China: Introduction

Capital: Beijing

Population

Total Population: 1,408,975,000

Natural Increase: -0.1%

Density: 150 Inhabitants/km²

Urban Population: 65.9%

Population of main cities: Shanghai (21,020,000); Beijing (18,431,000); Shenzhen (12,994,000); Guangzhou (Canton) (12,874,400); Tianjin (12,090,000); Chengdu (9,177,000); Wuhan (8,896,900); Chongqing (7,919,600); Dongguan (7,638,600); Hong Kong SAR (7,572,800); Foshan (7,508,800); Taipei (7,034,500); Hangzhou (6,970,000); Nanjing (6,500,000)

Ethnic Origins: According to Chinese authorities, more than 92% of the population are of Han Chinese origin, with Zhuang, Uighur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Mandchous, Mongol, Buyi, Korean and other ethnic origins forming about 8% of the population. (National Bureau of Statistics of China).

Official Language: The national language is Mandarin; however, there are many different dialects and variants of it.

Other Languages Spoken: There are more than a hundred dialects, with Mandarin in the north and Cantonese in the south of the country. The official language coexists with the other languages (Mongolian, Uyghur, Korean, Tibetan) of the autonomous regions.

Business Language(s): When the foreign party does not speak Chinese, business discussions will generally be held in English.

Literacy Rate: 90.9%

Welsh diplomatic representations:

The Welsh Government overseas offices aim to grow the economy by increasing exporting and attracting inward investment, raising Wales' profile on the international stage and establishing Wales as a globally responsible nation. Details on the offices in China are below:

- Beijing - +86 10 5811 1811 - Open from 9:00am to 5:00pm local time

- Chongqing - +86 23 6369 1400 - Open from 9:00am to 5:00pm local time

- Shanghai - +86 21 6229 0655 - Open from 9:00am to 5:00pm local time

Local Time:

It is %T:%M %A In Beijing

Exchange Rate on :

National Currency: Chinese Yuan (Renminbi) (CNY)

Country Overview

Area: 9,562,910 km²

Type of State: The People's Republic of China is a one-party state led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). China is characterized by a centralized unitary State under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Party has full jurisdiction and authority in the country. It consists of legislative, executive, military, supervisory, judicial and procuratorial branches. The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest state organ, with control over the constitution and basic laws, as well as over the election and supervision of officials of other government organs.

Type of Economy: High-income, advanced and diversified economy..
The Chinese economy is slowly recovering, despite the real estate crisis, with growth driven by public investment and manufacturing, although consumer and investor confidence remains fragile.

HDI*: 0.797/1

HDI (World Rank): 74/192

Note: (*) The HDI, Human Development Index, is an indicator which synthesizes several data such as life expectancy, level of education, professional careers, access to culture etc.

Telecommunication

Telephone Code:
To call from China, dial 00
To call China, dial +86

Internet Suffix: .cn

Households with a computer: 55.0 per 100 Inhabitants

Telephone Lines: 20.6 per 100 Inhabitants

Internet Users: 92.0 per 100 Inhabitants

Access to Electricity: 100% of the Population

Foreign Trade in Figures

Foreign Trade Indicators	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Imports of Goods (million USD)	2,065,964	2,679,412	2,706,507	2,556,941	2,587,234
Exports of Goods (million USD)	2,589,952	3,316,022	3,544,434	3,379,044	3,576,765
Imports of Services (million USD)	377,528	423,762	461,450	549,021	607,541
Exports of Services (million USD)	278,084	392,688	422,372	379,621	444,384

Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation, Latest data available.

See the latest updates in the Country Profile for China.

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This content is provided by Business Wales, an agency of the Welsh Government, and is intended to Welsh individuals and companies for information purposes.