Statistical information China 1989

China in the World
China - Introduction 1989
top of pageBackground: For most of its 3,500 years of history, China led the world in agriculture, crafts, and science, then fell behind in the 19th century when the Industrial Revolution gave the West clear superiority in military and economic affairs. In the first half of the 20th century, China continued to suffer from major famines, civil unrest, military defeat, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established a dictatorship that, while ensuring China's autonomy, imposed strict controls over all aspects of life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping decentralized economic decision making; output quickly doubled. Political controls remain tight at the same time economic controls have been weakening. Present issues are: closing down inefficient state-owned enterprises; modernizing the military; fighting corruption; and providing support to tens of millions of displaced workers.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries:
23,213.34 km total
Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Myanmar 2,185 km, Hong Kong 30 km, India 3,380 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Laos 423 km, Macau 0.34 km, Mongolia 4,673 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, USSR 7,520 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
Coastline: 14,500 km
Maritime claims: Territorial sea:12 nm
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
ElevationNatural resources: coal, iron ore, crude oil, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, world's largest hydropower potential
Land use: 10% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 31% meadows and pastures; 14% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes 5% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: world's third-largest country (after USSR and Canada)
top of pagePopulation: 1,112,298,677 (July 1989), growth rate 1.6% (1989)
Nationality: noun - Chinese (sing., pl.; adjective - Chinese
Ethnic groups: 93.3% Han Chinese; 6.7% Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities
Languages: Standard Chinese (Putonghua) or Mandarin (based on the Beijing dialect; also Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, and minority languages (see ethnic divisions)
Religions: officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic; most important elements of religion are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; about 2-3% Muslim, 1% Christian
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 23 births/1000 population (1989)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: frequent typhoons (about five times per year along southern and eastern coasts), damaging floods, tsunamis, earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; industrial pollution; water pollution; desertification
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 34 deaths/1000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 70 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1989)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: over 75%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: People's Republic of China; abbreviated PRC
Government type: Communist state; real authority lies with Communist Party's Politburo; the National People's Congress, in theory the highest organ of government, usually ratifies the party's programs; the State Council actually directs the government
Capital: Beijing
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions* (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 3 municipalities** (shi, singular and plural; Anhui, Beijing**, 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*, Yunnan, Zhejiang; note - China considers Taiwan its 23rd province
Dependent areasIndependence: unification under the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty 221 BC, Qing (Ch'ing or Manchu) Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912, People's Republic established 1 October 1949
National holiday: National Day, 1 October (1949)
Constitution: 4 December 1982
Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; highest judicial organ is Supreme People's Court, which reviews lower court decisions; all major legislation approved by Party Politburo before official adoption by State Council and National People's Congress (NPC; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; party constitution revised in 1982 and 1987; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal over age 18
Executive branch: Chief of State - President YANG Shangkun (since 8 April 1988; Vice President WANG Zhen (since 8 April 1988; Head of Government - Premier of State Council LI Peng (Acting Premier since 24 November 1987, Premier since 9 April 1988; Note - de facto leader is DENG Xiaoping who retired from the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1977 but retained the post of Chairman of the Central Military Commission
Legislative branch: Chinese People's Liberation Army (CPLA), CPLA Navy (including Marines), CPLA Air Force
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ADB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador ZHU Qizhen; Chancery at 2,300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 328-2,500 through 2,502; there are Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco; US - Ambassador Winston LORD; Embassy at Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, Beijing (mailing address is FPO San Francisco 96,655; telephone Õ86å (1) 532-3,831; there are US Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang
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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The seventh Five-Year Plan (1986-90) calls for reforms in the fiscal, financial, banking, price, and labor systems to support continued economic growth. Light and heavy industry is planned to grow by 7.5% a year, agriculture by 4%, and foreign trade by 7% - growth rates lower than those recorded during 1981-85. Despite the good economic results of the past 10 years, China remains one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income of $320. Most of the labor force is engaged in agriculture, although only 11% of the land is cultivated. China is self-sufficient in grain and is the world's largest producer of rice, millet, barley and sorghum. Agricultural products also account for a large share of export earnings. The industrial sector's share of real GNP increased from 39% in 1984 to 43% in 1987, while agriculture's share dropped from 31% to 26%. China has vast and largely untapped energy and mineral resources. As part of the drive to modernize its economy, China has pursued a more liberal economic policy in the 1980s. Peasants are now allowed to lease land from the state and to retain earnings after meeting contractual obligations to deliver grain to the state. Joint ventures and foreign loans are now accepted, and commercial links have been diversified.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: rice, wheat, corn, other grains, oilseed, cotton; mainly subsistence agriculture
Industries: iron, steel, coal, machine building, armaments, textiles, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate: 14.8% (1987)
Labor force:
513,000,000; 61.1% agriculture and forestry, 25.2%
industry and commerce, 4.6% construction and mining, 4.5% social services, 4.6% other (1986 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.0% in urban areas (1987 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $57.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: manufactured goods, agricultural products, oilseeds, grain (rice and corn), oil, minerals
Partners: Hong Kong, Japan, US, FRG, USSR, Singapore, Italy, Canada (1987)
Imports: $52.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: grain (mostly wheat), chemical fertilizer, steel, industrial raw materials, machinery, equipment
Partners: Hong Kong, Japan, US, FRG, USSR, Singapore, Italy, Canada (1987)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $35 billion (1988 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: yuan (Y) per US$1 - 3.7221 (fixed rate since 1986), 3.4528 (1986), 2.9367 (1985)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 110,000,000 kW capacity; 526,000 million kWh produced, 480 kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaChina - Communication 1989
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $16.0 billion, NA% of central government budget (1988)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsChina - Transportation 1989
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 330 total, 330 usable; 260 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 10 with runways over 3,500 m; 90 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 200 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude, 6,500 km; refined products, 1,100 km; natural gas, 4,200 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 138,600 km; about 109,500 km navigable
Merchant marine: 1,333 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,950,719 GRT/19,509,375 DWT; includes 25 passenger, 43 short-sea passenger, 16 passenger-cargo, 6 cargo/training, 746 cargo, 11 refrigerated cargo, 54 container, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 multifunction heavy-lift carrier, 170 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 chemical tanker, 231 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier; note - China beneficially owns an additional 159 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling approximately 4,829,535 DWT that operate under the registry of Panama, UK, Hong Kong, Liberia, and Malta
Ports and terminalsChina - Transnational issues 1989
top of pageDisputes international: boundary with India; four sections of the boundary with the USSR are in dispute (Pamir, Argun, Amur, and Khabarovsk areas; a short section of the boundary with North Korea is indefinite; British colony of Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region in 1997; Portuguese territory of Macau is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region in 1999; sporadic border clashes with Vietnam; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; maritime boundary dispute with Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands)
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs