Shanghai Cooperation Organization]]. In addition, it is a recognized [[List of states with nuclear weapons|nuclear weapons state]] and has the world's [[List of countries by number of active troops|largest standing army]] with the [[List of countries by military expenditures|second largest defense budget]]. China is the largest foreign holder of [[U.S. public debt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE58M25U20090923|title=Factbox: U.S.-China Interdependence Outweighs Trade Spat|publisher=Reuters|date=2009-09-23|accessdate=2009-09-25}}</ref>
Since the introduction of market-based economic reforms in 1978, China has become one of the world's [[List of countries by GDP (real) growth rate|fastest growing economies]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm |title=Country profile: China |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-07-01 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> and the world's [[List of countries by exports|second largest exporter]] and the [[List of countries by imports|third largest importer]] of goods. Rapid industrialization has reduced its poverty rate from 53% in 1981 to 8% in 2001.<ref>[http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,contentMDK:20634060~pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469382,00.html Fighting Poverty: Findings and Lessons from China’s Success] (World Bank). Retrieved 10 August 2006.</ref> However, the PRC is now faced with a number of other problems including a rapidly aging population due to the [[one-child policy]],<ref> [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nationworld/stories/081108dnmetagingchina.43a6e47.html Jim Landers [China's rapidly aging population may strain its economy August 11, 2008. Accessed October 15, 2008].</ref> a widening rural-urban income gap, and [[Pollution|environmental degradation]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/world/asia/29china.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6247119.stm |title=Asia-Pacific | China fails environment targets |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-01-10 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> Moreover, China has been criticized for its [[human rights]] violations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/china/page.do?id=1011134 |title=China Human Rights |publisher=Amnestyusa.org |date=2008-04-01 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> and for having a problematic record of interfering with [[press freedom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/en-rapport57-China.html |title=Reporters Sans Frontières |publisher=Rsf.org |date=2009-04-30 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|limit=3}}
==History==
{{Main|History of China|History of the People's Republic of China|History of Hong Kong|History of Macau}}
[[File:PRCFounding.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mao Zedong]] proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949.]]
Major combat in the [[Chinese Civil War]] ended in 1949 with the Communist Party of China in control of mainland China, and the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) retreating to [[Taiwan]]. On 1 October 1949, [[Mao Zedong]] proclaimed the People's Republic of China.<ref>[http://www.isop.ucla.edu/eas/documents/mao490921.htm The Chinese people have stood up]. UCLA Center for East Asian Studies. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> "Communist China" or "Red China" were two of the names of the PRC.<ref>Smith, Joseph. Davis, Simon. [2005] (2005). The A to Z of the Cold War. Issue 28 of Historical dictionaries of war, revolution, and civil unrest. Volume 8 of A to Z guides. Scarecrow Press publisher. ISBN 0810853841, 9780810853843.</ref>
The economic and social plan known as the [[Great Leap Forward]] resulted in an estimated 36 million deaths.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chinaelections.org/newsinfo.asp?newsid=18328 |title=A hunger for truth: a new book banned on the mainland, is becoming the definitive account of the Great Famine |publisher=En.chinaelections.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the [[Cultural Revolution]], which would last until Mao's death a decade later. The Cultural Revolution, motivated by power struggles within the Party and a fear of the [[Soviet Union]], led to a major upheaval in Chinese society. In 1972, at the peak of the [[Sino-Soviet split]], Mao and [[Zhou Enlai]] met [[Richard Nixon]] in Beijing to establish relations with the United States. In the same year, the PRC was admitted to the [[United Nations]], [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758|replacing the Republic of China]] for China's membership of the [[United Nations]], and permanent membership of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]].
The [[1976 Tangshan earthquake]], with death toll estimated to be between 240,000 to 655,000, is believed to be the largest [[earthquake]] of the 20th century by death toll.<ref>Spignesi, Stephen J. [2005] (2005). Catastrophe!: The 100 Greatest Disasters of All Time. ISBN 0806525584</ref> The [[2008 Sichuan earthquake]] that took lives of close to 70,000 was the greatest since 1976.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3918438.ece Sichuan quake recalls China's most deadly]. Times Online. May 12, 2008.</ref>
After Mao's death in 1976 and the arrest of the [[Gang of Four]], blamed for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, [[Deng Xiaoping]] quickly wrested power from Mao's anointed successor [[Hua Guofeng]]. Although he never became the head of the Party or State himself, Deng was in fact the [[Paramount Leader]] of China at that time, his influence within the Party led the country to economic reforms of significant magnitude. The Communist Party subsequently loosened governmental control over citizens' personal lives and the [[People's commune|communes]] were disbanded with many peasants receiving multiple land leases, which greatly increased incentives and agricultural production. This turn of events marked China's transition from a planned economy to a [[mixed economy]] with an increasingly open market environment, a system termed by some<ref>[[Martin Hart-Landsberg]] and [[Paul Burkett]]. [http://www.monthlyreview.org/chinaandsocialism.htm "China and Socialism. Market Reforms and Class Struggle"]. Retrieved 30 October 2008.</ref> "[[market socialism]]". The PRC adopted its current [[constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution]] on 4 December 1982.
In 1989, the death of pro-reform official, [[Hu Yaobang]], helped to spark the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]], during which students and others campaigned for several months for more [[democracy|democratic]] rights and [[freedom of speech]]. However, they were eventually put down on 4 June when [[People's Liberation Army|PLA]] troops and vehicles entered and forcibly cleared the square, resulting in numerous casualties. This event was widely reported and [[Tank Man|famously videotaped]], which brought worldwide condemnation and sanctions against the government.
President [[Jiang Zemin]] and Premier [[Zhu Rongji]], both former mayors of [[Shanghai]], led post-Tiananmen PRC in the 1990s. Under Jiang Zemin's ten years of administration, the PRC's economic performance pulled an estimated 150 million peasants out of poverty and sustained an average annual [[gross domestic product|GDP]] [[economic growth|growth rate]] of 11.2%.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-07/11/content_244499.htm Nation bucks trend of global poverty] (11 July 2003). China Daily</ref><ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200003/01/eng20000301X115.html China's Average Economic Growth in 90s Ranked 1st in World] (1 March 2000). People's Daily Online.</ref> The country formally joined the [[World Trade Organization]] in 2001.
Although the PRC needs economic growth to spur its development, the government has begun to worry that rapid economic growth has negatively impacted the country's resources and environment. Another concern is that certain sectors of society are not sufficiently benefiting from the PRC's economic development. As a result, under current President [[Hu Jintao]] and Premier [[Wen Jiabao]], the PRC has initiated policies to address these issues of equitable distribution of resources, but the outcome remains to be seen.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4913622.stm "China worried over pace of growth"]. BBC. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> More than 40 million farmers have been displaced from their land,<ref>[http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=3166_0_3_0 China: Migrants, Students, Taiwan]. Migration News. January 2006.</ref> usually for economic development, contributing to the 87,000 demonstrations and riots across China in 2005.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701588.html In Face of Rural Unrest, China Rolls Out Reforms]. The Washington Post. January 28, 2006.</ref> For much of the PRC's population in major urban centres, [[standard of living|living standards]] have seen extremely large improvements, and freedom continues to expand, but political controls remain tight and rural areas poor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/etc/transcript.html|title=''Frontline'': ''The Tank Man'' transcript| accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2006-04-11 |work=Frontline |publisher=PBS}}</ref>
==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of the People's Republic of China}}<!--Please add new information to relevant articles of the series-->
{{See also|Government of the People's Republic of China|Chinese nationalism|Propaganda in the People's Republic of China|Chinese law|Politics of the Republic of China|Neoconservatism in China|Politics of Hong Kong|Politics of Macau}}
[[File:Tiananmen Square Visit.jpg|thumb|The [[Great Hall of the People]], where the [[National People's Congress]] convenes.]]
The PRC is regarded by several [[Political science|political scientists]] as one of the last five [[Communist state]]s (along with [[Vietnam]], [[North Korea]], [[Laos]], and [[Cuba]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/11/inordinate_fear.html |title=Randall Hoven, 7 November 2007 American Thinker |publisher=Americanthinker.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>Cienciala, Anna(1996). [http://web.ku.edu/~eceurope/communistnationssince1917/intro.html The Rise and Fall of Communist Nations 1917-1994]. Retrieved 16 October 2008.</ref><ref> Juan Carlos Espinosa[http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/asce/cuba9/espinosa.pdf Civil Society in Cuba: The logic of emergence in comparative perspective, Retrieved 16 October 2008]</ref> but simple characterizations of PRC's [[political structure]] since the 1980s are no longer possible.<ref>Boum, Aomar (1999). [http://jpe.library.arizona.edu/volume_6/goodmanonoivol6.htm Journal of Political Ecology: Case Studies in History and Society]. Retrieved 5 May 2007.</ref> The PRC government has been variously described as [[communism|communist]] and [[socialism|socialist]], but also as [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]], with heavy restrictions remaining in many areas, most notably on [[Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China|the Internet]], [[freedom of the press|the press]], [[freedom of assembly]], [[reproductive rights]], and [[freedom of religion]].
However, compared to its closed-door policies until the mid-1970s, the liberalization of the PRC is such that the administrative climate is much less restrictive than before, though the PRC is still far from the [[liberal democracy]] practiced in most of Europe or North America, and the National People's Congress has been described as a "[[Rubber stamp (politics)|rubber stamp]]" body.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/china_politics/government/html/7.stm |title=BBC, Country Report: China |publisher=BBC News |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> The PRC's incumbent [[President]] is [[Hu Jintao]] and its [[Premier]] is [[Wen Jiabao]].
The country is run by the [[Communist Party of China]] (CPC), which is guaranteed power by the Constitution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html |title=Constitution Of The People'S Republic Of China |publisher=English.people.com.cn |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> There are other political parties in the PRC, referred to in China as "democratic parties", which participate in the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|People's Political Consultative Conference]] and the [[National People's Congress]]. There have been some moves toward political liberalization, in that open contested elections are now held at the village and town levels,<ref name="poll">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-12/08/content_288018.htm|title=Beijingers Get Greater Poll Choices|accessdate = 2007-02-18|publisher=China Daily|year=2003|author=Unknown Author}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib775/aib775n.pdf "Does China’s Land-Tenure System Discourage Structural Adjustment?" by Bryan Lohmar and Agapi Somwaru]. 1 May 2006. USDA Economic Research Service. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> and that legislatures have shown some assertiveness from time to time. However, the Party retains effective control over government appointments: in the absence of meaningful opposition, the CPC wins by default most of the time. Political concerns in the PRC include lessening the growing gap between rich and poor and fighting corruption within the government leadership.<ref>[http://www.mindfully.org/WTO/China-Wealth-Gap11may02.htm China sounds alarm over fast-growing gap between rich and poor]. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
The level of support that the Communist Party of China has among the PRC population in general is unclear since there are no consistently contested national elections.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} According to a survey titled "''Top 10 political figures in Mainland China and Taiwan"'' conducted in Hong Kong, approximately 1000 participants were given a list of 10 well-known political leaders in Mainland China and Taiwan. Mainland leaders (such as [[Wen Jiabao]], [[Zhu Rongji]] and [[Hu Jintao]]) have received higher rating than leaders in Taiwan (such as [[Chen Shui-bian]], [[Ma Ying-jeou]] and [[Lien Chan]]).<ref>[http://hkupop.hku.hk/english/release/release361.html University of Hong Kong releases the latest ratings of the top 10 political figures in Mainland China and Taiwan as well as people's appraisal of past Chinese leaders"]. 4 April 2006. accessed 3 May 2006.</ref>
===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:Hu Jintao Bush.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hu Jintao]] with then-[[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]]]
The People's Republic of China maintains diplomatic relations with most major countries in the world. [[Sweden]] was the first western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic on 9 May 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinaembassy.se/eng/zrgx/t100751.htm |title=China and Sweden |publisher=Chinaembassy.se |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> In 1971, the PRC replaced the [[Republic of China]] as the sole representative of China in the [[United Nations]] and as one of the five permanent members of the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref>Eddy Chang (22 August 2004). [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2004/08/22/2003199768 Perseverance will pay off at the UN] The Taipei Times.</ref> The PRC was also a former member and leader of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]].
Under its interpretation of the [[One-China policy]], the PRC has made it a precondition to establishing diplomatic relations that the other country acknowledges its claim to [[Taiwan]] and severs official ties with the [[Republic of China]] government. The government opposes publicized foreign travels by former and present ROC officials promoting [[Taiwan independence|Taiwan's independence]], such as [[Lee Teng-hui]] and [[Chen Shui-bian]], and other politically controversial figures, such as [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Tenzin Gyatso]], the [[Dalai Lama]] of [[Tibetan Buddhism]], in an official context{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}.
The PRC has been playing an increasing role in calling for [[free trade area]]s and security pacts amongst its Asia-Pacific neighbors. In 2004, the PRC proposed an entirely new [[East Asia Summit]] (EAS) framework as a forum for regional security issues that pointedly excluded the United States.<ref>Dillon, Dana and John Tkacik Jr, [http://www.policyreview.org/134/dillon.html "China’s Quest for Asia"], ''Policy Review'', December 2005 and January 2006, Issue No. 134. Retrieved 22 April 2006.</ref> The EAS, which includes [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three|ASEAN Plus Three]], India, Australia and New Zealand, held its inaugural summit in 2005. The PRC is also a founding member of the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]] (SCO), with Russia and the [[Central Asia]]n republics.
Sinophobic attitudes often target Chinese minorities and nationals living outside of China. Sometimes the anti-Chinese attitudes turn violent, such as the [[May 13 Incident]] in Malaysia in 1969 and the [[Jakarta riots of May 1998]] in Indonesia, in which more than 2,000 people died.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4323219 Malaysia's race rules]. The Economist Newspaper Limited ([[2005]]-[[08-25]]). Requires login.</ref> In recent years, a number of anti-Chinese riots and incidents have also occurred in [[Africa]] and [[Oceania]].<ref>"[http://en.afrik.com/article16008.html Algeria: Xenophobia against Chinese on the rise in Africa]". Afrik.com. August 5, 2009.</ref><ref>"[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25524906-2703,00.html Looters shot dead amid chaos of Papua New Guinea's anti-Chinese riots]". The Australian. May 23, 2009.</ref> Anti-Chinese sentiment is often rooted in socio-economics.<ref>"[http://media.economist.com/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=14207132 Overseas and under siege]". The Economist. August 11, 2009.</ref>
Much of the current foreign policy is based on the concept of [[China's peaceful rise]]. Conflicts with foreign countries have occurred at times in its recent history, particularly with the United States; for example, the [[NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade|U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy]] in [[Belgrade]] during the [[Kosovo War|Kosovo conflict]] in May 1999 and the [[Hainan Island incident|U.S.-China spy plane incident]] in April 2001. Its foreign relations with many Western nations suffered for a time following the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]], though they have since recovered.
The relationship between [[Sino-Japanese relations|China and Japan]] has been strained at times by Japan's refusal to acknowledge its [[World War II|wartime]] past to the satisfaction of the PRC; take for instance [[Historical revisionism|revisionist]] comments made by prominent Japanese officials and in some [[Japanese history textbook controversies|Japanese history textbooks]]. Another point of conflict between the two countries is the frequent visits by Japanese government officials to the [[Yasukuni Shrine]]. However, Sino-Japanese relations have warmed considerably since [[Shinzo Abe]] became the new Japanese Prime Minister in September 2006. A joint historical study to be completed by 2008 of [[Japanese war crimes|WWII atrocities]] is being conducted by the PRC and Japan.
Equally bordering the most countries in the world alongside Russia, the PRC was in a number of [[Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China#International territorial disputes|international territorial disputes]]. China's territorial disputes have led to localized wars in the last 50 years, including the [[Sino-Indian War]] in 1962, the [[Sino-Soviet border conflict]] in 1969, and the [[Sino-Vietnamese War]] in 1979. In 2001, the PRC and Russia signed the [[2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship|Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship]],<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-03/21/content_548330.htm Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation] (21 March 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> which paved the way in 2004 for Russia to transfer [[Yinlong Island]] as well as one-half of [[Heixiazi]] to China, ending a long-standing [[Sino-Russian relations|Sino-Russian]] border dispute. Other territorial disputes include islands in the [[East China Sea|East]] and [[South China Sea]]s, and undefined or disputed land borders with India and [[Bhutan]].
While accompanying a rapid economic rise, the PRC since the 1990s seeks to maintain a policy of quiet diplomacy with its neighbors. It does so by keeping economic growth steady and participating in regional organizations and cultivating bi-lateral relations in order to ease suspicion over China's burgeoning military capabilities. The PRC has started a policy of [[Chinese involvement in Africa|wooing African nations]] for trade and bilateral co-operation.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0330/p01s01-woaf.html. Abraham McLaughlin, "A rising China counters US clout in Africa", ''The Christian Science Monitor'', 30 March 2005 edition. [http://www.cfr.org/publication/8436/ Princeton N. Lyman. "China’s Rising Role in Africa", 21 July 2005 Council of Foreign Relations]. Retrieved 26 June 2007.</ref> Xinhua, China's official news agency, states that there are no less than 750,000 Chinese nationals working or living in [[Africa]].<ref>"[http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=690 China and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration]". Malia Politzer, ''Migration Information Source''. August 2008</ref> There are some discussions about whether China will become a [[Potential superpowers#China|new superpower]] in the [[Chinese Century|21st century]], with certain commentators pointing out its economic progress, military might, very large population, and increasing international influence but others claiming it is headed for economic collapse.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/magazine/27world-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin|title=Waving Goodbye to Hegemony|publisher=New York Times|last=Khanna|first=Parag|date=2008-01-27|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=848|title=China as a global power|publisher=University of Southern California US-China Institute|date=2007-11-13|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/4591,opinion,chinas-bad-loans-will-ruin-us-all|title=The Dragon’s catastrophic potential|publisher=The First Post|author=Philip Delves Broughton|date=2004-01-23|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/s6_29.asp|title=China's utterly distorted economy is a train wreck waiting to happen|publisher=World Tribune|last=Sanders|first=Sol|date=2007-06-29|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/FA23Dj01.html|title=China-US: Double bubbles in danger of colliding|publisher=Asia Times|last=Williams|first=Ian|date=2004-01-23|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref>
===Human rights===
{{Main|Human rights in the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:TiananmennBrutality.jpg|thumb|right|[[Human rights]] groups have been critical of China's treatment of [[religious freedom|religious]] and [[press freedom]]s]]
While economic and social controls have been greatly relaxed in China since the 1970s, [[political freedom]] is still tightly controlled by both central and local governments. The [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]] states that the "fundamental rights" of citizens include [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of the press]], the [[right to a fair trial]], [[freedom of religion]], [[universal suffrage]], and [[Property|property rights]]. However, these provisions do not afford significant protection in practice against criminal prosecution by the State.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrw.org/en/world-report-2009/china |title=Human Rights Watch, World Report 2009 |publisher=Hrw.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>''Will the Boat Sink the Water?: The Life of China's Peasants'' / [[Chen Guidi]] and Wu Chuntao (2006) ISBN 1586483587</ref><ref>''Empire of Lies: The Truth About China in the Twenty-First Century'' / [[Guy Sorman]] (2008) ISBN 1594032165</ref>
Tens of millions who have moved to the cities find themselves treated as [[second class citizen]]s by China's urban population, who tend to look down on country folk.<ref name=ruralmillions>{{cite web|last=Wingfield |first=Rupert |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4782194.stm |title=China’s rural millions left behind |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-03-07 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> There is dissatisfaction from [[peasant]]s as a result of land seizures by the wealthy [[middle class]] of the cities.<ref name=ruralmillions/> Official [[discrimination]], such as in the [[hukou system]] of household registration, between [[rural]] and [[Urban area|urban]] is often described as an [[apartheid]] system.<ref name=apartheid>{{cite web|last=Luard |first=Tim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4424944.stm |title=China rethinks peasant apartheid |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-11-10 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> Today, a farmer has to pay three times more in taxes even though his income is one sixth that of the average urban dweller.<ref name=apartheid/>
[[Censorship in the People's Republic of China|Censorship]] of political speech and information is openly and routinely used to silence criticism of government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party.<ref name=right>[http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/hr_facts.html China Human Rights Fact Sheet] (March 1995). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> In particular, press control is notoriously tight: [[Reporters Without Borders]] considers the PRC one of the least free countries in the world for the press.<ref name = "rsf.org-554">{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=554 |title=Reporters sans frontières - Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index - 2005 |publisher=Rsf.org |date=2009-04-30 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> In the [[Reporters Without Borders]]' Annual World Press Freedom Index of 2005,<ref name = "rsf.org-554"/> the PRC ranked 159 out of 167 places.
Chinese journalist [[He Qinglian]] in her 2004 book ''Media Control in China''<ref>[http://hrichina.org/public/contents/article?revision%5fid=29582&item%5fid=29576 Media Control in China] published 2004 by Human Rights in China, New York. Revised edition 2006 published by Liming Cultural Enterprises of Taiwan</ref> documents government controls on the [[Internet]] and other media in China. The government has a policy of limiting groups, organizations, and beliefs that it considers a potential threat to "social stability" and control, as was the case with the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]]. The Communist Party has had mixed success in controlling information: a very strong media control system faces very strong market forces, an increasingly educated citizenry, and cultural change that are making China more open, especially on environmental issues.<ref>[http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/chplca.htm 1998 U.S. Embassy Beijing report "The Fading of Environmental Secrecy"]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}}. Retrieved 4 February 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/ngo3.htm 1997 U.S. Embassy Beijing report "Environmental NGOs in China: Green is Good, But Don't Openly Oppose the Party"]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}}. Retrieved 4 February 2007.</ref> <!-- should be a comment here about the internet freedom issue and no more apologetics -->
A number of foreign governments and [[non-governmental organization|NGO]]s routinely criticize the PRC, alleging widespread civil rights violations including systematic use of lengthy detention without trial, forced confessions, torture, mistreatment of prisoners, restrictions of freedom of speech, [[freedom of assembly|assembly]], [[freedom of association|association]], religion, the press, and [[labor rights]].<ref name=right /> China leads the world in [[capital punishment]], accounting for roughly 90% of total executions in 2004.<ref>http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0405-07.htm 5 April 2005. Accessed 23 June 2006. ''The Independent/UK'' article, republished.</ref> Civil rights issues are one of the factors driving independence movements in [[Tibet]] and [[Xinjiang]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}
The PRC government has responded by arguing that the notion of human rights should take into account a country's present level of [[economic development]], and focus more on the people's rights to subsistence and development in poorer countries.<ref name = "yqlgro">[http://english.gov.cn/official/2005-07/28/content_18115.htm "China's Progress in Human Rights"] July 2005, Accessed: 18 April 2008.</ref> The rise in the [[standard of living]], [[literacy]], and [[life expectancy]] for the average Chinese in the last three decades is seen by the government as tangible progress made in human rights.<ref>[http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/first%20beginning/t56058.htm "China's reform and opening-up promotes human rights, says premier"]. 11 December 2003. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. Retrieved 28 April 2006.</ref> Efforts in the past decade to combat deadly natural disasters, such as the perennial [[Yangtze River]] floods, and work-related accidents are also portrayed in China as progress in human rights for a still largely poor country.<ref name = "yqlgro"/>
==Administrative divisions==
{{Main|Administrative divisions of China|Administrative divisions of Hong Kong|Administrative divisions of Macau}}
{{See also|List of cities in the People's Republic of China|Names of the territories of the People's Republic of China in Simplified and Traditional Chinese}}
The People's Republic of China has administrative control over twenty-two [[Province (China)|provinces]] and considers [[Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China|Taiwan]] to be its twenty-third province.<ref>Gwillim Law (2 April 2005). [http://www.statoids.com/ucn.html Provinces of China]. Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> There are also five [[Autonomous regions of China|autonomous regions]], each with a designated minority group; four [[Direct-controlled municipality|municipalities]]; and two [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Region]]s that enjoy considerable autonomy. The twenty-two provinces, five autonomous regions, and four municipalities can be collectively referred to as "[[mainland China]]", a term which usually excludes Hong Kong and Macau.
{{PRC provinces small imagemap/province list}}
==Geography and climate==
{{Multiple image
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| image1 = China topography full res.jpg
| caption1 = Topography of China
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| caption2 = [[rapeseed]] flower field of [[North China]]
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| caption3 = Farmlands in [[East China]]
}}
{{Main|Geography of China|Geography of the People's Republic of China|Geography of Hong Kong|Geography of Macau}}
{{See also|Environment of China|Water resources of the People's Republic of China}}
{{See also|List of countries and outlying territories by total area}}
The People's Republic of China is the second largest [[country]] in Asia by [[area]] after Russia, and is considered the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|third largest]]<ref>[http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018965313021 "The People's Republic of China"] (7 September 2005). Foreign & Commonwealth Office</ref> in the world in respect to land and sea area. The uncertainty over size is related to (a) the validity of claims by China on territories such as [[Aksai Chin]] and [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]]{{Citation needed|July 2009|date=July 2009}} (both territories also claimed by India), and (b) how the total size of the United States is calculated: ''The World Factbook'' gives 9,826,630 km²,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/DYB2005/Table03.pdf|format=PDF|title=Population by Sex, Rate of Population Increase, Surface Area and Density|publisher=UN Statistics Division|work=Demographic Yearbook 2005|accessdate=2008-03-25}}</ref> and the ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' gives 9,522,055 km².<ref>{{cite web|url=http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:2lOa44xXcrgJ:www.britannica.com/eb/article-9111233/United-States+United+States+Area+encyclopedia+britannica&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us|title=United States|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|accessdate=2008-03-25}}</ref> China borders 14 nations (counted clockwise from south): [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], [[Burma]], [[India]], [[Bhutan]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]],<ref>China's border with Pakistan falls in the disputed [[Kashmir]] province. The area under Pakistani-administration is claimed by India.</ref> [[Afghanistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Russia]], [[Mongolia]] and [[North Korea]]. Additionally the border between PRC and ROC is located in [[territorial waters]].
{{Multiple image
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| caption1 = [[Tibetan Plateau]] in [[Southwest China]]
| image2 = Sanya Sun Photo by Dale Preston.jpg
| caption2 = [[South China Sea]] by [[Hainan]]
| image3 = Lijiang river, Guangxi, China.jpg
| caption3 = [[Lijiang River|Li River]] in [[Guangxi]]
}}
The territory of China contains a large variety of landscapes. In the east, along the shores of the [[Yellow Sea]] and the [[East China Sea]], there are extensive and densely populated [[alluvium|alluvial plains]], while on the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, grasslands can be seen. Southern China is dominated by hill country and low [[mountain range]]s. In the central-east are the [[river delta|deltas]] of China's two major rivers, the [[Yellow River]] and [[Yangtze River]] (Chang Jiang). Other major rivers include the [[Xi River|Xi]], [[Mekong]], [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] and [[Amur River|Amur]].
To the west, major mountain ranges, notably the [[Himalayas]], with China's highest point at the eastern half of [[Mount Everest]], and high [[plateau]]s feature among the more arid landscapes such as the [[Taklamakan Desert|Taklamakan]] and the [[Gobi Desert]].
A major issue is the continued expansion of deserts, particularly the Gobi Desert.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4915690.stm "Beijing hit by eighth sandstorm"]. BBC news. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref> Although barrier tree lines planted since the 1970s have reduced the frequency of sandstorms, prolonged [[drought]] and poor agricultural practices result in [[dust storm]]s plaguing northern China each spring, which then spread to other parts of East Asia, including [[Korea]] and Japan. China is losing a million acres per year to [[desertification]].<ref>"[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-gathering-sandstorm-encroaching-desert-missing-water-399653.html The gathering sandstorm: Encroaching desert, missing water]". The Independent. November 9, 2007.</ref> Water, [[erosion]], and pollution control have become important issues in China's relations with other countries.
China has some relevant environmental regulations: the 1979 Environmental Protection Law, which was largely modeled on U.S. legislation. But the environment continues to deteriorate.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ma Xiaoying |coauthors=Leonard Ortalano |title=Environmental Regulation in China |origyear=2000 |origmonth=May |year=2002 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers}}</ref> While the regulations are fairly stringent, they are frequently disregarded by local communities while seeking economic development. Twelve years after the law, only one Chinese city was making an effort to clean up its water discharges.<ref>Sinkule, Barbara J., ''Implementing Environmental Policy in China'', Praeger Publishers, 1995, ISBN 0-275-94980-X</ref> This indicates that China is about twenty years behind the U.S. schedule of environmental regulation.
Part of the price China is paying for increased prosperity is damage to the environment. Leading Chinese environmental campaigner [[Ma Jun (environmentalist)|Ma Jun]] has warned that water pollution is one of the most serious threats facing China. According to the [[Ministry of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Water Resources]], roughly 300 million Chinese are drinking unsafe water. This makes the crisis of water shortages more pressing, with 400 out of 600 cities short of water.<ref name="water">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/392-Tackling-China-s-water-crisis-online|title=Tackling China's Water Crisis Online|accessdate=2007-02-18|publisher=www.chinadialogue.net|year=2006|author=Ma, Jun, Li, Naomi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200412/23/eng20041223_168329.html|title=300 million Chinese drinking unsafe water|date=2004-12-23|publisher=People's Daily Online|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref> Melting glaciers in the [[Himalayas]] could lead to [[water shortage]]s for hundreds of millions of people.<ref>"[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27894721/ Himalaya glaciers melting much faster]". Msnbc.msn.com. November 24, 2008.</ref>
{{clear}}
==Military==
{{Main|People's Liberation Army}}
[[File:Shenzhen (DDG 167).jpg|thumb|[[Type 051B destroyer|''Luhai'' class destroyer]] of the [[People's Liberation Army Navy|PLAN]]]]
With 2.3 million active troops, the [[People's Liberation Army]] (PLA) is the largest military in the world.<ref>[http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/press-coverage-2005/august-2005/china-seeks-to-allay-us-fears-as-summit-nears/ China Seeks to Allay U.S. Fears as Summit Nears] (2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> The PLA consists of an [[People's Liberation Army Ground Force|army]], [[People's Liberation Army Navy|navy]], [[People's Liberation Army Air Force|air force]], and strategic [[People's Liberation Army#Nuclear weapons|nuclear]] force. The official announced [[Military budget of the People's Republic of China|budget]] of the PLA for 2009 was $70 billion. However, the United States claims China does not report its real military spending. The [[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]] estimates that the real Chinese military budget for 2008 could be anywhere from US$105 to US$150 billion.<ref> Although this is still only a fraction of US spending.[http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Power_Report_2009.pdf U.S. Department of Defense]</ref>
The PRC, despite possession of [[nuclear weapon]]s and delivery systems, is widely seen by military researchers both within and outside of China as having only limited [[power projection]] capability; this is, among other things, because of the limited effectiveness of its navy. It is considered a major military [[regional power]] and an [[Potential superpowers|emerging military superpower]].<ref>Nolt, James H. [http://www.atimes.com/china/BA27Ad01.html Analysis: The China-Taiwan military balance]. Asia Times. Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> In order to protect its critical supply lines without a power projection capability, China has been establishing foreign military relationships that have been compared to a [[String of Pearls (China)|String of Pearls]].
Much progress has been made in the last decade and the PRC continues to make efforts to modernize its military. It has purchased state-of-the-art fighter jets from Russia, such as the [[Sukhoi Su-30]]s, and has also produced its own modern fighters, specifically the Chinese [[Chengdu J-10|J-10]]s and the [[Shenyang J-11|J-11]]s.<ref>http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/j10b.asp</ref> It has also acquired and improved upon the Russian [[S-300 (missile)|S-300]] [[surface-to-air missile]] systems, which are considered to be among the best aircraft-intercepting systems in the world,<ref>[http://www.sinodefence.com/army/surfacetoairmissile/hongqi9.asp SinoDefence: Surface-to-air Missile System] (2006). Retrieved 7 July 2009.</ref> albeit Russia has since produced the new generation [[S-400 Triumf]], which has been reported to at least have been semi-developed with China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jsws/jsws9067.html |title=HQ-19 (S-400) (China) - Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems |publisher=Janes.com |date=2008-12-23 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> The PRC's armored and rapid-reaction forces have been updated with enhanced electronics and targeting capabilities. In recent years, much attention has been focused on building a [[People's Liberation Army Navy|navy]] with [[Blue-water navy|blue-water]] capability.<ref>[http://www.sinodefence.com/research/aircraft-carrier/China_Aircraft_Carrier_Ambition.pdf SinoDefence: Aircraft carrier programme] (2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref>
==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of the People's Republic of China|Economy of Hong Kong|Economy of Macau}}
[[File:Prc1952-2005gdp.gif|thumb|250px|left|Nominal [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] from 1952 to 2005.]]
{{See also|Economic history of China|Foreign exchange reserves of the People's Republic of China}}
From its founding in 1949 to late 1978, the People's Republic of China was a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-style centrally [[planned economy]]. [[Private sector|Private businesses]] and [[capitalism]] did not exist. To propel the country towards a modern, industrialized [[communist]] society, [[Mao Zedong]] instituted the [[Great Leap Forward]] which is now widely seen – both within the PRC and outside – as a major economic failure and a great humanitarian disaster.
Following Mao's death and the end of the [[Cultural Revolution]], [[Deng Xiaoping]] and the new Chinese leadership began to [[Economic reform in the People's Republic of China|reform the economy]] and move to a market-oriented [[mixed economy]] under one-party rule. China's economy is mainly characterized as a market economy based on private property ownership.<ref>http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~yqian/how%20far%20across%20the%20river.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.eastday.com/e/ICS/u1a4035916.html |title=China is already a market economy - Long Yongtu, Secretary General of Boao Forum for Asia |publisher=English.eastday.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> [[Collective farming|Collectivization]] of the [[Agriculture in China|agriculture]] was dismantled and farmlands were privatized to increase productivity.
A wide variety of small-scale enterprises were encouraged while the government relaxed price controls and promoted foreign investment. Foreign trade was focused upon as a major vehicle of growth, which led to the creation of [[Special Economic Zone]]s (SEZs) first in [[Shenzhen]] (near [[Hong Kong]]) and then in other Chinese cities. Inefficient [[Government-owned corporation|state-owned enterprises]] (SOEs) were restructured by introducing western-style management system and the unprofitable ones were closed, resulting in massive job losses.
[[File:Shanghai Stock Exchange Building.jpg|thumb|[[Shanghai Stock Exchange]] building at [[Shanghai]]'s [[Pudong]] financial district]]
Since economic liberalization began in 1978, the PRC's investment- and export-led<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-11/21/content_7228346.htm China must be cautious in raising consumption] China Daily. Retrieved on February 8, 2009.</ref> economy has grown 70 times bigger<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24913760-5017997,00.html China jumps to world's No 3 economy] The Australian. Retrieved on January 21, 2009.</ref> and is the fastest growing major economy in the world.<ref>[http://www.chinability.com/GDP.htm GDP growth 1952-2007]. [http://www.chinability.com/index.html Chinability]. Retrieved on 2008-10-16.</ref> It now has the world's third largest nominal [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] at 30 trillion yuan (US$4.4 trillion), although its [[per capita]] income of US$3,300 is still low and puts the PRC behind roughly a hundred countries.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/22/content_10700833.htm China's GDP grows by seven-year low of 9% in 2008] Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved on January 27, 2009.</ref> The [[primary sector of economic activity|primary]], [[secondary sector of economic activity|secondary]], and [[tertiary sector of economic activity|tertiary]] industries contributed 11.3%, 48.6%, and 40.1% respectively to the total economy. If [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]] is taken into account, the PRC's economy is second only to the US at US$7.9 trillion corresponding to US$6,000 per capita.<ref>[http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2007&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C446%2C914%2C666%2C612%2C668%2C614%2C672%2C311%2C946%2C213%2C137%2C911%2C962%2C193%2C674%2C122%2C676%2C912%2C548%2C313%2C556%2C419%2C678%2C513%2C181%2C316%2C682%2C913%2C684%2C124%2C273%2C339%2C921%2C638%2C948%2C514%2C943%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C522%2C692%2C622%2C694%2C156%2C142%2C624%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C283%2C228%2C853%2C924%2C288%2C233%2C293%2C632%2C566%2C636%2C964%2C634%2C182%2C238%2C453%2C662%2C968%2C960%2C922%2C423%2C714%2C935%2C862%2C128%2C716%2C611%2C456%2C321%2C722%2C243%2C942%2C248%2C718%2C469%2C724%2C253%2C576%2C642%2C936%2C643%2C961%2C939%2C813%2C644%2C199%2C819%2C184%2C172%2C524%2C132%2C361%2C646%2C362%2C648%2C364%2C915%2C732%2C134%2C366%2C652%2C734%2C174%2C144%2C328%2C146%2C258%2C463%2C656%2C528%2C654%2C923%2C336%2C738%2C263%2C578%2C268%2C537%2C532%2C742%2C944%2C866%2C176%2C369%2C534%2C744%2C536%2C186%2C429%2C925%2C178%2C746%2C436%2C926%2C136%2C466%2C343%2C112%2C158%2C111%2C439%2C298%2C916%2C927%2C664%2C846%2C826%2C299%2C542%2C582%2C443%2C474%2C917%2C754%2C544%2C698%2C941&s=PPPGDP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=48&pr.y=17 World Economic Outlook Database] International Monetary Fund (April 2008). Retrieved on 27 July 2008.</ref>
The PRC is the fourth most visited country in the world with 49.6 million inbound international visitors in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/unwto_barom07_2_en.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - UNWTO_Barom07_2_en.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> It is a member of the [[World Trade Organization|WTO]] and is the world's third largest trading power behind the US and Germany with a total international trade of US$2.56 trillion – US$1.43 trillion in exports (#2) and US$1.13 trillion in imports (#3). Its [[foreign exchange reserves]] have reached US$2.1 trillion, making it by far the world's largest.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=alZgI4B1lt3s China’s Foreign-Exchange Reserves Surge, Exceeding $2 Trillion ] Bloomberg (July 15, 2009). Retrieved on 12 August 2009.</ref> The PRC owns an estimated $1.6 trillion of U.S. [[Security (finance)|securities]].<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSPEK16627420090820 China must keep buying US Treasuries for now-paper]. Reuters. August 19, 2009.</ref> It is among the world's favorite destination for [[Foreign direct investment|FDI]], attracting more than US$80 billion in 2007 alone.<ref>[http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/newsrelease/commonnews/200802/20080205384808.html FDI doubles despite tax concerns] Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (19 February 2008). Retrieved 26 July 2008.</ref>
The PRC's success has been primarily due to manufacturing as a low-cost producer. This is attributed to a combination of cheap labor, good infrastructure, medium level of technology and skill, relatively high productivity, favorable government policy, and some say, an undervalued exchange rate. The latter has been sometimes blamed for the PRC's bulging trade surplus (US$262.7 billion in 2007)<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/11/content_6387775.htm 2007 trade surplus hits new record - $262.2B] ChinaDaily.com.cn (11 January 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> and has become a major source of dispute between the PRC and its major trading partners – the US, [[European Union|EU]], and Japan – despite the yuan having been de-pegged and risen in value by 20% against the [[United States dollar|US dollar]] since 2005.<ref>[http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/gyzg/t213645.htm China widens yuan, non-dollar trading range to 3%] (23 September 2005). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref> The PRC, holding US$801.5 billion in [[Treasury bond]]s, is the largest foreign financier of the [[U.S. public debt]].<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/29/news/economy/china_america_lender_respect.fortune/index.htm Washington learns to treat China with care]. CNNMoney.com. July 29, 2009.</ref>
[[File:DengXiaoping.jpg|thumb|left|upright|In 1978, [[Deng Xiaoping]] initiated the PRC's market-oriented reforms.]]
The state still dominates in strategic "pillar" industries (such as [[energy]] and [[heavy industry|heavy industries]]), but private enterprise (30 million private businesses)<ref>[http://www.cis.org.au/issue_analysis/IA95/ia95.html Putting Democracy in China on Hold] John Lee, The Center for Independent Studies. Retrieved 26 July 2008.</ref> now accounts for anywhere between 33%<ref>http://english.people.com.cn/200507/13/eng20050713_195876.html</ref> (People's Daily Online 2005) to 70%<ref>http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948478.htm</ref> (BusinessWeek, 2005) of GDP in 2005, while the OECD estimate is over 50%<ref>http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/16/3/36174313.pdf</ref> of China's national output, up from 1% in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948478.htm |title="China Is a Private-Sector Economy" |publisher=BussinessWeek |date=2005-08-22 |accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref> Its stock market in [[Shanghai Stock Exchange|Shanghai]] (SSE) is raising record amounts of [[Initial public offering|IPO]]s and its benchmark [[SSE Composite|Shanghai Composite index]] has doubled since 2005. SSE's [[market capitalization]] reached US$3 trillion in 2007 and is the [[List of stock exchanges|world's fifth largest exchange]].
China now ranks 29<sup>th</sup> in the [[Global Competitiveness Index]].<ref>[http://www.weforum.org/pdf/GCR09/GCR20092010fullreport.pdf The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010] World Economic Forum. Retrieved on 24 September 2009.</ref> Thirty-seven Chinese companies made the list in the 2009 [[Fortune Global 500]] (Beijing alone with 26).<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2008/countries/Australia.html GLOBAL 500] CNN Money.com. Retrieved on 27 July 2008.</ref> Measured using [[market capitalization]], four of the world's top ten [[List of corporations by market capitalization|most valuable companies]] are in China including first-ranked [[PetroChina]] (world's most valuable oil company), third-ranked [[Industrial and Commercial Bank of China]] (world's most valuable bank), fifth-ranked [[China Mobile]] (world's most valuable telecommunications company) and seventh-ranked [[China Construction Bank]].<ref>[http://media.ft.com/cms/27fa616e-6c76-11de-a6e6-00144feabdc0.pdf Global 500 2009] Financial Times.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2009.</ref>
Although still poor by the world's standard, the PRC's rapid growth managed to [[Poverty in China|pull hundreds of millions]] of its people out of poverty since 1978. Today, about 10% of the Chinese population (down from 64% in 1978) live below the [[poverty line]] of US$1 per day ([[Purchasing power parity|PPP]]) while [[life expectancy]] has dramatically increased to 73 years. More than 90% of the population is literate,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html |title=CIA – The World Fact Book |publisher=Cia.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> compared to 20% in 1950.<ref>Plafker, Ted, [http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/02/12/rchina.t.php China's Long — but Uneven — March to Literacy] International Herald Tribune</ref> Urban [[unemployment]] declined to 4 percent in China by the end of 2007 (true overall unemployment might be higher at around 10%).<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6342385.html Urban unemployment declines to 4% in China] People's Daily Online (22 January 2008). Retrieved on 27 July 2008.</ref>
Its middle class population (defined as those with annual income of at least US$5,000) has now reached 80–150 million.<ref>[http://www.euromonitor.com/Chinas_middle_class_reaches_80_million China’s middle class reaches 80 million] Euromonitor International (25 July 2007). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref><ref>[http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/china/middle-class/leslie-chang-text/1 China's Middle Class] Leslie T. Chang, National Geographic.com (May 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13063298 Burgeoning bourgeoisie] The Economist (12 Feb 2009). Retrieved on 5 May 2009.</ref> China's retail market is worth RMB8921 billion (US$1302 billion) in 2007 and growing at 16.8% annually.<ref>[http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/monthlydata/t20080313_402467812.htm Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods (2007.12)] National Bureau of Statistics of China (13 March 2008). Retrieved on 21 November 2008.</ref> It is also now the world's third biggest consumer of luxury goods with 12% of the global share.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/03/21/chinas_hunger_for_luxury_goods_grows/ China's hunger for luxury goods grows] Jehangir S. Pocha, The Boston Globe (21 March 2006). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref>
The PRC's growth has been uneven when comparing different geographic regions and rural and urban areas. The [[List of countries by income equality|urban-rural income gap is getting wider]] in the PRC with a [[Gini coefficient]] of 46.9%. Development has also been mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal regions while the remainder of the country are left behind. To counter this, the government has promoted development in the [[China Western Development|western]], [[Revitalize Northeast China|northeastern]], and [[Rise of Central China Plan|central]] regions of China.
The economy is also highly energy-intensive and inefficient – it uses 20%-100% more energy than [[OECD]] countries for many industrial processes.<ref name="China Quick Facts">[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20680895~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK:318950,00.html China Quick Facts] The World Bank. Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> It has now become the world's second largest energy consumer behind the US<ref>[http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/China/Background.html China - Background] Energy Information Administration – U.S. government official statistics. Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> but relies on [[coal]] to supply about 70% of its energy needs.<ref>[http://www.ecoworld.com/home/articles2.cfm?tid=450 China's Coal] Gordon Feller, ECOworld. Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref> Coupled with a lax environmental regulation, this has led to a massive water and air pollution (China has 20 of the world's 30 most polluted cities).<ref name="China Quick Facts"/> Consequently, the government has promised to use more [[renewable energy]] with a target of 10% of total energy use by 2010 and 30% by 2050.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS39879+12-Mar-2008+BW20080312 China have set a Renewable Energy Target of 10% of Electric Power Capacity by 2010] Thomson Reuters (11 March 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.</ref>
==Science and technology==
{{Main|Science and technology in the People's Republic of China|List of Chinese inventions}}
[[File:Wind power plants in Xinjiang, China.jpg|thumb|[[Wind turbine]]s in [[Xinjiang]]. The Dabancheng project is Asia's largest [[wind farm]].]]
After the [[Sino-Soviet split]], China started to develop its own [[nuclear weapon]]s and delivery systems, successfully detonating its first surface [[nuclear testing|nuclear test]] in 1964 at [[Lop Nur]]. A natural outgrowth of this was a satellite launching program, which culminated in 1970 with the launching of [[Dong Fang Hong I]], the first Chinese satellite. This made the PRC the fifth nation to independently launch a satellite.
In 1992, the [[Shenzhou spacecraft|Shenzhou]] manned spaceflight program was authorized.<ref>[http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_26079.htm China's First Man-made Satellite] (2003). Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> After four unmanned tests, ''[[Shenzhou 5]]'' was launched on 15 October 2003, using a [[Long March 2F]] [[launch vehicle]] and carrying Chinese astronaut [[Yang Liwei]], making the PRC the third country to put a human being into [[outer space|space]] through its own endeavors.<ref>Wade, Mark. [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/shenzhou.htm Shenzhou] (6 January 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> China completed its second manned mission with a crew of two, ''[[Shenzhou 6]]'' in October 2005. In 2008, China successfully completed the [[Shenzhou 7]] mission, making it the third country to have the capability to conduct a spacewalk. The country plans to build a [[Project 921-2|Chinese Space Station]] in the near future and achieve a lunar landing in the next decade.<ref>Wade, Mark. (30 March 2005)[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/prot9212.htm Project 921-2]. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
China has the world's second largest [[research and development]] budget, and is expected to invest over $136 billion in 2006 after growing more than 20% in 2005 the past year.<ref>[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/da4ed9f2-82fa-11db-a38a-0000779e2340.html "China overtakes Japan on R&D"] ''Financial Times''. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> The Chinese government continues to place heavy emphasis on research and development by creating greater public awareness of innovation, and reforming financial and tax systems to promote growth in cutting-edge industries.
In 2006, President Hu Jintao called for China to make the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to an innovation-based one and the National People's Congress have approved large increases in research funding. [[Stem cell]] research and [[gene therapy]], which some in the [[Western world]] see as controversial, face minimal regulation in China. China has an estimated 926,000 researchers, second only to the 1.3 million in the United States.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8LQ0OI00.htm OECD: China to spend $136 billion on R&D]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}} ''BusinessWeek''. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref>
China is also actively developing its [[computer software|software]], [[semiconductor]] and [[energy industry|energy]] industries, including [[renewable energy|renewable energies]] such as hydro, wind and solar power.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2006/gb20060331_921612.htm "Blinding Science: China's Race to Innovate"] Bruce Einhorn, ''Business Week'', 31 March 2006, accessed: 16 April 2006.</ref> In an effort to reduce pollution from coal-burning power plants, China has been pioneering the deployment of [[pebble bed reactor|pebble bed nuclear reactors]], which run cooler and safer, and have potential applications for the [[hydrogen economy]].<ref>[http://daga.dhs.org/daga/readingroom/newsclips/2004/wto/41005scmp03.htm "China leading world in next generation of nuclear plants"] Robert J. Saiget. ''DAGA''. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
China currently has the [[List of countries by number of mobile phones in use|most cell phone users]] in the world with over 700 million users in July 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90857/90860/6747627.html |title=Over 700 million mobile phone users in China |publisher=People's Daily |date= |accessdate=2009-09-04}}</ref> It also has the largest number of [[List of countries by number of Internet users|internet]] and [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet users|broadband users]] in the world.
==Transportation==
{{Main|Transport in the People's Republic of China|Transportation in Hong Kong|Transportation in Macau}}
{{See also|Rail transport in the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:Central Jingshi Expressway9.jpg|left|thumb|G030 northbound in [[Hebei]]. There are 45,000 km (28,000 mi) of expressways in China. This is the second-longest total in the world, and half that of the United States.]]
Transportation in the mainland of the People's Republic of China has improved significantly since the late 1990s as part of a government effort to link the entire nation through a series of [[Expressways of China|expressways]] known as the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). The total length of expressway is 61,000 km at the end of 2008, second only to the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200612/30/eng20061230_337130.html |title=China to build more highways in 2007 |publisher=English.peopledaily.com.cn |date=2006-12-30 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinagate.com.cn/english/45626.htm |title=Expressways Being Built at Frenetic Pace |publisher=Chinagate.com.cn |date=2006-04-05 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> Most of the expressways, however, require tolls.
Private car ownership is increasing at an annual rate of 15%, although it is still uncommon because of government policies which make car ownership expensive, such as taxes and toll roads.<ref> [http://www.earlywarning.com/articles/2005_06_13_china_cars_drive "China's Car Drive"] (13 June 2005). Earlywarning.</ref> Private highway driving is becoming more common, being almost nonexistent ten years ago.
Domestic air travel has increased significantly, but remains too expensive for most. Long distance transportation is dominated by [[Rail transport|railways]] and charter bus systems. Railways are the vital carrier in China; they are monopolized by the state, divided into various railway bureaus in different regions. At the rates of demand it experiences, the system has historically been subject to overcrowding during travel seasons such as ''[[Chunyun]]'' during the [[Chinese New Year]].
Cities such as [[Beijing]] and [[Shanghai]] both have a rapidly expanding network of [[Rapid transit|underground]] or [[light rail]] systems, while several other cities also have running rapid transit. Numerous cities are also constructing subways. [[Transport in Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] has one of the most developed transport systems in the world. Shanghai has a [[Shanghai Maglev Train|Maglev]] rail line connecting Shanghai's urban area to [[Shanghai Pudong International Airport|Pudong International Airport]].
==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of the People's Republic of China|Demographics of Hong Kong|Demographics of Macau|List of ethnic groups in China}}
{{See also|International rankings of the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:PRC Population Density.svg|thumb|A population density map of the People's Republic of China. The eastern, coastal provinces are much more densely populated than the western interior.]]
{{As of|2009}}, there are 1,338,612,968 people in the PRC. About 21% (male 145,461,833; female 128,445,739) are 14 years old or younger, 71% (male 482,439,115; female 455,960,489) are between 15 and 64 years old, and 8% (male 48,562,635; female 53,103,902) are over 65 years old. The population growth rate for 2006 is 0.6%.<ref name = pop/>
The PRC officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the [[Han Chinese]], who constitute about 91.9% of the total population.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html CIA factbook] (29 March 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref> Large ethnic minorities include the [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]] (16 million), [[Manchu]] (10 million), [[Hui people|Hui]] (9 million), [[Miao people|Miao]] (8 million), [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]] (7 million), [[Yi people|Yi]] (7 million), [[Tujia]] (5.75 million), [[Mongols]] (5 million), [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]]s (5 million), [[Buyei]] (3 million), and [[Koreans]] (2 million).<ref>Stein, Justin J (Spring 2003). [http://www.princeton.edu/~jpia/pdf2003/Ch%208%20Xinjiang-Stein-JPIA%202003.pdf Taking the Deliberative in China]. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref>
In the past decade, China's cities expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 41.8% between 1978 and 2005, a scale unprecedented in human history.<ref>Zhou Qun, Lin Yanhua. [http://www.chinanews.cn/news/2005/2005-11-18/14441.html China's urbanization encounters "urban disease"], Chinanews.cn (中国新闻网), 11 November 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2005.</ref> Between 150 and 200 million [[migrant worker]]s work part-time in the major cities and return home to the countryside periodically with their earnings.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/01/china.migrants/index.html|title=Migrants are China's 'factories without smoke'|publisher=CNN.com|first=Alexandra|last=Harney|date=2008-02-03|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2009/gb2009024_357998.htm|title=A Tough New Year for China's Migrant Workers|publisher=Business Week|first=Chi-Chu|last=Tschang|date=2009-02-04|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref>
Today, the People's Republic of China has dozens of major cities with one million or more long-term residents, including the three [[global city|global cities]] of [[Beijing]], [[Hong Kong]], and [[Shanghai]].
Major cities in China play key roles in national and regional identity, culture and economics.
===Largest cities===
{{See also|List of cities in the People's Republic of China|List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population|Metropolitan regions of China}}
The figures below are from the 2008 census, and are only estimates of the population within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large floating populations of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult;<ref>Francesco Sisci, "China's floating population a headache for census", ''The Straits Times'', 22 September 2000.</ref> the figures below do not include the floating population, only long-term residents.
{{Largest cities of the People's Republic of China}}
===Population policy===
{{Main|One-child policy}}
[[File:ChinaDemography.svg|thumb|300px|Population of China from 1961 to 2006.]]
With a population of over 1.3 billion, the PRC is very concerned about its [[population growth]] and has attempted, with mixed results,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/11/1171 |title=The New England Journal of Medicine, September 2005 |doi=10.1056/NEJMhpr051833 |publisher=Content.nejm.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> to implement a strict [[family planning]] policy. The government's goal is [[one-child policy|one child per family]], with exceptions for ethnic minorities and flexibility in rural areas. The government's goal is to stabilize population growth early in the 21st century, though some projections estimate a population of anywhere ranging from 1.4 billion to 1.6 billion by 2025. Hence, the country's family planning minister has indicated that China will maintain its one-child policy until at least the year 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/10/china.onechild/index.html |title=China to keep one-child policy - CNN.com |publisher=Edition.cnn.com |date=2008-03-10 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
The policy is resisted, particularly in rural areas, because of the need for [[agriculture|agricultural]] labour and a traditional preference for boys (who can later serve as male [[heir]]s). Families who breach the policy often lie during the [[census]].<ref name="censuslie">http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/fertl2b.htm {{Dead link|date=March 2009}}</ref> Official government policy opposes [[Compulsory sterilization|forced sterilization]] or [[abortion]], but allegations of coercion continue as local officials, who are faced with penalties for failing to curb population growth, may resort to forced abortion or sterilization, or manipulation of census figures.
The decreasing reliability of PRC population statistics since family planning began in the late 1970s has made evaluating the effectiveness of the policy difficult.<ref name="censuslie"/> Estimates by Chinese demographers of the [[Total fertility rate|average number of children for a Chinese woman]] vary from 1.5 to 2.0. The government is particularly concerned with the large imbalance in the [[human sex ratio|sex ratio]] at birth, apparently the result of a combination of traditional preference for boys and family planning pressure, which led to the ban of using [[ultrasound]] devices for the purpose of preventing [[sex-selective abortion and infanticide|sex-selective abortion]].
Other factors include under-reporting of female children to circumvent the law and that some areas unofficially allow a second child if the first is not a male but not otherwise. On the basis of a 2005 report by China's [[National Population and Family Planning Commission]], there were 118.6 boys born for every 100 girls, and in some rural areas the boy/girl ratio could be as high as 130/100.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} As this trend of gender imbalance is on the increase, experts warn of increased social instability should this trend continue.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2790469|title=China Fears Lopsided Sex Ratio Could Spark Crisis By 2020, There Will Be 30 Million More Men than Women -- Making it Hard for a Guy to Find a Bride|last=Loyd|first=Beth|date=2007-01-12|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=2009-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6962650.stm|title=China warned on gender imbalance|date=2007-08-24|date=2007-01-12|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6254763.stm|title=Chinese facing shortage of wives|date=2007-01-12|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>
==Education==
[[File:Tsinghua Observatory.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tsinghua University]] is a well regarded university in [[mainland China]].]]
{{Main|Education in the People's Republic of China|Education in Hong Kong|Education in Macau}}
In 1986, China set the long-term goal of providing compulsory nine-year basic education to every child. {{As of|2007}}, there were 396,567 primary schools, 94,116 secondary schools and 2,236 higher education institutions in the PRC.<ref>[http://caedu.yzu.edu.cn/en/Article_show.asp?ID=55 Factbox: Education in China] (2008). China-Arab Education Information Network</ref> In February 2006, the government advanced its basic education goal by pledging to provide completely free nine-year education, including textbooks and fees, in the poorer western provinces.<ref>[http://en.ce.cn/National/Rural/200602/21/t20060221_6154334.shtml China pledges free 9-year education in rural west] (21 February 2006). China Economic Net.</ref>
{{As of| 2002}}, 90.9% (male: 95.1%; female: 86.5%) of the population over age 15 are literate.<ref name=pop>[http://travelblog.org/World/ch-ppl.html "Chinese People"] (2005). TravelBlog.</ref> China's youth (age 15 to 24) literacy rate was 98.9% (99.2% for males and 98.5% for females) in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/file_download.php/b44872c5f2dfd9c825236194562a2b7fRoss_China.doc|title=Where And Who Are The World’s Illiterates: China|accessdate=2009-07-14|publisher=UNESCO}}</ref> In March 2007, China announced the decision of making education a national "strategic priority", the central budget of the national scholarships will be tripled in two years and 223.5 billion Yuan (28.65 billion US dollars) of extra funding will be allocated from the central government in the next 5 years to improve the compulsory education in rural areas.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/05/content_5800996.htm Premier Wen announces hefty educational investment] (2007). Retrieved 6 March 2007.</ref>
The quality of [[List of universities in the People's Republic of China|Chinese colleges and universities]] varies considerably across the country. The consistently top-ranked universities in mainland China are:<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/21/content_418027.htm 2005 Chinese University Ranking unveiled] (21 February 2005). China Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2006.</ref><ref>[http://rank2003.netbig.com/en/rnk_1_0_0.htm All-around Ranking] (2003). Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref>
*[[Beijing]]: [[Peking University]], [[Tsinghua University]], [[Renmin University of China]], [[Beijing Normal University]]
*[[Shanghai]]: [[Fudan University]], [[Shanghai Jiao Tong University]], [[Tongji University]]
*[[Harbin]]: [[Harbin Institute of Technology]]
*[[Tianjin]]: [[Nankai University]], [[Tianjin University]]
*[[Xi'an Jiaotong University]] ([[Xi'an]])
*[[Nanjing University]] ([[Nanjing]])
*[[University of Science and Technology of China]] ([[Hefei]])
*[[Zhejiang University]] ([[Hangzhou]])
*[[Wuhan University]] ([[Wuhan]])
*[[Guangzhou]]: [[Sun Yat-sen University]] (aka [[Zhongshan University]])
Many parents are highly committed to their children's education, often investing large portions of the family's income on education. Private lessons and recreational activities, such as in foreign languages or music, are popular among the middle-class families who can afford them.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3693714.stm "China's graft: Tough talk, old message" by Mary Hennock]. 27 September 2004. BBC News. ''Accessed 2 May 2006''.</ref>
==Public health==
{{Main|Public health in the People's Republic of China}}
[[File:BeijingSmogComparison-Aug2005a.gif|thumb|250px|China includes some of the most polluted cities in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20680895~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:318950,00.html |title=The World Bank - China Quick Facts |publisher=Web.worldbank.org |date=2009-01-16 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> The number of respiratory illnesses has increased because of [[Environment of China|widespread air pollution]].<ref name = "FT-china-pollution">{{cite web |url= http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8f40e248-28c7-11dc-af78-000b5df10621.html|title= 750,000 a year killed by Chinese pollution|accessdate=2007-07-22 |publisher= [[Financial Times]]|date= 2007-07-02|author= McGregor, Richard}}</ref>]]
The [[Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Health]], together with its counterparts in the provincial health bureaus, oversees the health needs of the Chinese population.<ref>[http://www.casy.org/Chindoc/mohprofile.htm China AIDS Survey at Yahoo]. Retrieved 18 April 2006.</ref> An emphasis on [[public health]] and [[Preventive medicine|preventative treatment]] characterized health policy since the early 1950s. At that time, the [[Communist Party of China|party]] started the [[Patriotic Health Campaign]], which was aimed at improving [[sanitation]] and [[hygiene]], as well as attacking several [[disease]]s. This has shown major results as diseases like cholera, typhoid, and scarlet fever were nearly eradicated.
With economic reform after 1978, the health of the Chinese public improved rapidly because of better nutrition despite the disappearance, along with the People's Communes, of much of the free public health services provided in the countryside. Health care in China became largely private fee-for-service. This was widely criticised by the Islamic Hui populations of the North West, who were often unable to obtain medical support in their remote communities. By 2000, when the [[World Health Organization]] made a large study of public health systems throughout the world, [http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/ The World Health Report 2000 Health Systems: Improving Performance] the Chinese public health system ranked 144 of the 191 UN member states ranked.
The country's [[Life expectancy|life expectancy at birth]] jumped from about 35 years in 1949 to 73.18 years in 2008,<ref>[http://www.globalgeografia.it/temi/Population%20Growth%20in%20China.pdf "Population Growth in China : The Basic Characteristics of China’s Demographic Transition" by Maristella Bergaglio].</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html "China"]. CIA World Factbook, 2008-05-16</ref> and [[infant mortality]] went down from 300 per thousand in the 1950s to about 23 per thousand in 2006.<ref name=autogenerated2>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html CIA World Factbook]. 20 April 2006. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref><ref>[http://www.china.org.cn/english/19012.htm China’s Infant Mortality Rate Down]. 11 September 2001. CHINA.ORG.CN. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> [[Malnutrition]] {{As of|2002|lc=yes}} stood at 12% of the population according to [[United Nations]] [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] sources.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/nutrition/cpr-e.stm|title= Nutrition country profiles: China summary|accessdate=2007-07-22}}</ref>
<!--Recent health insurance initiatives like the Ningxia Cooperative Plan should be mentioned here-->
Despite significant improvements in health and the introduction of western style medical facilities, China has several emerging [[public health]] problems, which include respiratory problems as a result of [[Environment of China|widespread air pollution]]<ref name = "FT-china-pollution"/> and millions of [[tobacco smoking|cigarette smokers]],<ref>[http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/~pine/Phil110/chinasmoking.html "Smoking 'will kill one third of young Chinese men'"]. 16 August 2001. Honolulu Community College. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref> a possible future [[HIV/AIDS in the People's Republic of China|HIV/AIDS epidemic]], and an increase in [[obesity]] among urban youths.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50/dispatches/09.23.health/ "Serving the people?"]. 1999. Bruce Kennedy. CNN. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref><ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200008/04/eng20000804_47271.html "Obesity Sickening China's Young Hearts"] 4 August 2000. People's Daily. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref> China's large population and close living quarters has led to some serious disease outbreaks in recent years, such as the 2003 outbreak of [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome|SARS]] (a pneumonia-like disease) which has since been largely contained.<ref>[http://www.who.int/csr/don/2004_05_18a/en/index.html "China’s latest SARS outbreak has been contained, but biosafety concerns remain"]. 18 May 2004. [[World Health Organization]]. Retrieved 17 April 2006.</ref>
Estimates of excess deaths in China from environmental pollution (apart from smoking) are placed at 760,000 people per annum from air and water pollution (including [[indoor air quality|indoor air pollution]]).<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6265098.stm China 'buried smog death finding']". BBC News. July 3, 2007.</ref> In 2007, China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of [[CO2]].<ref>"[http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/19/china.usnews China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter]". Guardian.co.uk. June 19, 2007.</ref> Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of [[water pollution]],<ref>"[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/07/content_449451.htm China says water pollution so severe that cities could lack safe supplies]". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2005-06-07.</ref> and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water.<ref>"[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes]". The New York Times. August 26, 2007.</ref> Reports by the World Bank and the New York Times have claimed industrial pollution, particularly of the air, to be significant health hazards in China.
==Religion==
[[File:Huxisanxiaotu.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Buddhism]] are one'', a ''litang'' style painting portraying three men laughing by a river stream, 12th century, [[Song Dynasty]].]]
{{Main|Religion in China|Religion in Hong Kong|Religion in Macau}}
{{See also|Feng shui}}
China does allow a limited degree of religious freedom, however official tolerance is only extended to members of state-approved religious organizations and not to those who worship underground, such as [[house church]]es. An accurate number of religious adherents is hard to obtain because of a lack of official data, but there is general consensus that religion has been enjoying a resurgence over the past 20 years.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6337627.stm |title=Asia-Pacific | Survey finds 300m China believers |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-02-07 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> A survey by Phil Zuckerman on [[Adherents.com]] found that in 1998, 59% (over 700 million)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_473.html |title=Bot generated title -> |publisher=Adherents.com<! |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> of the population was [[irreligious]]. Meanwhile, another survey in 2007 found that there are 300 million (23% of the population) believers as distinct from an official figure of 100 million.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>
Despite the surveys' varying results, most agree that China's traditional religions – [[Buddhism in China|Buddhism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Chinese folk religion]]s – are the dominant faiths. According to a number of sources, [[Buddhism in China]] accounts for between 660 million (~50%) and over 1 billion (~80%)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vipassanafoundation.com/Buddhists.html |title=Buddhists in the world |publisher=Vipassanafoundation.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> while Taoists number 400 million (~30%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=468&Itemid=34 |title=How Now Tao? |publisher=Asia Sentinel |date=2007-04-27 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcworld.org/downloads/SCMP%20Daoism%2030%20April%202007.pdf |title=Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> However, the number of adherents to these religions can be overcounted because one person may subscribe to one or more of these traditional beliefs simultaneously, and the difficulty in clearly differentiating Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religions. In addition, subscribing to Buddhism and Taoism is not necessarily considered religious by those who follow the philosophies in principle but stop short of subscribing to any kind of [[divinity]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/religion/ |title=Religions and Beliefs in China |publisher=Travelchinaguide.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacu.org/religion.html |title=Society for Anglo Chinese Understanding |publisher=SACU |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.index-china.com/index-english/people-religions-s.html |title=Index-China Chinese Philosophies and religions |publisher=Index-china.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
Most Chinese Buddhists are nominal adherents because only a small proportion of the population (over 8% or over 100 million)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://adherents.com/largecom/com_buddhist.html |title=Buddhism |publisher=Adherents.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90133.htm |title=International Religious Freedom Report 2007 - China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau) |publisher=State.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> may have taken the formal step of [[Refuge (Buddhism)|going for refuge]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.askasia.org/teachers/essays/essay.php?no=16 |title=Buddhism in China |publisher=AskAsia |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globaled.org/curriculum/china/bessay1.htm |title=TheAmericanForum For Global Education |publisher=Globaled.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> Even then, it is still difficult to estimate accurately the number of Buddhists because they do not have congregational memberships and often do not participate in public ceremonies.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71338.htm |title=U.S. Department of States - International Religious Freedom Report 2006: China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau) |publisher=State.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref> [[Mahayana]] (大乘, ''Dacheng'') and its subsets [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]] (Amidism), [[Tiantai]] and [[Zen]] are the most widely practiced denominations of Buddhism. Other forms, such as [[Theravada]] and [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan]], are practiced largely by ethnic minorities along the geographic fringes of the Chinese mainland.<ref>Macintosh, R. Scott. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0309/p01s04-woap.html China's prosperity inspires rising spirituality] (9 March 2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006.</ref>
[[Christianity in China]] was first introduced during the [[Tang Dynasty|Tang period]] in the 7<sup>th</sup> century with the arrival of [[Nestorianism]] in 635 CE. This was followed by [[Franciscan]] missionaries in the 13<sup>th</sup> century, [[Jesuits]] in the 16<sup>th</sup> century, and finally [[Protestantism|Protestants]] in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, during which time Christianity began to make significant foothold in China.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} Of the minority religions, [[Christianity]] has been particularly noted as one of the fastest growing (especially since the last 200 years) and today may number between 40 million (3%)<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2007690,00.html | title=Christian population in China | publisher=guardian.co.uk | accessdate=2007-08-27}}</ref> and 54 million (4%)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.assistnews.net/STORIES/2007/s07100011.htm |title=China Survey Reveals Fewer Christians than Some Evangelicals Want to Believe |publisher=Assistnews.net |date=2007-10-01 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> according to independent surveys, while official estimates suggested that there are only 16 million Christians.<ref>{{cite web | title=Chinese government official statistics on Christian population in China | url=http://hrwf.org/religiousfreedom/news/2007PDF/China%202007.doc | publisher=hrwf.org | accessdate=2007-08-27}}</ref>
[[Islam in China]] dates to a mission in 651, eighteen years after [[Muhammad]]'s death. Muslims came to China for trade, dominating the import/export industry during the [[Song Dynasty]].<ref name=bbc>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/china_1.shtml |title=BBC Islam in China (650-present) |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2002-10-02 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref name=islamicculture>{{cite web|url=http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1656&C=1645|title=Islamic culture in China}}</ref> They became influential in government circles, including [[Zheng He]], [[Lan Yu]] and [[Yeheidie'erding]]. [[Nanjing]] became an important center of Islamic study.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hsais.org/2essay0405_4.htm|title=Looking East: The challenges and opportunities of Chinese Islam}}</ref> The [[Qing Dynasty]] waged war and [[Genocides in history|genocide]] against Muslims in the [[Dungan revolt]] and [[Panthay rebellion]].<ref>Levene, Mark. Genocide in the Age of the Nation-State. I.B.Tauris, 2005. ISBN 1845110579, page 288</ref><ref>Giersch, Charles Patterson. Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier. Harvard University Press, 2006. ISBN 1845110579, page 219</ref><ref>Dillon, Michael. [http://www.hsais.org/2essay0405_4.htm China’s Muslim Hui Community]. Curzon, 1999. ISBN 0700710264, page xix</ref> The [[Islam in China#Number of Muslims in China|number of Muslims in China]] today is estimated between 20 and 100 million<ref name=bbc/> by one source while most estimates figures that there are 20 to 30 million Muslims (1.5% to 2% of the population).<ref>Counting up the number of people of traditionally Muslim nationalities who were enumerated in the 1990 census gives a total of 17.6 million, 96% of whom belong to just three nationalities: Hui 8.6 million, Uyghurs 7.2 million, and Kazakhs 1.1 million. Other nationalities that are traditionally Muslim include Kyrghyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Tatars, Salar, Bonan, and Dongxiang. See Dru C. Gladney, "Islam in China: Accommodation or Separatism?", Paper presented at Symposium on Islam in Southeast Asia and China, Hong Kong, 2002. Available at http://www.islamsymposium.cityu.edu.hk. The 2000 census reported a total of 20.3 million members of Muslim nationalities, of which again 96% belonged to just three groups: Hui 9.8 million, Uyghurs 8.4 million, and Kazakhs 1.25 million.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/CH.html |title=CIA – The World Factbook – China |publisher=Cia.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71338.htm |title=China (includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet) |publisher=State.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-07/09/content_6831389.htm |title=NW China region eyes global Muslim market |publisher=China Daily |date=2008-07-09 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=1922 |title=Muslim Media Network |publisher=Muslim Media Network |date=2008-03-24 |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=38&sub_cat_id=1413 |title=China’s Halal Food and Muslim Commodities Festival Begins Today |publisher=Islamtoday.com |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>BBC Islam in China (650-present) [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/china_4.shtml BBC - Religion & Ethics - Islam in China (650-present)]</ref>
There are also followers of minority religions including [[Hinduism in China|Hinduism]], [[Dongbaism]], [[Bön]], and a number of new religions and sects (particularly [[Xiantianism]]). In July 1999, the [[Falun Gong]] spiritual practice was officially banned by the authorities,<ref name=ban>[[Xinhua]], [http://english.people.com.cn/special/fagong/1999072200A101.html China Bans Falun Gong], [[People's Daily]], 22 July 1999</ref> and many international organizations have criticized the [[history of Falun Gong|government's treatment of Falun Gong]] that has occurred since then.<ref>Mary-Anne Toy, [http://www.theage.com.au/world/underground-existence-for-falun-gong-faithful-20080725-3l2p.html?page=-1 Underground existence for Falun Gong faithful], [[The Age]], July 26, 2008.<br/>"The US State Department, US Congress, the United Nations and human rights groups such as Amnesty say persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China is a continuing abuse of human rights."</ref> According to official estimates, 50–70 million Chinese practised Falun Gong in 1998.<ref>Joseph Kahn, [http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/042799china-protest-leader.html "Notoriety Now for Exiled Leader of Chinese Movement"], ''The New York Times'', 27 April 1999</ref> Other estimates have varied, however: Falun Gong itself claims to have as many as 100 million practitioners, while the China's Ministry of Civil Affairs later claimed that there were as few as 2 million.<ref> Xu Jiatun, [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/1999/09/08/1308 Cultural Revolution revisited in crackdown], Taipai Times, 8 September 1999.</ref> As there is no official membership or lists, current global numbers are unknown.
==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of the People's Republic of China|Culture of Hong Kong|Culture of Macau|Culture of China|Chinese mythology|Media of the People's Republic of China|Music of China|Chinese literature|Chinese art|Traditional Chinese medicine|Chinese cuisine|Cinema of China}}
{{See also|Society of the People's Republic of China|Zhonghua minzu|Han Chinese clothing|Chinese architecture|Chinese animation|List of Chinese people}}
[[File:Chinese meal.jpg|thumb|left|Chinese meal in [[Suzhou]] with [[rice]], [[shrimp]], [[eggplant]], [[Pickled tofu|fermented tofu]], [[Stir frying|vegetable stir-fry]], [[Mock duck|vegetarian duck]] with meat and [[bamboo]]]]
For centuries, opportunity for economic and social advancement in China could be provided by high performance on [[Imperial examination]]s. The literary emphasis of the exams affected the general perception of cultural refinement in China, such as the belief that [[East Asian calligraphy|calligraphy]] and literati painting were higher forms of art than dancing or drama. China's traditional values were derived from various versions of [[Confucianism]] and [[conservatism]]. A number of more [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] and [[rationalism|rational]] strains of thought have also been influential, such as [[Legalism (Chinese philosophy)|Legalism]]. There was often conflict between the philosophies, such as the [[individualism|individualistic]] [[Song Dynasty]] [[Neo-Confucianism|neo-Confucians]], who believed Legalism departed from the original spirit of Confucianism. [[Examination]]s and a [[meritocracy|culture of merit]] remain greatly valued in China today. In recent years, a number of [[New Confucianism|New Confucians]] have advocated that democratic ideals and human rights are quite compatible with traditional Confucian "Asian values."<ref>Bary, Theodore de. [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccba/cear/issues/fall97/graphics/special/debary/debary.htm "Constructive Engagement with Asian Values"]{{Dead link|date=March 2009}}. Columbia University.</ref>
[[File:Pekin przedstawienie tradycjnego teatru chinskiego 7.JPG|thumb|Beijing opera is a quintessential aspect of traditional Chinese culture and holds an important position in the world treasure of art.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.cnta.gov.cn|title=Tour Guidebook: Beijing|publisher=China National Tourism Administration}}</ref>]]
The first leaders of the People's Republic of China were born in the old society but were influenced by the [[May Fourth Movement]] and reformist ideals. They sought to change some traditional aspects of Chinese culture, such as rural land tenure, sexism, and a Confucian education, while preserving others, such as the family structure and obedience to the state. Many observers believe that the period following 1949 is a continuation of traditional Chinese [[Dynasty|dynastic]] history, while others say that the CPC's rule has damaged the foundations of Chinese culture, especially through political movements such as the [[Cultural Revolution]], where many aspects of traditional culture were labeled 'regressive and harmful' or 'vestiges of feudalism' by the regime and thus, were [[Cultural revolution#Destruction of antiques.2C historical sites and culture|destroyed]]. They further argue that many important aspects of traditional Chinese morals and culture, such as [[Confucianism]], [[Chinese art]], literature, and performing arts like [[Beijing opera]], were altered to conform to government policies and propaganda at the time.
Today, the Chinese government has accepted a great deal of traditional [[Culture of China|Chinese culture]] as an integral part of Chinese society, lauding it as an important achievement of the [[China|Chinese civilization]] and emphasizing it as vital to a [[Chinese nationalism|Chinese national identity]]. Since the Cultural Revolution ended, various forms of traditional Chinese art, literature, music, film, fashion and architecture have seen a vigorous revival,<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+cn0133) "China: Traditional arts". Library of Congress - Country Studies.] Accessed: 26 December 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-258942/China "China: Cultural life: The arts". Encyclopædia Britannica Online] Accessed: 26 December 2007.</ref> and folk and variety art in particular have gained a new found respectability, and sparked interest nationally and even worldwide.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+cn0138) "China: Folk and Variety Arts". Library of Congress - Country Studies.] Accessed: 26 December 2007.</ref>
[[File:Wangfujingbasketball.jpg|thumb|Evening pickup basketball game in a Beijing neighborhood]]
Chinese culture and the West were linked by the [[Silk Route]]. Artifacts from the history of the silk route, as well as from the natural history of the [[Gobi desert]], are displayed in the [[Silk Route Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.silkroutemuseum.com |title=Silk Route Museum |publisher=Silk Route Museum |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesilkroadfund.org/downloads/SRM_Tour_Promo.pdf |title=Tourism Guide 2009 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesilkroadfund.org/silk.pdf |title=First Annual Silk Road Museum International Arts Competition 2009 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2009-07-14}}</ref>
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==Other names==
{{Main|Names of China}}
{{clear}}
==See also==
{{portal|People's Republic of China|Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg}}
* [[Index of China-related articles]]
* [[Outline of China]]
==References==
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{{Reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
{{sisterlinks|China}}
*{{cite book|last=Chang|first=Jung|title=Wild Swans|year=1992|publisher=Doubleday |isbn=0385425473}}
*Farah, Paolo, ''Five Years of China’s WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives on China’s Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism'', Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, Volume 33, Number 3, pp. 263–304, 2006. [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=916768 Abstract].
*Heilig, Gerhard K., ''[http://www.china-profile.com/bib/bib_start.htm China Bibliography - Online].'' 2006, 2007.
*{{cite book |last=Lynch |first=Michael |title=People’s Republic of China 1949–90 |year=1998 |publisher=[[Trafalgar Square Publishing]] |isbn=0-340-68853-X}}
*{{cite book |last=Murphey |first=Rhoads |title=East Asia: A New History |year=1996 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |isbn=0-321-07801-2 }}
*{{cite book |author=Sang Ye |title=China Candid: The People on the People's Republic |year=2006 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location= |isbn=0-520-24514-8}}
*{{cite book |last=Selden |first=Mark |title=The People's Republic of China: Documentary History of Revolutionary Change |year=1979 |publisher=Monthly Review Press|location=New York |isbn=0853455325}}
*{{cite book |last=Terrill |first=Ross |title=The New Chinese Empire, And What It Means For The United States |year=2003 |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York |isbn=0-465-08412-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Thurston |first=Anne F. |title=China Bound: A Guide to Academic Life and Work in the PRC |year=1994 |publisher=[[National Academies Press]]|location=Washington |isbn=0-309-04932-6}}
==External links==
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{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Overviews'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/china/home.html People's Daily: China at a Glance]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm BBC News — ''Country Profile: China'']
*{{CIA World Factbook link|ch|China}}
*[http://www.monthlyreview.org/1105wu.htm "Rethinking ‘Capitalist Restoration’ in China"] by Yiching Wu
</div>
'''Documentaries'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/china/ "China on the Rise"] PBS Online NewsHour. October 2005.
*''[http://www.nytimes.com/specials/chinarises/intro/index.html China Rises]'' a documentary co-produced by ''The New York Times'', ''Discovery Times'', CBC, ZDF, France 5 and S4C. 9 April 2006.
*[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/red/ ''China in the Red''], 1998–2001. PBS Frontline.
*''[http://www.pbs.org/kqed/chinainside/ China From the Inside]'' A documentary series co-produced by KQED Public Television and Granada Television.
</div>
'''Government'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://english.gov.cn/ The Central People's Government of People's Republic of China (English)]
*[http://www.china.org.cn/ China's Official Gateway for News & Information (English)]
</div>
{{col-2}}
'''Studies'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://ifri.org/files/Securite_defense/Prolif_Paper_Minxin_Pei.pdf Assertive Pragmatism: China's Economic Rise and Its Impact on Chinese Foreign Policy] – analysis by Minxin Pei, IFRI Proliferation Papers n°15, 2006
*[http://www.globalpolitician.com/articles.asp?ID=341 The Dragon's Dawn: China as a Rising Imperial Power] 11 February 2005.
*[http://www.china-profile.com/history/hist_list_1.htm History of The People's Republic of China] Timeline of Key Events since 1949.
*[http://www.danwei.org/ Media, advertising, and urban life in China.]
</div>
'''Travel'''
<div class="references-small">
*{{wikitravel|China}}
</div>
'''Maps'''
<div class="references-small">
*[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=China&ll=30.600094,103.710938&spn=64.10009,177.1875&om=1 Google Maps - China]
*[http://www.china-profile.com/maps/map_overview_1.htm Google Maps - China] Interesting locations
{{Wikiatlas|the People's Republic of China}}
</div>
{{col-end}}
{{editsection}}
{{People's Republic of China topics}}
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{{Shanghai Cooperation Organisation}}
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[[gu:ચીન]]
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[[xal:Китдин орн-нутг]]
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[[te:చైనా]]
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[[th:ประเทศจีน]]
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[[fiu-vro:Hiina Rahvavabariik]]
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[[war:Kanan Katawhan Republika han Tsina]]
[[wo:Siin]]
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Whether or not the change was made through a Tor exit node (tor_exit_node ) | 0 |
Unix timestamp of change (timestamp ) | 1256539338 |