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China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, including two special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital, while Shanghai is the most populous city by urban area. Its geography features the Central Plain, major rivers such as the Yangtze and Yellow River, deserts, subtropical and temperate forests, plateaus, and mountain ranges such as the Himalayas. It is the world's second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion (17% of the world's population). Covering 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third largest country by area.

Humans first arrived in China during the Paleolithic. During the 2nd millennium BCE, dynastic states emerged. In 221 BCE, China was unified under the Qin, followed by the Han dynasty, ushering in two millennia of imperial rule across periods of unity and division. The imperial era saw the expansion of the Silk Road and the invention of gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass. After increased Western political, economic, and philosophical influence, the empire was succeeded by the Republic of China (ROC) after the 1911 Revolution. The Warlord Era and Chinese Civil War followed, interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War, which ended in a Chinese victory. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the PRC and the ROC retreated to Taiwan. Both sides still claim political legitimacy. Attempts by the CCP to advance its political program faltered through famine and political turmoil. The reform and opening-up that began in 1978 moved China towards a socialist market economy, spurring economic growth.

Chinese art and culture have influenced much of Asia, with a literary tradition dating back millennia to the Chinese classics. China is the birthplace of Confucianism and Daoism, which form the traditional three teachings of Chinese philosophy and folk religion alongside Buddhism. Chinese cuisine is diverse and highly regional, with rice as a staple in the south and wheat in the north. It has 60 World Heritage Sites, including the Great Wall and Grand Canal. The Han, speakers of Sinitic languages, are China's dominant ethnicity, although it is home to 55 recognized minorities, including the Hui, Mongols, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Zhuang. (Full article...)

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Peking duck is a dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Imperial era. The meat is characterized by its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred especially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is often eaten with spring onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce, with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Aromatic duck is a similar dish to Peking duck and is popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. (Full article...)


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Traditional architecture in Shanghai
Traditional architecture in Shanghai
Credit: Fanghong

An area on the outskirts of Shanghai that has retained its traditional architecture.

Anniversaries for October 13

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In the news

4 October 2026 – Chinese espionage in the United States
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrests a 34-year-old Chinese American woman at Los Angeles International Airport in California for allegedly acting as an unregistered Chinese agent and surveilling Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te's son and family in the United States. (AFP via RFI) (The Daily Telegraph)
2 October 2026 – China–Japan relations
2025–2026 China–Japan diplomatic crisis, East China Sea EEZ disputes
A Chinese research vessel leaves Japan's exclusive economic zone after the Japan Coast Guard repeatedly ordered it to halt what Japan described as unauthorized scientific surveys near Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture. (AFP via CNA)
27 September 2026 – China–United States relations
Panda diplomacy
Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, arrive at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia, U.S., as part of an agreement signed between China and the U.S. during Chinese leader Xi Jinping's state visit last week. (AFP via Dawn) (AP)
27 September 2026 – 2026 Billie Jean King Cup
In tennis, the Czech Republic wins its 12th Billie Jean King Cup title and first since 2018 after defeating Ukraine 2–0 in the final in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. (AFP)

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China's Politics

Emblem of the Communist Party of China
Emblem of the Communist Party of China
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping

The General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, officially General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is head of the Chinese Communist Party and the highest-ranking official within China, a standing member of the Politburo and head of the Secretariat. The officeholder is usually considered the paramount leader of China.

According to the Constitution, the General Secretary serves as an ex officio member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's de facto top decision-making body. Since the early 1990s, the holder of the post has been, except for transitional periods, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, making the holder the Commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army.

The current General Secretary is Xi Jinping (pictured), who took the office at the 18th National Congress on 15 November 2012.

National Emblem of the Republic of China
National Emblem of the Republic of China

The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC).

The Constitution names the president as head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces (formerly known as the National Revolutionary Army). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto. Other powers of the president include granting amnesty, pardon or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.

The current President is Lai Ching-te (pictured), since May 20, 2024. Lai is a Taiwanese politician and former physician, who is currently serving as the eighth president of the Republic of China under the 1947 Constitution and the third president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

You are invited to participate in WikiProject China, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about China. 

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