| Country name: |
conventional long form:
People's Republic of China
conventional short form:
China
local long form:
Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form:
Zhong Guo
abbreviation:
PRC
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| Government type: |
Communist state
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| Administrative divisions: |
23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions* (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities** (shi, singular and plural); Anhui, Beijing**, Chongqing**, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi*, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol*, Ningxia*, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin**, Xinjiang*, Xizang* (Tibet), Yunnan, Zhejiang; note - China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
|
| Independence: |
221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty 221 BC; Qing or Ch'ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912; People's Republic established 1 October 1949)
|
| National holiday: |
Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)
|
| Constitution: |
most recent promulgation 4 December 1982
|
| Legal system: |
a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
|
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) and Vice President HU Jintao (since 16 March 1998)
head of government:
Premier ZHU Rongji (since 18 March 1998); Vice Premiers QIAN Qichen (since 29 March 1993), LI Lanqing (29 March 1993), WU Bangguo (since 17 March 1995), and WEN Jiabao (since 18 March 1998)
cabinet:
State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)
elections:
president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 16-18 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
election results:
JIANG Zemin reelected president by the Ninth National People's Congress with a total of 2,882 votes (36 delegates voted against him, 29 abstained, and 32 did not vote); HU Jintao elected vice president by the Ninth National People's Congress with a total of 2,841 votes (67 delegates voted against him, 39 abstained, and 32 did not vote)
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| Legislative branch: |
unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,979 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held NA December 1997-NA February 1998 (next to be held late 2002-NA March 2003)
election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA
|
| Judicial branch: |
Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher, intermediate and local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts)
|
| Political parties and leaders: |
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [JIANG Zemin, General Secretary of the Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP
|
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong sect and the China Democracy Party as potential rivals
|
| International organization participation: |
AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer), OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer), ZC
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| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate YANG Jiechi
chancery:
2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 328-2500
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Joseph W. PRUEHER
embassy:
Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing
mailing address:
PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone:
[86] (10) 6532-3431
FAX:
[86] (10) 6532-6422
consulate(s) general:
Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang
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| Flag description: |
red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
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