| 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
- 'Theatre of the absurd': Foreign Affairs expert Sachdev warns of tactical 'pause' in Iran-US conflict ahead of Trump-Xi summiton May 8, 2026
New Delhi [India] May 8 (ANI): Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev has characterised the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran as a 'theatre of the absurd,' describing a paradoxical state of 'Schrodinger's War' where a ceasefire and active combat appear to exist simultaneously.Speaking with ANI, Sachdev suggested that the current […]
- Satwiksairaj hits back at trolls after expressing concern over lack of reception following Thomas Cup bronzeon May 8, 2026
New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): Star Indian doubles badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy on Friday cleared the air over his statements on lack of reception for Team India's Thomas Cup bronze medal win, saying that his remarks 'did not come from a place of wanting personal fame or taking credit away from other's achievements', but his message is to […]
- Trump is punishing Germany for not enough appeasementon May 8, 2026
Berlins years of obedient Atlantic loyalty have ended in troop cuts, shelved missiles, and fresh humiliation from WashingtonDespite what Western mainstream media, think-tanks, and some propagandists with academic titles have been telling us, NATO-EU Europe has never "appeased" Russia.In reality, the NATO-EU European elites, with Germany among the leaders, […]
- Global reputation of US sinks below Russias rating surveyon May 8, 2026
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- CHINA-HONG KONG-GLOBAL MEDIATION SUMMIT (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- HONG KONG, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Guests attend a panel discussion during the Global Mediation Summit held in Hong Kong, south China, May 8, 2026. TO GO WITH "Roundup: IOMed announces landmark maritime dispute settlement at Global Mediation Summit" (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)
- CHINA-DING XUEXIANG-INSPECTION TOURS-BASIC RESEARCH (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- BEIJING, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, inspects Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, east China, April 30, 2026. Ding has stressed that the country needs to comprehensively improve its basic […]
- "Important step towards strengthening ties": Brazil President Lula after Trump meeton May 8, 2026
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- CHINA-BEIJING-WANG YI-FRANCE-TALKS (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- BEIJING, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, holds talks with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, in Beijing, capital of China, May 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Dai Tianfang)
- Hong Kong secures US$3.5 billion to fund Northern Metropolis and green projectsby Julie Zhang on May 8, 2026
Hong Kong has raised HK$27.6 billion (US$3.5 billion) through a green and infrastructure bond sale to finance the Northern Metropolis and low-carbon transformation projects. The offering drew investors from more than 30 markets across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, signalling global institutional investors’ confidence in Hong Kong’s […]
- In a land of state giants, 37 Chinese fishermen carve out private path to farthest waterson May 8, 2026
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- CHINA-BEIJING-XINHUA-FU HUA-EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR-MEETING (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- BEIJING, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with Egyptian Ambassador to China Khaled Nazmy in Beijing, capital of China, May 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)
- SCMP takes home 3 honours from Global Media Awards, including win for infographicby SCMP Reporters on May 8, 2026
The South China Morning Post has taken home three honours at the International News Media Association’s 2026 Global Media Awards, with its infographic on Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po fire winning first place for the best use of visual journalism. The awards were announced and presented in Berlin on Thursday, with the SCMP being the only Hong Kong media […]
- WUC weekly brief highlights Uyghur youth advocacy, Doppa Day celebrations and global forced labour concernson May 8, 2026
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- China-linked app sparks major spyware fears in Taiwanon May 8, 2026
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- US lawmakers introduce bill to block China, foreign adversaries from buying farmland near sensitive siteson May 8, 2026
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- India on verge of history: Young Tigresses trounce Lebanon in U17 Asian Cupon May 8, 2026
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- Nepal calls for resolution of Lipulekh issue through diplomatic channels as it maintains claim over iton May 8, 2026
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- Brazilian youth orchestra strikes new chord in China-Brazil cultural exchangeon May 8, 2026
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- InPics | China Coast Guard vessel Chuanshan conducts law enforcement training in South China Seaon May 8, 2026
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- KENYA-NAIROBI-CHINESE POETRY-EVENTon May 8, 2026
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- 3 convicted in Hong Kong’s largest football match-fixing scandal in yearsby Ambrose Li on May 8, 2026
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- Latin American buyers flock to Canton Fair as China's smart products shineon May 8, 2026
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- China's first modern glacier science museum opens on Qinghai-Tibet Plateauon May 8, 2026
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- CHINA-ANHUI-HUAINAN-RETIRED TEACHER-LESSONS (CN)on May 8, 2026
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(260508) -- WELLINGTON, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Maori performers stage a kapa haka performance at a concert marking the 20th anniversary of sister city relations between Wellington and Beijing, the capital cities of New Zealand and China, in Wellington, New Zealand, on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)
- Taiwan detects 12 sorties of Chinese aircraft, 6 vessels, 2 ships around itselfon May 8, 2026
Taipei [Taiwan], May 8 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected the presence of 12 sorties of Chinese military aircraft, six naval vessels and two official ships around its territorial waters as of 6am (local time) on Friday.Of the 12, 10 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern part ADIZ.In a post on X, […]
- Janice Tse is the ‘property queen’ of Hong Kong ministers. Here’s what she ownsby Matthew Cheng on May 8, 2026
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa has emerged as the biggest landlord among Hong Kong ministers after declaring that she has 25 properties in her name in the city, mainland China and the UK. The 61-year-old constitutional affairs chief also revealed that she or her family held shareholdings of more than 1 per cent in eight […]
- When the worlds most powerful country has no war planon May 8, 2026
Washingtons rhetoric and mixed signals are turning the Iran conflict into a wider test of US power and of global trust in American leadershipPeace does not seem to be on the horizon in the Middle East, though genuine de-escalation and a credible movement towards peace is sorely needed in the interest of all the parties to the conflict, and the rest of the […]
- Ancient villages in east China's Shandong breathe new vitality through conservationon May 8, 2026
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- From luxury to everyday staple: China sees steady durian price declineon May 8, 2026
KUNMING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Monthong durians from Thailand are now priced starting at 28 yuan (about 4.09 U.S. dollars) per kilogram at a fruit wholesale market in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.Meanwhile, on live-streaming e-commerce platforms across the country, shoppers can get a two-kilogram-plus durian yielding six generous pods […]
- ChinaToday | Take a 'flower walk' in Shanghai and feel the vibrant 'flower economy'on May 8, 2026
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- China's PV industry development, innovation valuable for global reference: Australian experton May 8, 2026
SYDNEY, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's photovoltaic (PV) industry has achieved many innovative breakthroughs, and its development experience is worth studying by other countries, said a leading Australian expert on PV.Ned Ekins-Daukes, head of the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), made the […]
- Why the UK is unlikely to shut Hong Kong’s London trade office despite spying verdictby Connor Mycroft,William Yiu on May 8, 2026
The operations of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London will remain unaffected by a UK spying verdict, observers have said, arguing that the British government is unlikely to seek its closure so as to maintain relations with Beijing. A British court on Thursday found Bill Yuen Chung-biu, the London HKETO’s manager, and Peter Wai […]
- China's grain checks into five-star "climate rooms" as 40 green silos riseon May 8, 2026
HANGZHOU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Outside the Renhe grain depot in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, the early-summer heat was sticky and oppressive. Inside, however, grain kernels were nestled in a crisp, 19-degree-Celsius "climate-controlled suite."This is the front line of China's green grain storage revolution. At a national conference on […]
- Tai Po fire: building authorities slammed at inquiry for ‘mechanical mindset’by Brian Wong,Lo Hoi-ying on May 8, 2026
The “mechanical mindset” of Hong Kong building authorities has come under scrutiny at a hearing into the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze, with a former inspection director conceding his team had “blindly” followed outdated guidelines when deciding not to conduct on-site audits of renovation work at the estate. Rudolf Lau Fu-kwok, who was the head of the […]
- (SP)CHINA-JIANGSU-SUZHOU-CLIMBING-WORLD SERIES WUJIANG-MEN'S LEAD (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- SUZHOU, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Giovanni Placci of Italy competes during the men's lead qualifications at World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, May 8, 2026. (Photo by Wuang Xuzhong/Xinhua)
- (SP)CHINA-JIANGSU-SUZHOU-CLIMBING-WORLD SERIES WUJIANG-WOMEN'S LEAD (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- SUZHOU, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Heloise Doumont of Belgium competes during the women's lead qualifications at World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, May 8, 2026. (Photo by Wuang Xuzhong/Xinhua)
- CUHK hospital to repay HK$4 billion public loan early, drawing on growing reservesby Emily Hung on May 8, 2026
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will dip into its reserves to repay a HK$4 billion (US$510.9 million) government loan owed by its debt-ridden private hospital, the institution’s council chairman has said. The finances of the CUHK Medical Centre were on the agenda of Friday’s Legislative Council health panel meeting, but the discussion was […]
- Cathay Pacific to lower fuel surcharges for passenger flights by up to 12.9%by Ng Kang-chung on May 8, 2026
Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will lower its fuel surcharges for passenger flights by as much as 12.9 per cent from May 16, after a series of increases that began in March. For long-haul flights, the surcharge will fall from HK$1,560 (US$199) to HK$1,362 per leg of the trip. The rate for medium-haul journeys, such as those between Hong Kong […]
- CHINA-BEIJING-INT'L HIGH-TECH EXPO-OPENING (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- BEIJING, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Bionic hands are seen at the 28th China Beijing International High-tech Expo in Beijing, capital of China, May 8, 2026. The expo opened here on Friday and will last until May 10, attracting more than 800 exhibitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Xie Han)
- (EyesOnSci) CHINA-WENCHANG-TIANZHOU-10-TRANSFER-LAUNCH SITE (CN)on May 8, 2026
(260508) -- WENCHANG, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 8, 2026 shows the combination of the Tianzhou-10 cargo craft and a Long March-7 carrier rocket being vertically transferred to the launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province. The combination of the Tianzhou-10 cargo craft and a Long March-7 carrier rocket was vertically […]
- Asia-Pacific Community: Cambodia reaps dividends from China's BRI projects as win-win partnership gains steamon May 8, 2026
PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The results of a new survey released on Friday showed that 97.4 percent of the respondents were optimistic about Cambodia's relations with China, saying that China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects have brought a lot of benefits in many development areas of Cambodia.Conducted by the Asian Vision Institute (AVI), an […]
- Veteran politician Jeffrey Lam to lead Hung Shui Kiu industrial park operatorby Eric Jiang,Ng Kang-chung on May 8, 2026
Hong Kong authorities have appointed veteran politician Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung to chair the board of directors of the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company – the first government-owned entity established to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis megaproject. The Development Bureau said on Friday that the board of directors comprised five bureau […]











