China

Area Total 9,596,960 sq km
Climate extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Natural Resources coal, iron ore, helium, petroleum, natural gas, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, cadmium, ferrosilicon, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, lithium, mercury, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, antimony, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world’s largest), arable land
Imports South Korea 9.7%, Japan 9.1%, US 8.5%, Germany 5.3%, Australia 5.1% (2017) – electrical and other machinery, including integrated circuits and other computer components, oil and mineral fuels; optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles; soybeans
Government communist party-led state
Capital Beijing
Population 1.4 billion (July 2018 est.)
Ethnicity Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) 7.1% (2010 est.)
Language Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Exports US 19%, Hong Kong 12.4%, Japan 6%, South Korea 4.5% (2017) – Exports – commodities field listing
electrical and other machinery, including computers and telecommunications equipment, apparel, furniture, textiles

News about China

  • Woman missing for 11 days found alive on hillside near Hong Kong cemetery
    by Danny Mok,Kristen Cheung on August 3, 2026

    Hong Kong authorities have found a 60-year-old woman on a hillside near a cemetery nearly two weeks after she went missing, despite the search being hampered by a typhoon and days of heavy rain. Police said on Monday that Ngan Lai‑ching left her home at Kwong Ming Court in Tseung Kwan O on the morning of July 24 without a mobile phone or an Octopus card. […]

  • What’s a Burmese python doing in Causeway Bay? Expert links reptile to rain
    by Veronica Qi on August 3, 2026

    A Burmese python has gone viral on social media after it was spotted along a busy road in a Hong Kong shopping district on Sunday evening, with an expert saying heavy rain over recent weeks may have forced wild animals into urban areas. The snake was caught on camera by a passing jogger near Causeway Bay’s Jardine Noonday Gun at around 11pm that day. In […]

  • HKU looking for president with ‘new mentality and clean slate’ to drive change
    by Denise Tsang on August 3, 2026

    The next leader of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) must have a fresh mindset, as someone who has spent a decade in the role may struggle to drive change, an insider has told the South China Morning Post, adding that the university is weighing whether to take part in the Northern Metropolis megaproject. The source, a senior leader at HKU, said the […]

  • Hong Kong mother, aunt, held after cannabis sweets send 2 children to hospital
    by Danny Mok on August 3, 2026

    Hong Kong police have arrested a mother and her aunt after she allegedly mistakenly fed her two children cannabis-infused sweets, resulting in them needing hospital treatment. The force received a report at about 4pm on Monday that a six-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl had fallen ill at their home in Wang Tak House, Wang Tau Hom Estate. The girl vomited, […]

  • Non-stop summer rain leaves Hong Kong farmers with heavy losses as crops fail
    by Theodora Yu on August 3, 2026

    Local farmers have suffered six-figure losses because of extreme downpours since May, with a farm in northern Hong Kong flooded for seven hours during heavy rain on Sunday. Leung Yat-shun of Shun Sum Yuen farm in Yuen Long said on Monday that efforts to grow tens of thousands of sunflowers had been a washout since May, with precipitation in July alone […]

  • Hong Kong church-goers urged to avoid masses by breakaway Catholic group SSPX
    by Leopold Chen on August 3, 2026

    Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged worshippers to avoid masses led by a conservative group excommunicated by the Vatican after a priest from the fraternity was reported to be holding regular events in the city. The diocese’s call came about a month after the Vatican excommunicated followers of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) over the group’s […]

  • Safety manager dies after falling 10 floors at Hong Kong construction site
    by Danny Mok on August 3, 2026

    A construction safety manager has died after falling about 10 floors at a work site in Hong Kong’s Kowloon City. Authorities received a report at 12.40pm on Monday that a man had plunged from a rooftop before landing on the fourth floor at the site on Sa Po Road. Emergency responders discovered the 39-year-old man unconscious and trapped among […]

  • India and China resume historic border trade
    on August 3, 2026

    Indian traders reached Tibet through three Himalayan mountain passes, restarting trade that had stopped during the Covid pandemicTrade between India and China across their shared Himalayan border resumed on Saturday after a gap of six years as the two Asian powers rapidly normalize their relationship.Himalayan trading, a centuries-old tradition between […]

  • IVF clinic worker ‘lied to cover up embryo specimen mix-up, fled Hong Kong’ for Malaysia
    by Ambrose Li on August 3, 2026

    An employee of a Hong Kong fertility clinic is suspected of lying to cover up a mistake involving mixed-up embryo biopsy specimens, the South China Morning Post has learned, with police listing the case as fraud and placing the worker, who has returned to Malaysia, on the wanted list. A source said the employee worked at Heal Fertility in Central and was […]

  • Uzbekistan FM Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich calls on President Droupadi Murmu during official visit to New Delhi
    on August 3, 2026

    New Delhi [India], August 3 (ANI): Uzbekistan's Foreign Affairs Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich on Monday called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan during his official visit to New Delhi. During the interaction, both leaders emphasised that the high-level visit provides an important opportunity to identify fresh avenues of bilateral […]

  • Hong Kong’s Chinese bond futures are a major step for the global yuan
    by Liu Min on August 3, 2026

    On August 3, five-year Chinese treasury bond futures began trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Market attention has focused on the new product, but its real significance emerges when set against the deep shifts under way in the international monetary system. History offers a clear lesson: no currency has graduated from a trade settlement currency to a […]

  • 4 ex-warehouse workers jailed over plot to steal Chanel items worth HK$8.7 million
    by Brian Wong on August 3, 2026

    Four former Hong Kong warehouse workers have been jailed for up to seven years for conspiring to steal more than 800 unsold Chanel handbags and wallets worth at least HK$8.7 million (US$1.1 million). The High Court on Monday sentenced the four defendants over two foiled plots to steal from the French fashion house’s storage spaces at the Goodman Interlink […]

  • LAOS-VIENTIANE-RAILWAY-WORKER-APPRENTICE
    on August 3, 2026

    (260803) -- VIENTIANE, Aug. 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese mentor Li Li (R) and his Lao apprentice Bounyadeth Thepvongsa do track maintenance work at Meuangxay Station of the China-Laos Railway in Meuangxay, Laos, July 30, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: From protecting homelands to safeguarding railway -- Retired veterans, apprentices on China-Laos Railway" (Photo […]

  • Feature: Chinese electric buses help drive Azerbaijan's green transport transition
    on August 3, 2026

    by Xinhua writer Liu ShuchenBAKU, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- "When I began driving electric buses, I could immediately tell that they were very different from the buses I had driven before. They run quietly and smoothly, with hardly any noise or vibration. Most importantly, they are environmentally friendly," said Nurlan Salmanli, a 34-year-old bus driver in […]

  • A Better Tomorrow at 40: how John Woo blockbuster changed Hong Kong cinema – SCMP archive
    by Miguel Enriquez on August 3, 2026

    Forty years ago, John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow was released. The action film is considered to be a turning point in Hong Kong cinema with directors like Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration. In this On This Day article, we look at SCMP’s archive coverage of this modern-day classic. A Better Tomorrow was released on August 2, 1986. Due to its […]

  • Former Hong Kong prison officer jailed for 3 years over brutal attack on inmate
    by Fiona Chow on August 3, 2026

    A former Hong Kong prison officer has been sentenced to three years in jail for severely wounding an inmate by repeatedly thrusting a stick into the victim’s rectum after the defendant was sprinkled with baby powder during a game of bingo. District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che on Monday handed down the punishment to Tam Lik-chung, a former Correctional […]

  • Triathlete death sparks calls for AI monitoring, GPS tracking at Hong Kong races
    by Lo Hoi-ying on August 3, 2026

    Hong Kong sporting event organisers should use technology to better track and monitor athletes, lawmakers have urged after a triathlete went missing at sea in Tai Po and was later found dead. The death of the participant in the city’s Summer Triathlon Challenge on Sunday has raised concerns over whether safety measures for such races are sufficient, […]

  • Ford prepares for possible entry of Chinese carmakers
    on August 3, 2026

    DETROIT, Michigan: Ford is preparing for the possibility that Chinese automakers could begin selling vehicles in the United States within the next five to 10 years, Chief Executive Jim Farley told employees during a town hall meeting on July 30, according to three people who viewed the event. Farley and other senior Ford executives said they believe Chinese […]

  • Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov arrives in New Delhi for four-day visit
    on August 3, 2026

    New Delhi [India], August 3 (ANI): Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov has arrived in New Delhi for a high-level official visit to India spanning from August 2 to 5, 2026.Welcoming Saidov, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post on X, 'A very warm welcome to Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov @FM_Saidov of […]

  • ‘A completely new person’: can surgery help Alzheimer’s patients regain basic skills?
    by Emily Hung on August 3, 2026

    A surgical procedure for Alzheimer’s disease being tested in Hong Kong has the potential to improve patients’ ability to take care of their basic needs such as getting dressed and remaining socially engaged. The ongoing clinical trial, launched by researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), involves an operation that drains an abnormal […]

  • (SP)CANADA-TORONTO-TENNIS-NATIONAL BANK OPEN-WOMEN'S SINGLES
    on August 3, 2026

    (260803) -- TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic celebrates a point during the first round of the women's singles match between Wang Xiyu of China and Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic at the 2026 National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto, Canada, Aug. 2, 2026. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

  • Hong Kong to face brighter but hotter weather this week after days of heavy rain
    by Lo Hoi-ying on August 3, 2026

    Hong Kong can expect sunnier but very hot weather later this week, the city’s forecaster has said, as residents woke to an amber rainstorm warning for the second consecutive morning. The Hong Kong Observatory on Monday issued the amber rainstorm warning signal at 6.40am, following a similar alert on Sunday morning that remained in place for more than six […]

  • Playing an instrument helps medical students perform surgical tasks better: study
    by Kate Chan on August 3, 2026

    Playing a musical instrument helps medical students perform surgical tasks 10 per cent faster and more skilfully, according to a study by the University of Hong Kong (HKU). The results showed that students with musical experience completed surgical tasks in an average time of 223.5 seconds, compared with 249.3 seconds for those without, making them nearly […]

  • "Winning this title still feels unreal, now my focus is on Asian Games": Anahat Singh after winning Squash Junior C'ships 2026
    on August 3, 2026

    New Delhi [India], August 3 (ANI): India's young sensation Anahat Singh expressed her delight following winning the Squash Junior Championships 2026, calling it the fulfilment of a long-held dream.She also said her focus has now shifted to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4, 2026, where she hopes to […]

  • 2 fire service contractors linked to Tai Po tragedy still running, open to new contracts
    by Matthew Cheng on August 3, 2026

    Two Hong Kong fire service contractors linked to alleged malpractice in the city’s deadliest blaze in decades are still in business and remain open to taking on new contracts, the South China Morning Post has learned, as lawmakers raised concerns over public safety and potential project abandonment. While enforcement actions against the two companies have […]

  • Global institutional investors eager to trade Chinese bond futures in Hong Kong, HKEX says
    by Enoch Yiu on August 3, 2026

    International asset managers, pension funds and insurance companies have shown strong interest in offshore China government bond futures, which are set to start trading in Hong Kong for the first time on Monday, according to senior stock exchange executives. The new 5-year China government bond futures contracts will have a size of 500,000 yuan (US$74,051). […]

  • Legco-executive dialogue must deliver more than novelty for Hong Kong
    by Alice Wu on August 2, 2026

    Exploring new channels for connection is important for enhancing communication. That seems to be one of the major themes of the first “new style Legco dialogue” with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, held last week after lawmakers returned from their study trip to Beijing. Legislative Council members were clearly eager to share ideas with Lee, […]

  • Shiho Kuwaki wins Women's Open in playoff for first major title
    on August 2, 2026

    (Photo credit: Oli Brady/LET)Japan's Shiho Kuwaki won her first major championship as she defeated Germany's Esther Henseleit on the second playoff hole Sunday to claim the Women's Open in Lytham St Annes, England.Kuwaki posted a 1-under-par 70 on Sunday to be the first to finish at 5-under 279 through four rounds at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Henseleit […]

  • Tibetans in exile hold candlelight vigil in Dharamshala, call for "complete independence" of Tibet
    on August 2, 2026

    Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 2 (ANI): More than 1,000 Tibetans in exile, including parliamentarians and senior officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile, held a candlelight march in Dharamshala on Sunday to mark one month since Lobga Rangzen self-immolated in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York, calling for a 'Free and […]

  • Rescuers retrieve bodies of four climbers to Camp-I of Broad Peak, including British-Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja
    on August 2, 2026

    Kathmandu [Nepal], August 2 (ANI): Rescuers on Sunday retrieved the body of famed British-Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja alongside other three climbers to Camp-I of the Broad Peak, officials announced.The ground rescue team had reached Purja's body at an altitude of about 5700 meters along with three other climbers, which have been brought to Camp I, the […]

  • Head coach Mahesh Gawali names India U20 men's squad for Singapore friendlies
    on August 2, 2026

    New Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): India U20 men's team head coach Mahesh Gawali has named a 30-player squad for two friendlies against Singapore on August 3 and 6, in Bengaluru.The matches, being played as part of the teams' preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, will be played behind closed doors at the Centre for Sports Excellence. […]

  • ZIMBABWE-HARARE-ASIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL
    on August 2, 2026

    (260802) -- HARARE, Aug. 2, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A local woman (L) tries her hand at Chinese calligraphy during the Asian Cultural Festival 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 1, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: Chinese film screening brings cultural insights, shared joy to Zimbabwean audience" (Photo by Tafara Mugwara/Xinhua)

  • (SP)CHINA-SHANGHAI-SNOOKER-SHANGHAI MASTERS 2026-FINAL (CN)
    on August 2, 2026

    (260802) -- SHANGHAI, Aug. 2, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Judd Trump looks on during the final match between Judd Trump of England and Kyren Wilson of England at the World Snooker Shanghai Masters 2026 in Shanghai, east China, Aug. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

  • Hong Kong, CSRC deepen financial ties ahead of first yuan bond futures launch
    by Denise Tsang on August 2, 2026

    Hong Kong’s leader has met the head of mainland China’s securities regulator to discuss deepening links between the two financial markets ahead of the launch of the city’s first yuan-denominated bond futures. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday evening that he met China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) chairman Wu Qing at Government […]

  • Jardine Foundation to end scholarships for Oxford, Cambridge undergrads
    by Emily Hung on August 2, 2026

    An educational trust established by Hong Kong-based conglomerate Jardine Matheson will end its prestigious undergraduate scholarship programme for Oxford and Cambridge universities after a strategic review, redirecting the funds to institutions in Asia. According to the Jardine Foundation’s website, students starting their studies later this year will be […]

  • Mirabai Chanu shifts focus to Asian Games after historic CWG gold, says "I want to win medal of the same colour for India"
    on August 2, 2026

    By Vivek Prabhakar SinghNew Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): Fresh from scripting history with a third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal, Indian weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu has already turned her attention towards the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, saying her training has begun as she eyes the one major medal missing from her glittering […]

  • US expands Uyghur forced labour entity list; CFU welcomes move, calls for greater global action
    on August 2, 2026

    Washington DC [US], August 2 (ANI): The Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) has welcomed the United States Department of Homeland Security's decision to expand the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List by adding more than 43 entities allegedly connected to forced labour in East Turkistan, describing the move as a significant step toward […]

  • Sports Focus: A second serve for used tennis balls
    on August 2, 2026

    JINAN, China, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- As evening fell over a blue tennis court by the sea in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, the crack of rackets and bounce of balls blended with the sound of waves.Dai Xiaodong, a local tennis enthusiast, had just finished a rally when he turned toward the sea and praised the court's open view and consistent bounce."The […]

  • CHINA-HEILONGJIANG-HEIHE-RUSSIA-CROSS-BORDER ROPEWAY-COMPLETION (CN)
    on August 2, 2026

    (260802) -- HARBIN, Aug. 2, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on July 22, 2026 shows an exterior view of the joint customs and immigration inspection hall of the first cross-border ropeway linking China and Russia, in Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. TO GO WITH "Main structure of first cross-border ropeway between China and Russia completed" […]

  • Economic Watch: Exhibitors at U.S. textile trade show grapple with unprecedented headwinds
    on August 2, 2026

    by Li XiruiNEW YORK, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Rising raw material, production and shipping costs together with shifting tariff policies are putting pressure on textile and apparel exporters eyeing the U.S. market and forcing many companies to absorb higher expenses while competing for customers.Those challenges were a common theme among participants at Texworld […]

  • CHINA-INNER MONGOLIA-XILIN GOL-NATIONAL SPACE SCIENCE CENTER-OBSERVING STATION (CN)
    on August 2, 2026

    (260802) -- XILIN GOL, Aug. 2, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Aug. 2, 2026 shows the Ming'antu observing station of the National Space Science Center, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Zhengxiangbai Banner, Xilin Gol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

  • SENEGAL-CHINA-EXHIBITION-CLOTHING CULTURE
    on August 2, 2026

    (260731) -- DAKAR, July 31, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Students from the Confucius Institute at Cheikh Anta Diop University try traditional Chinese costumes during an exhibition on ancient Chinese clothing culture at the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, Senegal, July 29, 2026. TO GO WITH "Exhibition on ancient Chinese clothing culture opens in Senegal" […]

  • China's entrepreneurial ecosystem fuels growth of startups
    on August 2, 2026

    HEFEI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- From Chinese-style music to smart glasses, an array of eye-catching startup projects turned an exhibition center in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, into a vibrant showcase of innovation and creativity this week.The exhibition was a sideline event of the national finals of an entrepreneurship competition co-hosted by […]

  • Trade-in program drives smart, green cooling upgrade across China
    on August 2, 2026

    NANNING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Urged by their daughter to replace the decade-old air conditioner in their apartment in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Zhu Chengyi, 72, and his wife Li Lan, 71, were initially hesitant.Today, the couple can adjust the temperature in their bedroom with a simple voice command or a tap on their smartphone. […]

  • Japan's creation of centralized intelligence agency raises concerns over accelerated military expansion
    on August 2, 2026

    TOKYO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's intelligence framework has entered a new phase after the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi launched the national intelligence bureau and held the national intelligence council's inaugural meeting on Friday.The bureau, an upgrade from the Cabinet intelligence and research office, serves as the secretariat for the […]

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