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

  • Hong Kong yuan facility to expand 150% to US$73.6 billion to meet international demand
    by Enoch Yiu on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong will substantially increase its yuan facilities for banks from this Friday, while the city will also introduce a new electronic fixed income and currency (FIC) trading system as part of its latest efforts to promote yuan trading, according to local market regulators on Tuesday. Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) would increase the quota of its […]

  • India's chip push faces execution hurdles, heavy import dependence: Report
    on July 7, 2026

    New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): While India is building domestic capabilities in chip fabrication, packaging and testing, execution remains its biggest challenge due to heavy dependence on imported equipment and supply chain gaps, according to a report by Equirus Securities.The report said India's semiconductor strategy combines successful elements from […]

  • China perceives threats here, there and everywhere
    on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong, July 7 (ANI): As with every socialist nation run by authoritarian regimes, the leaders in China see threats and dangers at every turn. Many are internal risks, but there are also external threats that leave the top rungs of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) feeling nervous.On 18 June, the International Security and Strategy Center (ISSC) at […]

  • Update: Xi urges all-out efforts in flood control, disaster relief
    on July 7, 2026

    BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out efforts in organizing flood emergency rescue, disaster relief, treatment of the injured and resettlement of the affected people after multiple regions were hit by floods.Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central […]

  • Column: Why Chinese micro-dramas resonate across cultures
    on July 7, 2026

    by Thanayod LopattananontOver the past year, Chinese micro dramas have evolved from short-form video clips into high-value entertainment content. Discussions about the success of micro dramas often focus on the brevity of each episode, the fast-paced storytelling, the use of cliffhangers to keep viewers coming back, and the format's compatibility with […]

  • Samsung to hike foldable phone price amid AI chip shortage
    on July 7, 2026

    Seoul [South Korea], July 7 (ANI): The ongoing AI memory crunch is pushing tech giant Samsung Electronics to raise the prices of its upcoming foldable smartphone lineup once again, highlighting how the AI chip boom is altering consumer electronics pricing. The upcoming price adjustments mark a distinct departure from Samsung's historical pricing strategies. […]

  • Gene Solutions' SPOT-MAS 10 Places Asia-Led Cancer Screening Innovation in the Global Spotlight
    on July 7, 2026

    PRNewswireSingapore, July 7: Gene Solutions, a biotechnology company advancing genomic solutions for cancer detection and precision oncology, today announced a major global milestone for SPOT-MAS 10, its AI-powered, multi-omic blood-based test for multi-cancer screening.A blood-based cancer screening technology developed in As

  • Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong expected to plead guilty in foreign collusion case
    by Brian Wong on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has indicated he will plead guilty to conspiring with a fugitive former lawmaker to collude with foreign forces six years ago. The High Court has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for the 29-year-old on September 2, according to the judiciary’s website on Tuesday, signalling his intention to admit the […]

  • Minibus driver arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly knocking down elderly pedestrian
    by Wynna Wong on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong police have arrested a 74-year-old minibus driver on suspicion of dangerous driving after he allegedly ran over a 90-year-old man crossing a road in Kwai Chung. Police said the accident was reported at about 7.24am on Tuesday on 188 Hing Fong Road. The driver, surnamed Yan, was driving a public light bus towards Kwai Fong when he allegedly struck […]

  • China conducts rare submarine-launched ballistic missile test
    on July 7, 2026

    Beijing said the move was not aimed at any particular country, dismissing accusations of escalation A Chinese nuclear submarine launched a long-range ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, marking the first such test since 2024. "This test launch is

  • Joy and tears as Hong Kong students receive secondary school allocations
    by Kelly Fung,William Yiu on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong’s Primary Six students cheered and shed tears of joy on Tuesday as they received their secondary school allocation results after years of hard work, with some already looking ahead to future university subjects or the possibility of studying overseas. Joy and relief filled the school hall at Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road) as […]

  • Taiwan detects 4 Chinese aircraft, 9 naval vessels near territorial waters
    on July 7, 2026

    Taipei [Taiwan], July 7 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence detected the presence of four sorties of Chinese aircraft, nine naval vessels and three official ships around its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time) on Tuesday.Of the four, three sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern part Air Defence Identification Zone […]

  • Posters: Memories of historic July 7th Incident echo 89 years on
    on July 7, 2026

    BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The July 7th Incident, also known as the Lugou Bridge Incident, which occurred in 1937, is recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and China's whole-of-nation resistance against Japanese aggression.The crisis awakened the Chinese nation. People set aside whatever rifts they had and pointed their guns, […]

  • Running on empty: Whats driving Europes auto industry crisis
    on July 7, 2026

    Plant closures and layoffs expose a perfect storm fueled by the shift away from Russian energy, green policies, and fierce global competitionEuropean carmakers are facing one of the toughest crises in their history. Plant closures, layoffs, and shrinking profits have become increasingly common as Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers continue to expand […]

  • AI ‘central plank’ in Hong Kong’s economic development, John Lee says
    by Matthew Cheng on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong’s high-quality economic development will be guided by its first five-year blueprint and the coming policy address, with artificial intelligence (AI) as the “central plank”, the city’s leader has said. Speaking at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference 2026 on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said Hong Kong’s […]

  • SCMP’s China Conference to debut in Astana this September
    by Matthew Cheng on July 7, 2026

    The South China Morning Post will host its China Conference in Kazakhstan’s capital in September, following a high-level Hong Kong delegation led by the city’s leader to Central Asia last month, marking the first such event organised by a local media outlet in the region. Announcing the move at the SCMP China Conference 2026 on Tuesday, publisher Tammy […]

  • Relocated villagers stage poverty-to-prosperity story in northwest China
    on July 7, 2026

    YINCHUAN, July 7 (Xinhua) -- On the Loess Plateau, wedding guests arrived at a cave dwelling carrying buckets of water, with every drop saved for months so the bride could enjoy a proper bath before her big day.Then, moments before the ceremony, she ran away.The scene is fictional, but the hardship behind it is real.The scene is part of "Seeing Minning," a […]

  • Expats resonate with Long March on immersive journey
    on July 7, 2026

    GUIYANG, July 7 (Xinhua) -- In drizzling rain in Xishui County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, 70-year-old Scottish scholar David Ferguson walked up the stone steps leading to the memorial of the Qinggangpo battle, leaning on a hand-made walking stick.He made the walking stick from a tree branch he picked up in Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi […]

  • Before we hail Hong Kong cinema’s return, let’s ensure its survival
    by Adam Au on July 7, 2026

    The Furious, Hong Kong’s latest action flick, is crushing it on Rotten Tomatoes and has garnered critical acclaim abroad – proof of what human-centric filmmaking can still deliver in today’s market. But before we rush to hail the return of Hong Kong cinema, a new breed of drama factory is quietly generating content at a velocity no human team could […]

  • MYANMAR-YANGON-CHINESE CULINARY TRAINING PROGRAM
    on July 7, 2026

    (260707) -- YANGON, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Locals learn Chinese culinary skills during a five-day Chinese culinary training program at the Center for Tourism Development in Yangon, Myanmar, July 6, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: Chinese culinary training enhances skills of Myanmar hospitality workers" (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe)

  • What China Opportunity 2.0 brings to world
    on July 7, 2026

    What is China Opportunity 2.0?And what's in it for the world?Not shocks or threats, but opportunities and empowerment.Produced by Xinhua Global Service

  • Amber rainstorm warning cancelled, 11 flooding cases recorded in Hong Kong
    by Jeffie Lam on July 7, 2026

    This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong recorded at least 11 flooding cases in the northern New Territories while the amber rainstorm warning signal was in force. The Hong Kong Observatory cancelled the warning signal at 11.55am on Tuesday, after […]

  • Crushed it: AI and healthy habits help Hong Kong students ace IB
    by Kate Chan,Kelly Fung,Charlotte Kwan on July 7, 2026

    Hong Kong’s top International Baccalaureate (IB) scorers this year credited AI and a balanced study routine for their academic success after receiving their results on Monday. Amid the intense pressure of the final assessments, top achievers from Diocesan Boys’ School (DBS), Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA), and Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School shared […]

  • NORWAY-OSLO-PRIME MINISTER-CHINA-WANG YI-MEETING
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- OSLO, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Oslo, Norway, on July 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

  • NORWAY-OSLO-FOREIGN MINISTER-CHINA-WANG YI-TALKS
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- OSLO, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide in Oslo, Norway, on July 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

  • Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis project needn’t neglect agriculture
    by Wander Meijer on July 6, 2026

    Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is positioned as the city’s next engine of growth – a long-term solution to land supply, economic transformation and cross-boundary integration. Just as importantly, the government has stressed that this massive undertaking will embed nature conservation and urban-rural integration at its core. Yet, a growing […]

  • Shimla: Tibetans offer special prayers for Dalai Lama's health, long life on 91st birthday
    on July 6, 2026

    Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 7 (ANI): With celebrations underway on the 91st birthday of 14th Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist monks at the Dorje Drak Monastery offered special prayers for his long life and reflected upon his path of peace and compassion.Speaking to ANI, Tibetan Buddhist monk Dawa Tsering called the birthday an important day and that […]

  • VENEZUELA-MAIQUETIA-CHINA-EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES-ARRIVAL (CN)
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- CARACAS, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of emergency humanitarian relief supplies provided by the Chinese government to Venezuela arrives at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, near the Venezuelan capital Caracas, July 6, 2026. On the night of June 24, Venezuela was hit by its strongest earthquakes in more than a century, […]

  • World Uyghur Congress marks Urumchi anniversary, accuses China of escalating repression against Uyghurs
    on July 6, 2026

    Munich [Germany], July 6 (ANI): The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) commemorated the 17th anniversary of the 2009 Urumchi unrest, accusing the Chinese government of carrying out a violent crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protesters and saying the events marked a turning point in what it describes as the ongoing repression of the Uyghur people.In a press release, […]

  • BriMinds.ai Launches Globally to Build the Next Generation of AI-Ready Teachers and Students
    on July 6, 2026

    VMPLSingapore/ Dubai [UAE]/ Gurugram (Haryana)/ New Delhi [India], July 6: The team behind BriBooks, the world's largest book-writing platform for school students, today announced the global launch of BriMinds.ai, a comprehensive AI learning and assessment ecosystem designed to prepare educators and students for an AI-powered future.Following successful […]

  • Update: China's first batch of quake relief supplies arrives in Venezuela
    on July 6, 2026

    CARACAS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of emergency humanitarian relief supplies provided by the Chinese government to Venezuela arrived Monday at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, near the Venezuelan capital Caracas.Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil and Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela Lan Hu received the supplies at the airport.Gil […]

  • Indian ambassador names key steps for boosting trade with Russia
    on July 6, 2026

    New Delhi and Moscow are also working to remove non-tariff barriers, New Delhis envoy said at Innoprom 2026Meta:New Delhi and Moscow have made progress in talks to boost trade, India's ambassador to Russia has said.Speaking at Russia's main investment and trade platform Innoprom 2026 on Monday, Vinay Kumar said that the two countries are negotiating a […]

  • China's ethnic unity law raises fear of expanded global crackdown on dissent
    on July 6, 2026

    Taipei [Taiwan], July 6 (ANI): China's newly enforced Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law has intensified concerns over Beijing's ability to extend its reach beyond its borders, with a Taiwanese security official warning that the legislation could legitimise wider transnational repression against critics worldwide, as reported by The Taipei […]

  • (Int'l Exchange) CHINA-BEIJING-FILM-DEAR YOU-DIPLOMATS (CN)
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- BEIJING, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Li Sitong (C), actress of the Chinese film "Dear You," poses for photos with guests attending a screening of the film in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2026. At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, around 150 guests, including diplomatic envoys and their spouses as well as other […]

  • CHINA-SHANDONG-QINGDAO-RUSSIA-JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE-LAUNCHING (CN)
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- QINGDAO, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A drone photo taken on July 5, 2026 shows vessels participating in the "Joint Sea-2026" naval exercise launched by China and Russia at a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China and Russia on Monday launched the "Joint Sea-2026" exercise at a military port in Qingdao. (Photo by Li […]

  • Photo Flash | China's first batch of quake relief supplies arrives in Venezuela
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- CARACAS, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken with a mobile phone shows a Chinese plane carrying China's first batch of quake relief supplies arriving at Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas, Venezuela, on July 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Tian Rui)

  • Hong Kong cancels red rainstorm warning after hour as suspected waterspout spotted
    by Theodora Yu on July 6, 2026

    This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a red rainstorm warning for an hour on Monday night, while a suspected waterspout was spotted off Cheung Chau. The red […]

  • Oil city advances green transformation to bolster ecological conservation
    on July 6, 2026

    SHENYANG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Shijie, a 71-year-old painter from Panjin City in northeast China's Liaoning Province, has spent his life capturing the profound changes of this young but distinctive "oil city" on canvas.His brush has moved from the bustling oilfields of decades past to the picturesque reeds and tidal flats of today's wetlands, chronicling […]

  • Sports Focus: Sports revive Kuliang's century-old China-U.S. friendship for new generation
    on July 6, 2026

    by sportswriter Liu YangFUZHOU, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Standing outside the century-old Kuliang Club, Drew Ruchim picked up a wooden arrow and aimed at a pot. His first throw missed."At first I threw it like a baseball," said the University of Michigan graduate. "Then I changed how I released it."With a small adjustment, Ruchim quickly got the hang of touhu, a […]

  • CHINA-HONG KONG-PLA NAVY FLEET-DEPARTURE (CN)
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- HONG KONG, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- The guided-missile frigate Hengyang sails out of the pier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison's naval base on Stonecutters Island in Hong Kong, south China, July 6, 2026. A fleet of the PLA Navy, consisting of guided-missile destroyer Nanning and guided-missile frigate Hengyang, […]

  • CHINA-PLA NAVY-STRATEGIC MISSILE-TEST LAUNCH (CN)
    on July 6, 2026

    (260706) -- BEIJING, July 6, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on July 6, 2026 shows a strategic missile launched by a strategic nuclear submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy blasting off. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Monday successfully conducted the test launch of a strategic missile by a submarine. The PLA […]

  • Interview: China plays key role in global governance, says Belarusian expert
    on July 6, 2026

    MINSK, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC), over the past 105 years, has led China's transformation into an important actor in global governance, Anastasia Savinykh, analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research, said in an interview with Xinhua.With its role in international affairs significantly enhanced, China has become a […]

  • Update: China's Tianwen-2 probe reaches target asteroid, starts scientific exploration
    on July 6, 2026

    BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China's Tianwen-2 probe has successfully arrived at a distance of 20 kilometers from the asteroid 2016HO3, enabling it to begin scientific exploration after an approximately 400-day journey of about 1 billion kilometers, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Monday.China launched its first asteroid […]

  • Tibetans in Dharamshala celebrate Dalai Lama's 91st birthday with prayers, cultural performances
    on July 6, 2026

    Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 6 (ANI): Tibetans living in exile gathered in large numbers in Dharamshala on Monday to celebrate the 91st birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama with prayers, cultural performances and official ceremonies. The celebrations began with the Indian and Tibetan national anthems, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony. […]

  • Global travelers drawn to China's revitalized agrarian charm
    on July 6, 2026

    NANNING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- In a village in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, British travel blogger Alexander Charles Douglas Short and Luke Wayne O'Farrell from Ireland found an unlikely zest in what used to be local farmers' daily grind -- harvesting jasmine flowers."Pinch it like this, give it a twist, and the flower comes off," said Lei […]

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