Outline of China

{{Short description|1=Overview of and topical guide to China}}

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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to China:

The People's Republic of China is the most extensive country in East Asia and the third most extensive country in the world.{{cite web|date=July 8, 2009|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/|title=China|work=The World Factbook|publisher=United States Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=July 23, 2009}}{{NoteTag|Area rank is disputed with the United States and is either ranked third or fourth. See List of countries and dependencies by area for more information.}} With a population of over 1,400,000,000, it is the second most populous country in the world.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has led the PRC under a one-party system since the state's establishment in 1949. The PRC is involved in a dispute over the political status of Taiwan. The CCP's rival during the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang (KMT), fled to Taiwan and surrounding islands after its defeat in 1949, claiming legitimacy over China, Mongolia, and Tuva while it was the ruling power of the Republic of China (ROC). The term "mainland China" is often used to denote the areas under PRC rule, but sometimes excludes its two special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau.

Because of its vast population, rapidly growing economy, and large research and development investments, China is considered an "emerging superpower".{{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" |access-date=2007-12-24 |last=Gordon |first=Peter |publisher=The Asia Review of Books |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527001617/http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=693 |archive-date=2012-05-27 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjir/6.1.03_miller.html |title=China an Emerging Superpower? |access-date=2007-12-24 |last=Miller |first=Lyman |publisher=Stanford Journal of International Relations}} It has the world's second largest economy (largest in terms of purchasing power parity.) China is also a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40192-2005Jan26.html China Passes U.S. In Trade With Japan][http://www.ifans.go.kr/ICSFiles/afieldfile/2005/07/05/policybrief05_3.pdf Trade Policy Outlook for Second-term Bush Administration]{{Cite web |url=http://www.econstrat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=59 |title=China - Taiwan Economic Ties |access-date=2008-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511202616/http://www.econstrat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=59 |archive-date=2019-05-11 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=408&issue_id=3322&article_id=2369703 |title=Beijing's Growing Politico-Economic Leverage Over Ulaanbaatar |access-date=2008-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019052916/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=408&issue_id=3322&article_id=2369703 |archive-date=2008-10-19 |url-status=dead }} Since 1978, China's market-based economic reforms have brought the poverty rate down from 53% in 1981 to 8% by 2001.[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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922130002/http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,contentMDK:20634060~pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469382,00.html |date=2013-09-22 }} (World Bank). Retrieved August 10, 2006. However, China is now faced with a number of other socioeconomic problems, including an aging population, an increasing rural-urban income gap, and rapid environmental degradation.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/world/asia/29china.html?_r=1&oref=slogin | work=The New York Times | title=Beijing's Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue | first=Jim | last=Yardley | date=December 29, 2007 | access-date=May 20, 2010}}{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6247119.stm | work=BBC News | title=China fails environment targets | date=January 10, 2007 | access-date=May 20, 2010}}

China plays a major role in international trade. The country is the world's largest consumer of steel and concrete, using, respectively, a third and over a half of the world's supply of each.[http://www.cintrafor.org/CONFERENCE_TAB/China%20Conf%202006/Boardman%202006.pdf Center for International Trade in Forest Products] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624202603/http://www.cintrafor.org/CONFERENCE_TAB/China%20Conf%202006/Boardman%202006.pdf |date=2008-06-24 }} China's Building Boom. Retrieved December 2, 2006, Counting all products, China is the largest exporter and the second largest importer in the world.The World Factbook, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004658/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2087rank.html Rank Order - Imports].{{cite news|title=WTO: China overtakes US as second biggest exporter|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/12/content_849420.htm|access-date=2016-09-16|publisher=China Daily|date=2007-04-12|location=Geneva|language=en}}

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