Lisbon – City Of Street Art
Interesting factsLisbon is a city on Portugal's coast that skillfully combines modern ideas with old world appeal. Lisbon is a world center for street art although…
China’s vast expanse stretches across about 9.6 million square kilometers, encompassing five climatic zones and 14 neighboring countries. From the frozen steppes of Inner Mongolia and the desolate Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in the north, to the subtropical forests of Yunnan and the humid tropics of Hainan, China’s terrain is extraordinarily varied. Towering mountain ranges – the Himalayas, Karakoram, Pamirs and Tian Shan – form natural borders with Tibet, South Asia and Central Asia. In the east lie broad alluvial plains and river deltas (such as the Yellow and Yangtze), where the majority of people live, while the west is dominated by high plateaus, rugged ranges and some of the world’s most elevated terrain (including Mount Everest at 8,848 m). These geographic contrasts – between fertile lowlands and harsh uplands – have shaped China’s history and development.
China’s geography is inseparable from its human story. The ancient Great Wall of China, for example, snakes more than 21,000 km across northern mountains and deserts. Built and rebuilt by successive dynasties, it stands as a symbol of the scale and endurance of Chinese civilization against the backdrop of vast landscapes. Rivers like the Yangtze and the Yellow River (Huang He) traverse the country from west to east, supporting dense agricultural plains and dense populations in eastern China. Meanwhile the long, 14,500-km Pacific coastline has historically opened China to maritime trade, shaping coastal cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Over millennia, these physical features have fostered regional diversity. Northern China endures bitter winters and limited rainfall, whereas the south enjoys monsoon rains and subtropical warmth. Broad deserts and plateaus in the west contrast with lush plains and deltas along the coasts. As one recent summary notes, “China’s landscape is vast and diverse, ranging from the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in the arid north to the subtropical forests in the wetter south.” This variety in climate and geography has nurtured a wide range of ecosystems and, in turn, a rich biodiversity. Vast forests, high-altitude grasslands, tropical rainforests and coastal wetlands – all occur within China’s borders – making it one of the world’s “megadiverse” nations.
Table of Contents
China’s history is one of remarkable continuity and change. Archaeological evidence points to complex societies along the Yellow River valley by the 3rd millennium BCE, often regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization. By about 220 BCE the vast territory of China was politically unified under the Qin dynasty, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang first consolidated walled states and standardized writing, currency and road systems. Over the next two millennia, a succession of imperial dynasties – from the Han (206 BCE–220 CE) through the Tang, Song, Yuan (Mongol), Ming and Qing (Manchu) – built grand capitals, patronized arts and sciences, and expanded into frontier regions. Inventions such as paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing emerged during these eras, while philosophies like Confucianism and Daoism deeply influenced Chinese society and governance. For centuries China was often the world’s largest economy and cultural center, with cosmopolitan capitals like Chang’an (Tang era) drawing traders from as far as Mesopotamia and beyond.
China’s more recent history has seen profound upheaval. In the 19th century, internal turmoil and foreign incursions eroded the Qing dynasty’s authority, leading to social unrest and the “Century of Humiliation” under colonial pressures. The Qing was overthrown in the 1911 Revolution, giving way to the Republic of China. This fragile republic faced warlordism, Japanese invasion (the Second Sino-Japanese War), and a full-scale civil war between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Nationalist Kuomintang. In 1949 the Communists emerged victorious: they proclaimed the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the defeated Nationalists retreated to Taiwan. The mid-20th century under Mao Zedong saw radical campaigns – land reform and collectivization – followed by tragedy: the Great Leap Forward (late 1950s) aimed at rapid industrialization, but led to a catastrophic famine killing millions, and the later Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) unleashed widespread political purges and chaos.
After Mao’s death, China shifted course. Beginning in 1978, under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership, the country opened to market-oriented reforms and foreign investment. Economic experimentation with special zones, deregulation of agriculture and encouragement of private enterprise rapidly accelerated growth. These policies lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and transformed China’s cities and countryside alike. By the 2000s China had become one of the fastest-growing major economies on record, with its GDP increasing many-fold. This era of reform also saw China seek greater international engagement: it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and began projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (post-2013) to expand infrastructure links across Eurasia and beyond. Through these changes, China’s history – millennia old – continues to evolve, balancing ancient legacies with modern transformation.
Today’s China is a highly centralized state led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PRC formally describes itself as a “socialist republic” under party leadership. The party exercises strict control over national and local government, the military and most aspects of society. Since the 1980s China has adopted a single-party system without competitive elections for top leaders. Significant power rests with the CCP General Secretary (currently Xi Jinping), a position also held concurrently as President of China and Chairman of the military commission. Under Xi, the party has further consolidated authority, and the constitution was amended (2018) to allow him to seek more than the customary two terms in office.
Despite its one-party system, China’s government portrays itself as responsive through mass organizations and state-managed consultative bodies. The nominal legislature – the National People’s Congress – meets annually, but key decisions are made by party leadership and the State Council (cabinet) led by the Premier. Political discourse is tightly controlled, and dissent is limited; the media and internet operate under extensive regulations. Religions are officially tolerated within state-sanctioned frameworks, but any organizations perceived as “threats” are suppressed (e.g. control of churches, mosques and the recent ban on private faith schools).
On the world stage, China wields growing influence. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, granting it veto power in global affairs. China is a founding member of dozens of international bodies (for example, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and a participant in G20, APEC, BRICS and other forums. In recent years, Beijing has positioned itself as a champion of developing countries’ interests and global governance – whether through climate negotiations, peacekeeping contributions, or infrastructure investments abroad – reflecting an ambition to shape the international order.
With roughly 1.42 billion people (2025 est.), China is the world’s second-most populous country, representing about 17% of humanity. The population is unevenly distributed: the fertile river plains and coastal areas in the east and south are densely settled, while vast western and northern regions (Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, etc.) are sparsely inhabited. Urbanization has accelerated dramatically in recent decades – as of 2025 about 67% of Chinese live in cities, up from only a few percent mid-20th century. Megacities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and Guangzhou each exceed 20 million people, and China now contains dozens of cities of 5–10 million. Rural-to-urban migration has reshaped society, creating both booming skylines and challenges like housing affordability and regional inequality.
China’s demographic profile is aging. The median age is about 40 years (compared to roughly 30 in the 1980s), reflecting decades of low birth rates. The total fertility rate is around 1.0 children per woman (below the replacement level). In response to falling births, the government ended its one-child policy (implemented in 1980) in 2015 and later relaxed family-planning rules further, but the birth rate has remained low. This rapid aging poses future economic and social challenges, such as pension funding and care for the elderly, which Chinese leaders are trying to address through policy adjustments.
Ethnically, China is dominated by the Han Chinese (about 91% of the population). The remaining 9% are officially recognized as 55 minority nationalities, ranging from large groups numbering tens of millions to small communities. Major minority groups include:
Each minority brings distinct languages, customs and traditions, contributing to China’s cultural mosaic. The term Zhonghua Minzu (中华民族) is often used to refer collectively to all Chinese ethnicities, emphasizing unity within diversity.
Linguistically, the Han-majority speaks a range of Sinitic (Chinese) dialects. Standard Mandarin (based on the Beijing dialect) is the official national language and is taught in schools nationwide. However, hundreds of other Chinese languages and dialects persist: for example, Cantonese (Yue) in Guangdong/Hong Kong, Wu (including Shanghainese) around Shanghai, Min in Fujian and Taiwan, Hakka across several provinces, etc. Non-Sinitic languages (Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur, Kazakh, Korean, and many more) are spoken by minority groups in their home regions. Written Chinese characters (Hanzi) remain a unifying medium across dialects, though teaching of minority scripts (like Tibetan script or Mongolian script) continues in those communities.
Religion and belief in China tend to blend traditions. Formally, China recognizes five “religions” (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism) under government supervision, but many Chinese engage in folk practices (ancestor worship, temple offerings, philosophical Confucian ethics) that are less easily categorized. Surveys find that only a small fraction (around 10%) of Chinese adults formally identify with an organized religion.
Nonetheless, various faiths are widely practiced: Mahayana Buddhism has millions of adherents and monasteries across China, Taoist temples (often overlapping with folk belief) are common, Islam is central in Uyghur and Hui communities, and Christianity – though officially limited – has grown rapidly over recent decades (both in registered churches and underground congregations). In daily life, traditional festivals (like Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival) and ancestral rituals remain very important, reflecting the deep imprint of China’s religious and cultural heritage on family and community life.
China’s economy has become a defining feature of the country’s global rise. As of the mid-2020s, China is the world’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP (around $19 trillion in 2025 estimates) and largest by purchasing power parity. Sustained annual growth rates of 6–9% for many years vaulted China from a largely agrarian society to a major industrial and technological power. These gains were underpinned by massive capital investment, export-driven manufacturing, and rural reforms that freed farm labor. By lifting roughly 800 million people out of extreme poverty since 1978, China has achieved “the greatest poverty reduction in history.” Today, about 17% of world wealth is held in China, reflecting its massive size and ongoing development.
China has become the world’s industrial workshop and trade juggernaut. Since 2010 it has been the planet’s largest manufacturing nation, surpassing the U.S. after a century of American dominance. Factories in China produce a vast array of goods—from steel to smartphones—for global markets. Accordingly, China is the world’s leading exporter and holds a trade surplus in many sectors. Alongside heavy industry, China’s technology sectors have expanded rapidly. It is now a global leader in consumer electronics, telecommunications (home to Huawei, ZTE and a domestic internet giant Baidu), and advanced manufacturing. Notably, China dominates electric vehicles (EVs): it is the top producer and consumer of EVs, making roughly half of the world’s plug-in electric cars by the early 2020s. Major companies like BYD, NIO and Xpeng are household names, and China controls key battery production and raw materials for green-tech.
Despite its enormous economy, China’s per capita income remains modest (around $13,700 in 2025, ranking roughly 60th globally). Huge wealth and development disparities exist: urban and coastal regions are far richer than rural interiors. Government policies continue to emphasize modernization (the “Made in China 2025” strategy for high-tech manufacturing, digital infrastructure projects, and consumption-driven growth) while also trying to rebalance investment-led growth. In recent years China has also pursued a consumer-oriented economy: domestic spending (on goods and services) has grown as the middle class expanded. Sectors like e-commerce (China accounts for about 37% of global online retail market share), finance (Shanghai is Asia’s financial hub), and tech (homegrown giants like Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu) have boomed, gradually shifting the economy away from purely export-led manufacturing.
Nonetheless, China faces challenges. Debt levels have risen from years of high investment; industries like real estate and heavy industry sometimes show overcapacity; and the transition to a consumption-driven model has not been straightforward. Inequality and an aging population create social strains. As one observer notes, China’s development has brought “tremendous progress” but also strains on resources and the environment. The government’s dual goals – maintaining growth and avoiding social instability – drive policies ranging from fiscal stimulus to financial sector reform. In sum, China’s economy today is a complex blend of socialist planning (state-owned enterprises and five-year plans) and market mechanisms, yielding the engine of Asia’s development.
China’s geographic vastness and range of climates have fostered great biodiversity. Indeed, as a “megadiverse” country, China harbors roughly 10% of the world’s plant species and 14% of its animal species. Endemic wildlife is celebrated in Chinese culture – none more famously than the giant panda (symbol of wildlife conservation) and the Siberian tiger in the northeast. Diverse ecosystems, from rainforests in Yunnan to alpine meadows in Tibet, support such treasures as golden monkeys, river dolphins, and exotic orchid species.
To protect this heritage, China has established thousands of nature reserves. In recent years it set aside about 18% of its land in reserves, which now safeguard over 90% of native plant species and 85% of wild animal species. As of 2020, China was home to roughly 1,864 giant pandas in the wild – up from just a few hundred decades earlier – thanks to intensive breeding and reforestation programs. Similarly, the wild Asian elephant population (in Yunnan) has grown under protection.
Modern China is also grappling with serious environmental challenges arising from its rapid growth. Air pollution, long infamous in industrial regions like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the Yangtze River Delta, has improved under intensive controls. Since declaring a “war on pollution” in 2013, the government has targeted coal smoke, vehicle emissions and factory fumes. As a result, national average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has fallen by roughly 40% since 2013.
Beijing, for example, has recorded some of the cleanest air of the past decade in recent years. These strides are reflected in research showing that the average Chinese citizen could expect to live about two years longer because of recent air-quality improvements. Nevertheless, air quality still frequently exceeds World Health Organization guidelines, and almost all Chinese (99.9%) live in areas with pollution above the WHO’s recommended limits.
Water scarcity and pollution are also critical issues. Northern China faces chronic water shortages in cities and farmland, prompting massive projects like the South–North Water Transfer to reallocate river flows. Meanwhile, industrial and agricultural runoff has polluted many lakes and rivers, necessitating treatment upgrades. Soil erosion and desertification, especially on the fringes of the Gobi and Loess Plateau, threaten agriculture. To combat deforestation and carbon emissions, China has become the world’s largest investor in renewable energy: it leads in wind power and solar panel production, and is installing new dams (like the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze) to generate clean electricity.
In sum, while China’s economic rise has strained the environment, the government now emphasizes green development. Conservation campaigns (often linked to flood control and climate goals) aim to restore forests and protect wetlands, and China has pledged to peak carbon emissions around 2030. The tension between industry and environment remains a defining issue of modern China.
Since the 1980s, China has built infrastructure on an unprecedented scale. Its cities sprouted skyscrapers almost overnight, and today China is dotted with modern megacities connected by highways, high-speed rail lines and airports. The headline of this transformation is urbanization: rural residents once fleeing poverty have poured into cities. In 1960 only about 17% of Chinese lived in towns; now roughly two-thirds are urban dwellers. City planning in places like Shenzhen (once a fishing village, now a tech hub) exemplifies this shift. New residential districts, business centers and entire “satellite cities” have emerged as city populations swelled. This urban boom continues to reshape Chinese society, creating a large urban middle class while also raising challenges of congestion, housing shortages, and the need for services in sprawling metropolises.
The government prioritized connecting its vast territory. Today China boasts the world’s largest high-speed rail (HSR) network. Tens of thousands of kilometers of bullet-train lines link major cities: for example, one can ride at 300+ km/h from Beijing to Shanghai (over 1,300 km) in around five hours. China’s HSR accounts for about two-thirds of the world’s total high-speed track. Almost every provincial capital is on the network, making rapid rail travel common. China also invested in roads: its national expressway system spans over 160,000 km, with massive bridges (like the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge, the world’s longest) and tunnels overcoming geographical barriers.
Ports and airports have likewise expanded. Shanghai’s port, particularly the Yangshan Deep-Water Port, has become the world’s busiest container port, handling around 49 million TEUs in 2023. A vast container complex and high-automation facilities allow this port to process ships from all over the world efficiently. Major waterways – the Yangtze River and Pearl River Delta – also carry huge freight volumes inland. In the air, China’s busiest airports (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) serve over 100 million passengers each year collectively, making China a hub of regional and intercontinental flights. National airlines like Air China, China Eastern and China Southern form large fleets, and China leads Asia in new aircraft orders and production (with Comac building domestic jetliners).
Overall, China’s transportation network – from 5G telecoms across the countryside to electric vehicle charging stations in every city – is among the most extensive in the world. This infrastructure underpins its economic dynamism: goods can move rapidly between factories and markets, and people can travel across enormous distances more easily than in most other countries. It also helps integrate the country, as remote regions become less isolated. By modern standards, many Chinese cities rival – or exceed – their counterparts in roads, subways (Beijing and Shanghai have second-longest metro networks worldwide), and general connectivity. Such rapid development of infrastructure continues to transform daily life in China, blurring the old lines between rural villages and global cities.
China’s millennia-long history has produced a rich tapestry of culture, philosophy and art. Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism have interwoven to shape Chinese values – emphasizing harmony, filial piety, and a deep sense of heritage. Family and education are highly prized: generations often live under one roof, and academic achievement has traditionally been a path to status. Social life is marked by festivals: the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) in winter is celebrated with lanterns, dragon dances and family feasts; the Mid-Autumn Festival in autumn sees families admiring the full moon and eating mooncakes. Cultural icons – from paper-cutting and calligraphy to Peking Opera and martial arts – continue to thrive as cherished traditions.
For all its modern skyscrapers, China is studded with architectural wonders. In Beijing, the Forbidden City – a sprawling imperial palace complex of the Ming and Qing dynasties – remains intact, its golden roofs and stone courtyards a museum of ancient design. Northeast of Beijing lies the Sacred Way to the Ming Tombs with its stone guardian statues. Xi’an still has its old city wall and the famous Terracotta Army (an archaeological find of thousands of lifelike clay soldiers protecting the tomb of China’s first emperor). Southern China boasts the classical gardens of Suzhou and the granaries of Dujiangyan irrigation from 2500 years ago. The Great Wall, already noted, is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as are the Summer Palace, Potala Palace in Tibet, and dozens of other relics. In total China hosts 59 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (including natural and cultural), the second-highest count of any country.
Modern Chinese culture blends this ancient heritage with contemporary expression. Film, music and literature have boomed: award-winning novelists like Mo Yan, filmmakers like Zhang Yimou, and pop stars and directors engage both domestic audiences and global ones. Traditional arts remain alive – calligraphy, classical painting and ceramics are still practiced – but they coexist with urban trends like animation (“donghua”) and tech-driven entertainment. Chinese cuisine, a central part of cultural identity, is famously diverse. Staple foods vary: rice dominates the south, wheat (noodles, dumplings, bread) in the north.
There are eight major regional cuisines, each with its own flavor profile. For example, Sichuan cuisine is known for its bold, spicy dishes with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns; Cantonese cuisine emphasizes fresh seafood and delicate dim sum; Shandong cuisine (northern coastal) highlights soups and grains of sea salt; and Hunan cuisine is noted for intensely hot, chili-laden dishes as well. Other regions – Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, etc. – each have distinctive specialties like Shanghai soup dumplings, Fujian sweet-and-sour soups, or Beijing’s roast duck. Street food culture thrives everywhere (from northern jianbing pancakes to southern bubble tea), making Chinese food both a daily delight and a subject of worldwide fascination.
Religious and philosophical life also shape culture. Many Chinese celebrate traditional festivals and observe temple rituals without formal “membership” in a religion. Buddhism and Taoism (often intertwined with folk beliefs) offer temples and iconography that are woven into the landscape – incense burning and ancestor tablets are common sights in city alleys and mountain shrines alike. Islam is a thread in China’s cultural fabric too: Chinese Muslim restaurants serve halal cuisine like lamian (hand-pulled noodles) and yangrou chuan (lamb skewers), and grand mosques (e.g. in Xi’an or Ningxia) testify to centuries of Muslim presence. In the arts and media, however, overt religious themes are rare; artists more often draw on classical themes or modern social issues.
China’s languages, too, reflect its cultural breadth. Mandarin Chinese dominates education and media, but many people grow up bilingual or speak a regional dialect at home. Television broadcasts often use Mandarin, yet Cantonese TV and radio are strong in Guangdong/HK, and local languages are preserved in folk songs and literature. This linguistic diversity means that even within China, encountering different ways of speaking or writing can feel like visiting a new world.
In urban architecture, China juxtaposes tradition with dazzling modern skylines. Ancient structures (like Beijing’s Temple of Heaven or Chengdu’s old teahouses) stand amidst gleaming new monuments (Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower, Shenzhen’s skyscrapers). In recent years, experimental buildings and cultural landmarks – the Bird’s Nest Stadium of the 2008 Olympics, the Water Cube, or the National Grand Theatre in Beijing – showcase cutting-edge design. Yet even the most futuristic districts are often arranged around cultural axes or parks that include pagodas and gardens. In each city, the layering of old courtyard homes, mid-20th-century plazas, and ultra-modern office towers tells a story of China’s enduring continuity amidst rapid change.
Food is a ubiquitous expression of Chinese culture and a source of great pride. Chinese cuisine prizes balance: contrasting flavors (sweet/sour, spicy/mild) and textures are combined artfully. Meals are traditionally communal – multiple dishes are shared at a round table – symbolizing family and togetherness. A typical meal might feature rice or noodles with vegetables, meat and a simple soup. Tea is the drink of daily life: green tea in eastern China, oolong and black teas in the south, served unsweetened with meals or in social settings.
Chinese culinary regions differ dramatically. As one survey of regional styles notes:
Across the country, one finds the iconic Chinese dumpling (jiaozi) in the north and wontons in the south, each with local twists. Street food and night markets (such as Beijing’s Wangfujing or Chengdu’s Jialing Street) offer snacks like skewered lamb, stinky tofu, soup dumplings or sweet pastries, reflecting the nation’s regional tastes. These foods are more than sustenance – they are woven into celebrations (rice wine at Lunar New Year, mooncakes at Mid-Autumn) and daily rituals (tea breaks with dim sum, morning congee).
In daily life, traditional customs blend with modern habits. The Lunar New Year remains the biggest annual event: people travel home for family reunions and set off fireworks to welcome the zodiac year. But many Chinese also follow urban lifestyles, commuting to work on high-speed trains or buses, living in apartment complexes, and using mobile payment apps instead of cash. E-commerce has transformed shopping: markets like Taobao and Alibaba allow buying anything from groceries to cars online. Still, one often finds grandparents teaching calligraphy in a park, or neighbors practicing tai chi at dawn – a testament to the persistence of cultural roots.
China’s society today reflects both deep traditional values and rapid change. Respect for elders and education remains strong; young people in cities, however, often adopt global fashions and ideas. The tension – and harmony – between the ancient and the modern characterizes much of Chinese life. Whether visiting a remote village or a buzzing metropolis, one senses a blend of old festivals, new skyscrapers, age-old philosophies and cutting-edge technology.
Chinese architecture, ancient and modern, is remarkably distinctive. Imperial-era construction often employed wooden beams and tiled roofs with sweeping curves – for example, the yellow-glazed roof and red walls of Beijing’s Forbidden City exemplify Ming/Qing style. The symmetry and axial layouts of palaces and temples (drawing on feng shui concepts) create a sense of order. Other historical wonders include the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing (once a pagoda famed in Europe), the cliff-side hanging temples of Shanxi, and the grottoes of Dunhuang, which contain thousands of Buddhist cave paintings (part of the Silk Road heritage). Traditional residential architecture ranged from courtyard houses (siheyuan in the north) to stilted wooden homes in the south.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, Chinese architects have experimented widely. Soviet-inspired public buildings in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and Shanghai’s Pudong show mid-century influences. More recently, international architects have designed museums, concert halls and cultural centers: examples include the CCTV Headquarters (the “big pants” building) in Beijing by OMA, and the sprawling Dalian Library by local architects. Infrastructure itself often has monumental design – Beijing’s National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest) and National Aquatics Center (Water Cube) – leaving artistic imprints on the skyline. Urban planning in China sometimes follows grid patterns, but “urban villages” and villages turned into housing complexes also create unique cityscapes.
Rural China preserves other architectural treasures. The earthen “tulou” communal houses of Fujian (large round or square fortresses built by Hakka people) and the wooden stilt villages of Guizhou’s minorities (Dong and Miao communities) showcase ingenuity with local materials. Many mountain regions have stone villages and ancient rice terraces (like the Longji terraces in Guangxi) built into the hillsides. The diversity of local building techniques – from the earthen walls of northern cave dwellings to Lijiang’s old town wooden architecture – reflects China’s many cultures and geographies.
China’s rise as a great power is reshaping global affairs. Economically, it is a cornerstone of international trade: many countries depend on Chinese markets for exports (often raw materials or components), and China’s factories supply global consumer goods. The renminbi (Chinese currency) has become more prominent in foreign reserves and trade financing. Diplomatically, China often emphasizes sovereignty and non-interference, but it also asserts influence via initiatives like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and belt-and-road investments in Asia, Africa and Europe. In the United Nations and other international organizations, China positions itself as a leader of the Global South, advocating development aid and technology transfer (e.g., in green energy).
China is also a major player in climate and environmental policy. It is the world’s largest emitter of CO₂ by volume, and it makes domestic commitments to peak emissions around 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Its policies on renewable energy and afforestation have global significance, as does its stance at climate summits. Public health and technology are other domains of influence: China’s rapid containment of SARS-CoV-1 (2003) and the COVID-19 pandemic attracted worldwide attention, and Chinese biotech and telecommunications firms are increasingly integrated internationally (though not without controversy).
Culturally, China has projected soft power as well. Its film industry (the world’s second-largest by market revenue) co-produces movies with Hollywood; its Confucius Institutes teach Chinese language and culture worldwide; and events like the Olympics (2008 Beijing, 2022 Beijing Winter Games) brought global visibility. The Chinese diaspora – tens of millions living abroad – also spreads Chinese cuisine, festivals (Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries), and business connections (Chinatowns, Chinese-run enterprises). Mandarin has become a widely studied foreign language globally.
At the same time, China’s growing influence has elicited mixed reactions. Some countries welcome Chinese investment and see economic partnership as beneficial; others express concern over issues like debt dependency or trade imbalances. International observers debate how China’s rise will affect norms on human rights, trade, and regional security. Nonetheless, whether as a partner or competitor, China today shapes global economics, politics and culture in ways few nations have.
China is a country of contrasts and continuities. It is ancient and modern, rural and urban, centralized and regionally diverse. Throughout its immense territory and storied history, one sees the threads of continuity – reverence for tradition, emphasis on family and education, respect for the wisdom of the past – woven into new patterns of rapid change. From the winding path of the Great Wall to the bullet trains linking its mega-cities, from imperial temples to tech startup offices, China’s story is dynamic and far from complete. Its challenges – environmental, demographic, and social – are formidable, but its capacity for adaptation is equally vast. Observers of the 21st century continue to watch China’s trajectory closely, as the nation navigates the future with a blend of age-old culture and bold innovation.
Currency
Founded
Calling code
Population
Area
Official language
Elevation
Time zone
Lisbon is a city on Portugal's coast that skillfully combines modern ideas with old world appeal. Lisbon is a world center for street art although…
Greece is a popular destination for those seeking a more liberated beach vacation, thanks to its abundance of coastal treasures and world-famous historical sites, fascinating…
Precisely built to be the last line of protection for historic cities and their people, massive stone walls are silent sentinels from a bygone age.…
From Rio's samba spectacle to Venice's masked elegance, explore 10 unique festivals that showcase human creativity, cultural diversity, and the universal spirit of celebration. Uncover…
From Alexander the Great's inception to its modern form, the city has stayed a lighthouse of knowledge, variety, and beauty. Its ageless appeal stems from…
