China

TOTAL AREA 9,596,960 sq km -or- 3,704,427 sq mi

POPULATION (2005 AD) 1,302,056,200+

CAPITAL Beijing (Peking)

BIGGEST CITIES POPULATION (2003)

Shanghai: 12.8 million+ Beijing: 10.8 million+ Tianjin: 9.1 million+ Hong Kong: 6.8 million+ Wuhan: 5.1 million+ Shenyang: 4.8 million+ Chongqing: 4.6 million+ Guangzhou: 3.8 million+

The People's Republic of China (PRC), the third-largest country in the world and the largest nation in Asia

LANGUAGE Officially, Mandarin Chinese

First President of China, Yuan Shihkai, who was elected in 1912 by the members of China's first National Assembly in Nanjing.

China is bordered on the N by Mongolia (Mongolian People's Republic–MPR) and Russia; on the NE by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK); on the E by the Yellow and the East China seas; along the southern border are Hong Kong, Macau, the South China Sea, the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam, and Laos; on the SW by Myanmar, India, Bhutan, and Nepal; on the W by India, Jammu and Kashmir (disputed areas), Pakistan (west of the Karakoram Pass), and Afghanistan; and on the NW by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakstan. China's total boundary length, including the coastline (14,500 km/9,010 mi) is 36,647 km (22,771 mi).

Population of more than one billion accounts for 23 per cent of the world human population. China is the world's oldest continuous civilization and is playing a more and more important role in the world economy and political affairs.

China's population is unevenly distributed, the inland areas more sparsely populated and coastal provinces densely populated.

Terrain and vegetation vary greatly in China. Mountains, hills, and highlands cover about 66 percent of the nation's territory, impeding communication and leaving limited level land for agriculture.

Natural resources:

coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

THE USA - CHINA WTO AGREEMENT:

Agriculture

The USA - China trade deal signed in 1999 provides increased access for US exports across a broad range of commodities and elimination of barriers.

Commitments include: Significant cuts in tariffs that were to be completed by January 2004.

Overall average for agricultural products will be 17 per cent and for US priority products 14.5 percent.

ILEST2001 China became a WTO member on December 11

2004 100 % foreign-ownership in tourist facilities –hotels

2005 Restrictions lifted for distribution of imported goods

2006 Most tariff cuts complete Geographical restrictions on cellular phones lifted

2007 Most of the insurance market will be open;
Most banking restrictions lifted; Most quotas removed;
Expect full implementation of the USA - China trade agreement to occur

2007 Tariffs reduced to 10% in the automobile sector

2009 USA textile safeguards removed

2013 End date for US Congress protection against "rapid increases in imports."