| 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
- GHANA-ACCRA-INVESTMENT AND TRADE WEEK-AFRICA BUILD SHOWon July 8, 2026
(260708) -- ACCRA, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People are seen during the three-day Ghana Investment and Trade Week and Africa Build Show in Accra, Ghana, July 7, 2026. TO GO WITH "Ghana mulls renewable energy, e-mobility investments to power 24-hour economy" (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)
- CHINA-SHANGHAI-CAS-BASIC RESEARCH (CN)on July 8, 2026
(260708) -- SHANGHAI, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A researcher works at a laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences in Shanghai, east China, July 7, 2026. Basic research is the foundation of all scientific and technological innovation. In recent years, the CAS Shanghai Branch has worked closely with […]
- Hong Kong survivors push to close ‘consent loophole’ in reforms to sex crime lawsby Jess Ma on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong women’s rights advocates and sexual assault survivors have urged authorities to close a loophole that allows defendants to claim an honest but mistaken belief in consent before a sexual act, warning that it could undermine proposed reforms. The Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women and survivor group We Are X on Wednesday said the […]
- Chinese profit-taking triggers record gold ETF outflows amid shift to equitiesby Julie Zhang on July 8, 2026
Chinese investors pulled a record US$2.91 billion out of domestic gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in June, taking profits as a stock-market surge and a strong yuan dimmed the appeal of the safe-haven metal, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). Mainland Chinese funds were the biggest drag on Asia’s gold ETFs in June, “as local investor risk […]
- Economy | 25th China Internet Conference kicked off in Beijingon July 8, 2026
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The 25th China Internet Conference kicked off here on Wednesday and will run until Friday.
- Update: Xi calls for advancing Chinese modernization through sci-tech innovationon July 8, 2026
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for accelerated efforts to achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and leverage sci-tech innovation to underpin and drive Chinese modernization.Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central […]
- Economy&Life | 25th China Internet Conference kicked off in Beijingon July 8, 2026
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The 25th China Internet Conference kicked off here on Wednesday and will run until Friday.
- (Hello Africa) China pavilion draws crowds with high-tech solutions at Tanzania's international trade fairon July 8, 2026
On Monday, at the heart of the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, a steady stream of visitors flows into one of the most vibrant sections of the exhibition grounds, the China pavilion.DAR ES SALAAM, July 8 (Xinhua) -- On Monday, at the heart of the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, a steady stream of visitors flows into one of the most […]
- Clips of flooded Hong Kong rivers, streets go viral online after heavy rainby Wynna Wong on July 8, 2026
Videos of flash-flooded rivers and overflowing pavements went viral on social media on Wednesday as residents in parts of Hong Kong grappled with more than 70mm of rainfall in 24 hours. The intensity of the floods prompted some users online to claim a picture of the extreme was outdated or even AI-generated, only to be proved wrong when a clip was shared by […]
- Tourist arrivals in Hong Kong jump by 13% to 26.7 million in first half of yearby Cannix Yau on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong welcomed 13 per cent more visitors in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2025, as it hosted more mega-events and the Airport Authority stepped up efforts to add destinations to boost tourism. Tourism minister Rosanna Law Shuk-pui revealed on Wednesday that visitor arrivals reached about 26.71 million in the first six […]
- Column: Tokyo Trials cannot be overturned by Japan's right wingon July 8, 2026
by Shao XiaRecently, I came across an article by a Japanese scholar warning that Japan is rapidly moving toward a renewed "military-industrial-bureaucratic-academic complex." The system of national mobilization, originally designed for wartime, is reemerging in significant ways. While Japanese politicians continue to whitewash and rationalize their […]
- Disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors triple over 4 yearsby Fiona Sun on July 8, 2026
The number of disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors at Hong Kong’s public hospitals has nearly tripled over four years, the health chief has revealed, as lawmakers called for stronger safeguards to uphold professional standards. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau told a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday that the Hospital Authority […]
- Ugandan farmers sue in UK against TotalEnergies-backed pipelineon July 8, 2026
The case seeks to apply local environmental and climate laws to the British-registered pipeline company A group of Ugandan farmers has launched a case in the UK High Court against the operator of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), seeking to stop the project over alleged environmental rights […]
- CHINA-BEIJING-CHINA INTERNET CONFERENCE-OPENING (CN)on July 8, 2026
(260708) -- BEIJING, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An internet-themed video is played at the opening ceremony of the 25th China Internet Conference at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2026. The 25th China Internet Conference kicked off here on Wednesday and will run until Friday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
- Poster | Fact-checking over U.S. comments on Greenlandon July 8, 2026
At a tense #NATO summit, the #US once again rattled its allies. It renewed its claim over #Greenland.Washington says #Denmark cannot protect the Arctic island on its own. It also claims Greenland faces growing threats from China and Russia.But those claims cannot stand up to scrutiny.
- As US attention drifts, India and Japan move closeron July 8, 2026
Economic logic and geopolitical unease are pushing Tokyo and New Delhi into closer alignment as Washington sends mixed signals across AsiaTherecent visitby Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to India came at a moment when the politics of the IndoPacific appear to be in flux, especially amid rising tensions in the Middle East between the US and Iran.With […]
- Gen Z underestimates impact of social media on loneliness, Hong Kong poll findsby Kate Chan on July 8, 2026
Members of Hong Kong’s Generation Z tend to underestimate the negative impact of social media on their mental health and those who frequently use the online platforms are lonelier than those who do not, a survey has found. The Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) polled 572 young people aged 11 to 24 between September and December last year to better […]
- Embryo specimen mix-up: what happened and how is IVF regulated in Hong Kong?by Elizabeth Cheung,Theodora Yu on July 8, 2026
A rare mix-up involving embryo biopsy specimens at Heal Fertility, a privately-run reproduction clinic in Hong Kong linked to former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, has prompted investigations by health authorities and police The South China Morning Post looks into fertility treatments in the city and how they are regulated. 1. What is in vitro […]
- (EyesOnSci)CHINA-SHANGHAI-TSUNG-DAO LEE INSTITUTE-PLATFORM FOR LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS (CN)on July 8, 2026
(260708) -- SHANGHAI, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People visit the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, east China, July 7, 2026. Tsung-Dao Lee Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in east China's Shanghai has been working to accelerate the construction of China's first dedicated laboratory astrophysics research platform. […]
- Mirror star Keung To slapped with 3-month driving ban after spate of offencesby Brian Wong on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong Cantopop star Keung To has been disqualified from driving for three months after accumulating 15 demerit points for various traffic offences last year. Eastern Court on Wednesday revoked Keung’s probationary driving licence and ordered him to surrender the document within 14 days. But a lawyer representing the 27-year-old artist, who was absent […]
- Cathay Pacific probes flight intercepted by Hungarian jets after Nato alertby Lam Ka-sing on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways is investigating an incident involving a London-bound plane that was intercepted by Hungarian fighter jets when it briefly lost contact over Romanian airspace and triggered a Nato alert on Saturday. The city’s flag carrier also said on Wednesday that the safety of the aircraft or people on board was not compromised at […]
- CHINA-SICHUAN-CHENGDU-NAMIBIAN PRESIDENT-ARRIVAL (CN)on July 8, 2026
(260708) -- CHENGDU, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the Republic of Namibia arrives in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 8, 2026. Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived here on Wednesday during a state visit to China from July 5 to 11. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)
- Update: Two academicians win China's top sci-tech awardon July 8, 2026
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Founder of China's lithium battery sector Chen Liquan and radar technology expert Ben De were presented with China's top sci-tech award for the year 2025 in Beijing on Wednesday.Chen, born in 1940, is a researcher at the Institute of Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of […]
- Hong Kong’s Paul Chan to make second trip to Saudi Arabia to build Mideast tiesby Wynna Wong on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong’s finance chief will lead another business delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year, announcing the news as the city hosted the first overseas edition of one of the kingdom’s top technology conferences as part of efforts to boost ties with the Middle East. Speaking at the opening ceremony of LEAP East 2026 on Wednesday, Financial Secretary […]
- Hong Kong lawmakers push for 24-hour mandate after IVF embryo specimens blunderby Lam Ka-sing,Benjamin Fuller,Matthew Cheng on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong fertility clinics should be required to report serious incidents within 24 hours to the regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), lawmakers have said, following a specimens mix-up at a centre that went undisclosed for weeks. They urged the government on Wednesday to close the regulatory gap, a day after it emerged that Heal Fertility in Central […]
- 5.0-magnitude quake hits SW China's Sichuanon July 8, 2026
BEIJING, 8th July, 2026 (WAM) -- A 5.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Gaoxian County, Yibin City, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC).The epicentre was monitored at 28.54 degrees north latitude and 104.67 degrees east longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 6 kilometres, the centre […]
- Hong Kong stocks rise as rallies from Alibaba, SMIC, other tech giants lift market sentimentby Daisy Wu on July 8, 2026
Hong Kong stocks closed on a sharp high on Wednesday, led by technology shares, as concerns over a wave of post-IPO lock-up expiries eased after newly unlocked shares were absorbed into the market without triggering a sell-off. The benchmark Hang Seng Index finished the session up 3 per cent, while the Hang Seng Tech Index heavily outpaced the broader […]
- Photo Flash | China's top sci-tech award conference held in Beijingon July 8, 2026
(260708) -- BEIJING, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A meeting, which brings together the national science and technology award conference, the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 11th national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, is held in Beijing, capital […]
- DeepSeek enters AI chip race with inference processoron July 8, 2026
HANGZHOU, China: Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is developing its own AI chip for inference, marking a major step toward reducing its dependence on Nvidia and Huawei as it expands beyond AI model development, according to three people familiar with the matter. The chip is being designed for inference, the stage of AI computing in which […]
- How centuries-old rule sustains ancient cypress forest in Chinaon July 8, 2026
CHENGDU, July 8 (Xinhua) -- In early June, with thick dossiers in hand, Xu Yixin, former mayor of Jianmenguan Township, and her nominated successor, Wang Jiang, moved methodically from tree to tree along the timeworn bluestone road of Cuiyunlang, a renowned corridor of ancient cypresses in southwest China's Sichuan Province, cross-checking their records […]
- CHINA-GUANGXI-GUIGANG-TORRENTIAL RAINS-DISASTER RELIEF (CN)on July 8, 2026
(260708) -- GUIGANG, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A rescue vehicle drives through the water in the urban area of Guigang City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 7, 2026. China has allocated more than 36,000 additional disaster relief items to south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Ministry of Emergency Management said Tuesday. […]
- SWITZERLAND-GENEVA-AI FOR GOOD GLOBAL SUMMITon July 8, 2026
(260708) -- GENEVA, July 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A participant records a video of a walking robot at AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, July 7, 2026. The AI for Good Global Summit 2026 kicked off here on Tuesday and will last till July 10. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)
- Hong Kong universities snap up office and retail sites amid classroom crunchby Kate Chan on July 8, 2026
At least six universities in Hong Kong have moved into office buildings or shopping centres over the past three years as classroom space has tightened amid rising non-local enrolment, according to the latest data. Among them is the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), which spent HK$345.4 million (US$44 million) in 2025 to acquire a […]
- How Hong Kong is fighting to redefine its future with an institutional moat, wealth surgeby Daisy Wu on July 7, 2026
For decades, warnings of Hong Kong’s terminal decline have arrived in periodic waves. When Stephen Roach, the former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, ignited a firestorm with his February 2024 assertion that “Hong Kong is over”, he pointed to a toxic cocktail of domestic and external pressures. Roach, who doubled down on his “wake-up call” a year […]
- Trump reiterates Greenland "should be controlled by US", but adds move "would hurt relationship with NATO"on July 7, 2026
Ankara [Turkey], July 8 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) reiterated that Greenland 'should be controlled by the United States,' arguing that the Arctic island is strategically important for American security, CNN reported.Speaking during a bilateral meeting ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump acknowledged that pursuing US […]
- TANZANIA-DAR ES SALAAM-TOMB SWEEPINGon July 7, 2026
(260707) -- DAR ES SALAAM, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from China, Tanzania, and Zambia lay flowers at the tombs of Chinese experts in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 7, 2026. TO GO WITH "China, Tanzania, Zambia honor Chinese martyrs on TAZARA's 50th anniversary" (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)
- TANZANIA-DAR ES SALAAM-TRADE FAIRon July 7, 2026
(260707) -- DAR ES SALAAM, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A quadruped robot performs during the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 6, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: China pavilion draws crowds with high-tech solutions at Tanzania's international trade fair" (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)
- CHINA-BEIJING-EDGAR SNOW-SYMPOSIUM (CN)on July 7, 2026
(260707) -- BEIJING, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Samuel Colin Maclean, a family member of Edgar Snow, speaks at the opening ceremony of an international symposium at Peking University (PKU) in Beijing, capital of China, July 7, 2026. Co-organized by Xinhua News Agency and PKU, the symposium is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at PKU. More than 160 guests […]
- (Int'l Exchange) CHINA-NINGXIA-TONGXIN-RETRACING SNOW'S ROUTE (CN)on July 7, 2026
(260707) -- YINCHUAN, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An aerial drone photo taken on July 7, 2026 shows participants visiting the shooting site of a famous photo taken by Edgar Snow in Yuwang Town, Tongxin County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Chinese and foreign participants, including family members of U.S. journalist Edgar Snow, visited […]
- Update: Think tank report highlights legacy of American journalist Edgar Snowon July 7, 2026
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The contemporary value of the legacy left by the American journalist Edgar Snow was highlighted in a think tank report released Tuesday, which called for more Snow-like figures to present a comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and truthful picture of the world from an objective standpoint and with cool-headed observation.Titled […]
- China's advance notification of submarine missile launch test shows openness, transparency: spokespersonon July 7, 2026
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China notified relevant countries in advance of the test launch of a nuclear submarine-based strategic missile, a move that demonstrates the openness and transparency of the Chinese armed forces, a defense spokesperson said on Tuesday.Chen Xi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a […]
- CHINA-LIAONING-SHENYANG-RESISTANCE WAR AGAINST JAPANESE AGGRESSION-89TH ANNIVERSARY (CN)on July 7, 2026
(260707) -- SHENYANG, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Students observe a moment of silence during a ceremony to commemorate the 89th anniversary of the beginning of China's whole-nation resistance war against Japanese aggression at the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 7, 2026. China on Tuesday marked the 89th […]
- Customers seeking refunds during cooling-off period will need to pay admin feeby Ambrose Li on July 7, 2026
Hong Kong customers seeking refunds under a proposed seven-day cooling-off period for prepaid beauty and fitness contracts will be required to pay an administrative fee to curb potential abuse of the mechanism, the government has said. Authorities last week launched a two-month public consultation on three major policy proposals aimed at strengthening […]
- Inside China's factories, computing power is reshaping manufacturingon July 7, 2026
GUANGZHOU, July 7 (Xinhua) -- In a production hall in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, rows of television sets move along an automated assembly line. At one workstation, a robotic system precisely connects signal and interface ports on each unit, a task that once relied on manual operation.Powered by 3D vision and artificial intelligence (AI), the system has […]
- CHINA-BEIJING-LUGOU BRIDGE-RESISTANCE WAR AGAINST JAPANESE AGGRESSION-89TH ANNIVERSARY (CN)on July 7, 2026
(260707) -- BEIJING, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on July 7, 2026 shows the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, capital of China. China on Tuesday marked the 89th anniversary of the beginning of its whole-nation resistance war against Japanese aggression. On July 7, 1937, Japanese […]

















