China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a sovereign state located in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing.

 

It exercises jurisdiction over twenty two provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities, such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing, and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions, such as Hong Kong and Macau. China is a recognized nuclear weapons state and has the world's largest standing army, with the second-largest defense budget. The PRC has been a United Nations member since 1971, when it replaced the ROC as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. China is also a member of numerous formal and informal multilateral organizations, including the WTO, APEC, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BCIM and the G-20. To know more about impact of COVID-19 pandemic on China economy please reach our blog post titled Economic Impact of COVID-19 on China.