China vs. India
Introduction
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations. | The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power. |
Geography
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam | Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan |
| Geographic coordinates | 35 00 N, 105 00 E | 20 00 N, 77 00 E |
| Map references | Asia | Asia |
| Area | total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km | total: 3,287,263 sq km land: 2,973,193 sq km water: 314,070 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than the US | slightly more than one-third the size of the US |
| Land boundaries | total: 22,457 km border countries (14): Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2,129 km, India 2,659 km, Kazakhstan 1,765 km, North Korea 1,352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4,630 km, Nepal 1,389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4,133 km, Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1,297 km regional border(s) (2): Hong Kong 33 km, Macau 3 km | total: 13,888 km border countries (6): Bangladesh 4,142 km, Bhutan 659 km, Burma 1,468 km, China 2,659 km, Nepal 1,770 km, Pakistan 3,190 km |
| Coastline | 14,500 km | 7,000 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north | varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north |
| Terrain | mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east | upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north |
| Elevation extremes | mean elevation: 1,840 m elevation extremes: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) | mean elevation: 160 m elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m |
| Natural resources | coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest), arable land | coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 54.7% arable land 11.3%; permanent crops 1.6%; permanent pasture 41.8% forest: 22.3% other: 23% (2011 est.) | agricultural land: 60.5% arable land 52.8%; permanent crops 4.2%; permanent pasture 3.5% forest: 23.1% other: 16.4% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 690,070 sq km (2012) | 667,000 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence volcanism: China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries | droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes volcanism: Barren Island (elev. 354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years |
| Environment - current issues | air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; China is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species | deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak above sea level | dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal |
| Population distribution | overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that of many other countries in Asia and Europe; high population density is found along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and around Beijing, and the industrial area around Shenyang | with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest, including the Thar Desert, and the mountain fringe in the north, a very high population density exists throughout most of the country; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other river valleys and southern coastal areas also having large population concentrations |
Demographics
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,373,541,278 (July 2016 est.) | 1,266,883,598 (July 2016 est.) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.1% (male 126,732,020/female 108,172,771) 15-24 years: 13.27% (male 97,126,460/female 85,135,228) 25-54 years: 48.42% (male 339,183,101/female 325,836,319) 55-64 years: 10.87% (male 75,376,730/female 73,859,424) 65 years and over: 10.35% (male 67,914,015/female 74,205,210) (2016 est.) | 0-14 years: 27.71% (male 186,420,229/female 164,611,755) 15-24 years: 17.99% (male 121,009,850/female 106,916,692) 25-54 years: 40.91% (male 267,203,029/female 251,070,105) 55-64 years: 7.3% (male 46,398,574/female 46,105,489) 65 years and over: 6.09% (male 36,549,003/female 40,598,872) (2016 est.) |
| Median age | total: 37.1 years male: 36.2 years female: 38.1 years (2016 est.) | total: 27.6 years male: 26.9 years female: 28.3 years (2016 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.43% (2016 est.) | 1.19% (2016 est.) |
| Birth rate | 12.4 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | 19.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Death rate | 7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Net migration rate | -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2016 est.) | at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2016 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | total: 40.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 39.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.5 years male: 73.5 years female: 77.9 years (2016 est.) | total population: 68.5 years male: 67.3 years female: 69.8 years (2016 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.6 children born/woman (2016 est.) | 2.45 children born/woman (2016 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.1% (2012 est.) | 0.26% (2013 est.) |
| Nationality | noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese | noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian |
| Ethnic groups | Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai and other nationalities) 7.1% note: the Chinese Government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (2010 est.) | Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 780,000 (2012 est.) | 2,118,100 (2015 est.) |
| Religions | Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion 21.9%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2% note: officially atheist (2010 est.) | Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | 67,600 (2015 est.) |
| Languages | Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry) note: Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet) | Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% note: English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.4% male: 98.2% female: 94.5% (2015 est.) | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.2% male: 81.3% female: 60.6% (2015 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: Japanese encephalitis soil contact disease: hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) (2016) | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis animal contact disease: rabies (2016) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2015) | total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2014) |
| Education expenditures | NA | 3.8% of GDP (2013) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 55.6% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 3.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) | urban population: 32.7% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 2.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 97.5% of population rural: 93% of population total: 95.5% of population unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population rural: 7% of population total: 4.5% of population (2015 est.) | improved: urban: 97.1% of population rural: 92.6% of population total: 94.1% of population unimproved: urban: 2.9% of population rural: 7.4% of population total: 5.9% of population (2015 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 86.6% of population rural: 63.7% of population total: 76.5% of population unimproved: urban: 13.4% of population rural: 36.3% of population total: 23.5% of population (2015 est.) | improved: urban: 62.6% of population rural: 28.5% of population total: 39.6% of population unimproved: urban: 37.4% of population rural: 71.5% of population total: 60.4% of population (2015 est.) |
| Major cities - population | Shanghai 23.741 million; BEIJING (capital) 20.384 million; Chongqing 13.332 million; Guangdong 12.458 million; Tianjin 11.21 million; Shenzhen 10.749 million (2015) | NEW DELHI (capital) 25.703 million; Mumbai 21.043 million; Kolkata 11.766 million; Bangalore 10.087 million; Chennai 9.62 million; Hyderabad 8.944 million (2015) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 27 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | 174 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) |
| Health expenditures | 5.5% of GDP (2014) | 4.7% of GDP (2014) |
| Physicians density | 1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011) | 0.73 physicians/1,000 population (2014) |
| Hospital bed density | 3.8 beds/1,000 population (2011) | 0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 7.3% (2014) | 4.7% (2014) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 36.6 youth dependency ratio: 23.5 elderly dependency ratio: 13 potential support ratio: 7.7 (2015 est.) | total dependency ratio: 52.4 youth dependency ratio: 43.9 elderly dependency ratio: 8.6 potential support ratio: 11.7 (2015 est.) |
Government
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | "conventional long form: People's Republic of China conventional short form: China local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo local short form: Zhongguo abbreviation: PRC etymology: English name derives from the Qin (Chin) rulers of the 3rd century B.C., who comprised the first imperial dynasty of ancient China; the Chinese name Zhongguo translates as ""Central Nation"" " | "conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya local short form: India/Bharat etymology: the English name derives from the Indus River; the Indian name ""Bharat"" may derive from the ""Bharatas"" tribe mentioned in the Vedas of the second millennium B.C.; the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of all of India " |
| Government type | communist state | federal parliamentary republic |
| Capital | "name: Beijing geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone; many people in Xinjiang Province observe an unofficial ""Xinjiang time zone"" of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing " | name: New Delhi geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural) provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan) autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet) municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau | 29 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal note: although its status is that of a union territory, the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi |
| Independence | 1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China) | 15 August 1947 (from the UK) |
| National holiday | National Day (anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949) | Republic Day, 26 January (1950) |
| Constitution | several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982; amended several times, last in 2004 (2016) | history: previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950 amendments: proposed by either the Council of States or the House of the People; passage requires majority participation of the total membership in each house and at least two-thirds majority of voting members of each house, followed by assent of the president of India; proposed amendments to the constitutional amendment procedures also must be ratified by at least one-half of the India state legislatures before presidential assent; amended many times, last in 2016 (2017) |
| Legal system | civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - criminal procedure law revised in early 2012 | common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013) head of government: Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premiers ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013) cabinet: State Council appointed by National People's Congress elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress election results: XI Jinping elected president; National People's Congress vote - 2,952 ; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with 2,940 votes | chief of state: President Pranab MUKHERJEE (since 22 July 2012); Vice President Mohammad Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014) cabinet: Union Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the president elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 19 July 2012 (next to be held on 17 July 2017); vice president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 August 2012 (next to be held by 10 August 2017); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by parliamentary members of the majority party election results: Pranab MUKHERJEE elected president; percent of vote - Pranab MUKHERJEE (INC prior to election) 69.3%, Purno SANGMA (independent) 30.7%; Mohammad Hamid ANSARI reelected vice president; electoral college vote - Mohammad Hamid ANSARI 490, Jaswant SINGH 238 |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and the People's Liberation Army; members serve 5-year terms); note - in practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected elections: last held in December 2012-February 2013 (next to be held in late 2017 to early 2018) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987 | description: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (245 seats; 233 members indirectly elected by state and territorial assemblies by proportional representation vote, and 12 members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms) and the House of the People or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 2 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) elections: People's Assembly - last held April-May 2014 in 10 phases; (next to be held by May 2019) election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP 31.0%, INC 19.3%, AITC 3.8%, SP 3.4%, AIADMK 3.3%, CPI(M) 3.3%, TDP 2.6%, YSRC 2.5%, AAP 2.1%, SAD 1.8%, BJD 1.7%, SS 1.7%, NCP 1.6%, RJD 1.3%, TRS 1.3%, LJP 0.4%, other 15.9%, independent 3.0%; seats by party - BJP 282, INC 44, AIADMK 37, AITC 34, BJD 20, SS 18, TDP 16, TRS 11, CPI(M) 9, YSRC 9, LJP 6, NCP 6, SP 5, AAP 4, RJD 4, SAD 4, other 33, independent 3 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases) judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress (NPC); term limited to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the NPC; term of other justices and judges determined by the NPC subordinate courts: Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues note: in late 2014, China unveiled planned judicial reforms | "highest court(s): Supreme Court (the chief justice and 25 associate justices) judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court note: in mid-2011, India’s Cabinet approved the ""National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform"" to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases; as of mid-July 2015, the Indian Government was considering the introduction of pre-trial hearing as a method for reducing the backlog " |
| Political parties and leaders | Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping] note: China has eight nominally independent small parties ultimately controlled by the CCP | Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL] All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [J. JAYALALITHAA] All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE] Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI] Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Amit SHAH] Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK] Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Prakash KARAT] Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI] Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) [Ram Vilas PASWAN] Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR] Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Lalu Prasad YADAV] Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV] Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL] Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY] Telegana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) [K. Chandrashekar RAO] Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU] YSR Congress (YSRC) [Jaganmohan REDDY] note: India has dozens of national and regional political parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | no substantial political opposition groups exist | All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group) Bajrang Dal (militant religious organization) Jamiat Ulema-e Hind [Mahmood MADANI] (religious organization) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [Mohan BHAGWAT] (nationalist organization) Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Pravin TOGADIA] (militant religious organization) other: hundreds of social reform, anti-corruption, and environmental groups at state and local level; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy |
| International organization participation | ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, CERN (observer), CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013) chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266 FAX: [1] (202) 495-2138 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco | chief of mission: Ambassador Navtej Singh SARNA (since January 2017) chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: [1](202) 939-7000 telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David A. RANK (since 20 January 2017) embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000 FAX: [86] (10) 8531-3300 consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MaryKay L. Carlson (since 20 January 2017) embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000 FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017 consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay) |
| 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; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China | three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation note: similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band |
| National anthem | "name: ""Yiyongjun Jinxingqu"" (The March of the Volunteers) lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er note: adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as ""Zhongguo Guoge"" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, ""Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm"" " | "name: ""Jana-Gana-Mana"" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People) lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE note: adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem " |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt |
| National symbol(s) | dragon; national colors: red, yellow | the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back to back mounted on a circular abacus, is the official emblem; Bengal tiger; lotus flower; national colors: saffron, white, green |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen of China dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: while naturalization is theoretically possible, in practical terms it is extremely difficult; residency is required but not specified | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of India dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
Economy
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | "Since the late 1970s, China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role. China has implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion, resulting in efficiency gains that have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Reforms began with the phase-out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, growth of the private sector, development of stock markets and a modern banking system, and opening to foreign trade and investment. China continues to pursue an industrial policy, state-support of key sectors, and a restrictive investment regime. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2016 stood as the largest economy in the world, surpassing the US in 2014 for the first time in modern history. China became the world's largest exporter in 2010, and the largest trading nation in 2013. Still, China's per capita income is below the world average. After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, China in July 2005 moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid-2005 to late 2008, the renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the US dollar, but the exchange rate remained virtually pegged to the dollar from the onset of the global financial crisis until June 2010, when Beijing allowed resumption of a gradual liberalization. In 2015, the People’s Bank of China announced it would continue to carefully push for full convertibility of the renminbi after the currency was accepted as part of the IMF’s special drawing rights basket. After engaging in one-way, large-scale intervention to resist appreciation of the RMB for a decade, China’s 2016 intervention in foreign exchange markets has sought to prevent a rapid RMB depreciation that would have negative consequences for the United States, China, and the global economy. China’s economic growth has slowed since 2011. The Chinese Government faces numerous economic challenges including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic household consumption; (b) servicing its high corporate debt burdens to maintain financial stability (c) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and college graduates, while maintaining competitiveness; (d) dampening speculative investment in the real estate sector; (e) reducing industrial overcapacity; and (f) raising productivity growth rates through the more efficient allocation of capital. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2016 more than 169.3 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of China’s population control policy known as the “one-child policy”—which was relaxed in 2016 to permit all families to have two children-- is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and urbanization. The Chinese government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on natural gas, nuclear, and clean energy development. In 2016, China ratified the Paris Agreement, a multilateral agreement to combat climate change, and committed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions between 2025 and 2030. The government's 13th Five-Year Plan, unveiled in March 2016, emphasizes the need to increase innovation and boost domestic consumption to make the economy less dependent on government investment, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals. Under President XI Jinping, Beijing has signaled its understanding that China's long-term economic health depends on giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources, but has moved slowly on market-oriented reforms because of potential negative consequences for stability and short-term economic growth. He has also increased state-control over key sectors and Party control over State Owned Enterprises. Chinese leaders in 2010 pledged to double China’s GDP by 2020, and the 13th Five Year Plan includes annual economic growth targets of at least 6.5% through 2020 to achieve that goal. In recent years, China has renewed its support for state-owned enterprises in sectors considered important to ""economic security,"" explicitly looking to foster globally competitive industries. Chinese leaders also have undermined some market-oriented reforms by reaffirming the “dominant” role of the state in the economy, a stance that threatens to discourage private initiative and make the economy less efficient over time. " | India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly less than half of the work force is in agriculture, but services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of India's output but employing less than one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of information technology services, business outsourcing services, and software workers. India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain. Economic liberalization measures, including industrial deregulation, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and served to accelerate the country's growth, which averaged nearly 7% per year from 1997 to 2016. India's economic growth slowed in 2011 because of a decline in investment caused by high interest rates, rising inflation, and investor pessimism about the government's commitment to further economic reforms and about slow world growth. Rising macroeconomic imbalances in India and improving economic conditions in Western countries led investors to shift capital away from India, prompting a sharp depreciation of the rupee. Growth rebounded in 2014 through 2016, exceeding 7% each year. Investors’ perceptions of India improved in early 2014, due to a reduction of the current account deficit and expectations of post-election economic reform, resulting in a surge of inbound capital flows and stabilization of the rupee. Since the election, the government has passed an important goods and services tax bill and raised foreign direct investment caps in some sectors but most economic reforms have focused on administrative and governance changes largely because the ruling party remains a minority in India’s upper house of Parliament, which must approve most bills. Despite a high growth rate compared to the rest of the world, in 2015 and 2016, India’s government-owned banks faced mounting bad debt, resulting in low credit growth and restrained economic growth. The outlook for India's long-term growth is moderately positive due to a young population and corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and increasing integration into the global economy. However, long-term challenges remain significant, including: India's discrimination against women and girls, an inefficient power generation and distribution system, ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights, decades-long civil litigation dockets, inadequate transport and agricultural infrastructure, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, high spending and poorly targeted subsidies, inadequate availability of quality basic and higher education, and accommodating rural-to-urban migration. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $21.14 trillion (2016 est.) $19.82 trillion (2015 est.) $18.34 trillion (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars | $8.721 trillion (2016 est.) $8.103 trillion (2015 est.) $7.534 trillion (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.7% (2016 est.) 6.9% (2015 est.) 7.3% (2014 est.) | 7.6% (2016 est.) 7.6% (2015 est.) 7.2% (2014 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $14,600 (2016 est.) $14,500 (2015 est.) $13,400 (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars | $6,700 (2016 est.) $6,300 (2015 est.) $5,900 (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 8.6% industry: 39.8% services: 51.6% (2016 est.) | agriculture: 16.5% industry: 29.8% services: 45.4% (2016 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 3.3% note: in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $400) (2016 est.) | 21.9% (2011 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 31.4% note: data are for urban households only (2012) | lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 29.8% (2011) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2016 est.) 1.4% (2015 est.) | 5.2% (2016 est.) 4.9% (2015 est.) |
| Labor force | 907.5 million note: by the end of 2012, China's population at working age (15-64 years) was 1.004 billion (2016 est.) | 513.7 million (2016 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 28.3% industry: 29.3% services: 42.4% (2015 est.) | agriculture: 47% industry: 22% services: 31% (FY 2014 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 4% (2016 est.) 4.1% (2015 est.) note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants | 5% (FY 2016 est.) 4.9% (FY 2014 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 46.5 (2016 est.) 46.2 (2015 est.) | 35.2 (2011) 37.8 (1997) |
| Budget | revenues: $2.3 trillion expenditures: $2.708 trillion (2016 est.) | revenues: $273.3 billion expenditures: $273.3 billion (FY 2016 est.) |
| Industries | world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites | textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals |
| Industrial production growth rate | 6% (2016 est.) | 7.4% (2016 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, apples, cotton, pork, mutton, eggs; fish, shrimp | rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, lentils, onions, potatoes; dairy products, sheep, goats, poultry; fish |
| Exports | $2.098 trillion (2016 est.) $2.143 trillion (2015 est.) | $262.3 billion (FY 2016 est.) $267.9 billion (2015 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, furniture, textiles, integrated circuits | petroleum products, precious stones, vehicles, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, cereals, apparel |
| Exports - partners | US 18%, Hong Kong 14.6%, Japan 6%, South Korea 4.5% (2015) | US 15.2%, UAE 11.4%, Hong Kong 4.6% (1 January - 30 September 2016) |
| Imports | $1.587 trillion (2016 est.) $1.576 trillion (2015 est.) | $381 billion (FY2016 est.) $394.1 billion (2015 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels; nuclear reactor, boiler, and machinery components; optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles; soybeans | crude oil, precious stones, machinery, chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, iron and steel |
| Imports - partners | South Korea 10.9%, US 9%, Japan 8.9%, Germany 5.5%, Australia 4.1% (2015) | China 15.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Switzerland 5.4%, US 5.3%, UAE 5.2% (1 January - 30 September 2016) |
| Debt - external | $1.421 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.418 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $507 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $480.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Exchange rates | Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.626 (2016 est.) 6.2275 (2015 est.) 6.2275 (2014 est.) 6.1958 (2013 est.) 6.3123 (2012 est.) | Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar - 68.3 (2016 est.) 64.152 (2015 est.) 64.152 (2014 est.) 61.03 (2013 est.) 53.44 (2012 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
| Public debt | 16.1% of GDP (2016 est.) 15.5% of GDP (2015 est.) note: official data; data cover both central government debt and local government debt, which China's National Audit Office estimated at RMB 10.72 trillion (approximately US$1.66 trillion) in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, China Asset Management Company debt, and non-performing loans | 52.3% of GDP (2016 est.) 52.4% of GDP (2015 est.) note: data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $3.01 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $3.405 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $359.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $351.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | $196.4 billion (2016 est.) $304.2 billion (2015 est.) | -$20.86 billion (2016 est.) -$22.09 billion (2015 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $10.73 trillion (2016 est.) note: because China's exchange rate is determined by fiat rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China's output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China's situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries | $2.251 trillion (2016 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | $1.458 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.221 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $453.2 billion (30 September 2016 est.) $296.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | $1.317 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.096 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $149 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $139 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | $7.321 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $8.188 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) $6.005 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.516 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) $1.558 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) $1.139 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) |
| Central bank discount rate | 2.25% (31 December 2016 est.) 2.25% (31 December 2015 est.) | 6.25% (31 December 2016) 7.75% (31 December 2014) note: this is the Indian central bank's policy rate - the repurchase rate |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 4.35% (31 December 2016 est.) 4.35% (31 December 2015 est.) | 9.3% (31 December 2016 est.) 10.01% (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of domestic credit | $15.37 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $14.47 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.579 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.57 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of narrow money | $7.015 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $6.175 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $385.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $370.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of broad money | $22.35 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $21.44 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.728 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.704 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 21.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 12.1% of GDP (FY 2016 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 0% of GDP (FY 2016 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 37.1% government consumption: 14% investment in fixed capital: 43.7% investment in inventories: 1.6% exports of goods and services: 22% imports of goods and services: 18.5% (2015 est.) | household consumption: 60.8% government consumption: 11.4% investment in fixed capital: 27.6% investment in inventories: 3% exports of goods and services: 19% imports of goods and services: -21.8% (2016 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 46% of GDP (2016 est.) 47.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 49.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 30.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 31.3% of GDP (2015 est.) 32.8% of GDP (2014 est.) |
Energy
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 6.142 trillion kWh (2016 est.) | 1.218 trillion kWh (2014 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 5.92 trillion kWh (2016 est.) | 973 billion kWh (2014 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 18.91 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 200 million kWh (2012 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 6.185 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 5 billion kWh (2014 est.) |
| Oil - production | 3.983 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | 761,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 7.599 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | 3.785 million bbl/day (2013 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 58,650 bbl/day (2016 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2013 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 25 billion bbl (1 January 2016 est.) | 5.675 billion bbl (1 January 2016 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 6 billion cu m (31 December 2016 ) | 1.489 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es) |
| Natural gas - production | 150 billion cu m (2016 est.) | 30.4 billion cu m (2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 224 billion cu m (2016 est.) | 52.1 billion cu m (2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 3.918 billion cu m (2014 est.) | 0 cu m (2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 75.1 billion cu m (2016 est.) | 21.7 billion cu m (2014 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 1.646 billion kW (2016 est.) | 308.8 million kW (30 November 2016 ) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 64% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 69.3% of total installed capacity (30 November 2016 ) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 20.2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 14% of total installed capacity (30 November 2016 ) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 1.9% of total installed capacity (30 November 2016 ) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 13.7% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 14.9% of total installed capacity (30 November 2016 ) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 10.35 million bbl/day (2013 est.) | 4.775 million bbl/day (2013 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 11.12 million bbl/day (2014 est.) | 3.735 million bbl/day (2014 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 593,400 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 1.351 million bbl/day (FY 2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 600,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 653,500 bbl/day (FY 2016 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 9.135 billion Mt (2014 est.) | 1.887 billion Mt (2013 est.) |
| Electricity access | population without electricity: 1,200,000 electrification - total population: 99.9% electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 99.8% (2016) | population without electricity: 237,400,000 electrification - total population: 79% electrification - urban areas: 98% electrification - rural areas: 70% (2013) |
Telecommunications
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 230.996 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (July 2015 est.) | total subscriptions: 25.518 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (July 2015 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total: 1,305.738 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95 (July 2015 est.) | total: 1,011.054 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (July 2015 est.) |
| Telephone system | general assessment: domestic and international services are available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure; China in the summer of 2008 began a major restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the consolidation of its 6 telecom service operators to 3, China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, each providing both fixed-line and mobile services domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users now over 50% of the population; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations is in place international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2012) | general assessment: supported by recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing telecom markets in the world; total telephone subscribership base exceeded 1 billion in 2015, an overall teledensity of roughly 80%, and subscribership is currently growing at roughly 5 million per month; urban teledensity now exceeds 100%, and rural teledensity has reached 50% domestic: mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles, each with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT) international: country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including SEA-ME-WE-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), SEA-ME-WE-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam (2015) |
| Internet country code | .cn | .in |
| Internet users | total: 687.845 million percent of population: 50.3% (July 2015 est.) | total: 325.441 million percent of population: 26% (July 2015 est.) |
| Broadcast media | all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department lists subjects that are off limits to domestic broadcast media with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast; increasingly, Chinese turn to online television to access Chinese and international films and television shows (2017) | Doordarshan, India's public TV network, operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large and increasing number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; in 2015, more than 230 million homes had access to cable and satellite TV offering more than 700 TV channels; government controls AM radio with All India Radio operating domestic and external networks; news broadcasts via radio are limited to the All India Radio Network; since 2000, privately owned FM stations have been permitted and their numbers have increased rapidly (2015) |
Transportation
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 124,000 km standard gauge: 124,000 km 1.435-m gauge (80,000 km electrified); 102,000 traditional, 22,000 high-speed (2017) | total: 68,525 km broad gauge: 58,404 km 1.676-m gauge (23,654 electrified) narrow gauge: 9,499 km 1.000-m gauge; 622 km 0.762-m gauge (2014) |
| Roadways | total: 4,577,300 km paved: 4,046,300 km (includes 123,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 531,000 km (2015) | total: 4,699,024 km note: includes 96,214 km of national highways and expressways, 147,800 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads (2015) |
| Waterways | 110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011) | 14,500 km (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels) (2012) |
| Pipelines | gas 70,000 km; crude oil 22,900 km; refined petroleum products 25,500 km; water 710,206 km (2015) | condensate/gas 9 km; gas 13,581 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,054 km; oil 8,943 km; oil/gas/water 20 km; refined products 11,069 km (2013) |
| Ports and terminals | major seaport(s): Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin river port(s): Guangzhou (Pearl) container port(s) (TEUs): Dalian (9,591,000), Guangzhou (17,097,000), Ningbo (20,636,000), Qingdao (17,323,000), Shanghai (36,516,000), Shenzhen (24,142,000), Tianjin (13,881,000)(2015) LNG terminal(s) (import): Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Tangshan, Zhejiang | major seaport(s): Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam container port(s) (TEUs): Chennai (1,558,343), Jawaharal Nehru Port (4,307,622) LNG terminal(s) (import): Dabhol, Dahej, Hazira |
| Merchant marine | total: 4,052 by type: bulk carrier 1,020, container 187, general cargo 632, oil tanker 474, other 1,739 (2016) foreign-owned: 22 (Hong Kong 18, Indonesia 2, Japan 2) (2010) registered in other countries: 1,559 (Bangladesh 1, Belize 61, Cambodia 177, Comoros 1, Cyprus 6, Georgia 10, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 500, India 1, Indonesia 1, Kiribati 26, Liberia 4, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 14, North Korea 3, Panama 534, Philippines 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 65, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Sierra Leone 19, Singapore 29, South Korea 6, Thailand 1, Togo 1, Tuvalu 4, UK 7, Vanuatu 1, unknown 73) (2010) | total: 340 by type: bulk carrier 104, cargo 78, chemical tanker 22, container 14, liquefied gas 11, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 92 foreign-owned: 10 (China 1, Hong Kong 2, Jersey 2, Malaysia 1, UAE 4) registered in other countries: 76 (Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 24, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Singapore 21, unknown 1) (2010) |
| Airports | 507 (2013) | 346 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 463 over 3,047 m: 71 2,438 to 3,047 m: 158 1,524 to 2,437 m: 123 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 86 (2013) | total: 253 over 3,047 m: 22 2,438 to 3,047 m: 59 1,524 to 2,437 m: 76 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 14 (2013) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 44 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 18 (2013) | total: 93 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 38 under 914 m: 45 (2013) |
| Heliports | 47 (2013) | 45 (2013) |
Military
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | People's Liberation Army (PLA): Army, Navy (PLAN, includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun Kongjun, PLAAF, includes airborne forces), Rocket Force (strategic missile force), and Strategic Support Force (space and cyber forces); People's Armed Police (Renmin Wuzhuang Jingcha Budui, PAP); PLA Reserve Force (2016) | Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-24 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs; a recent military decision allows women in combat roles; the first class of women warship commanders was in 2011 (2012) | 16-18 years of age for voluntary military service (Army 17 1/2, Air Force 17, Navy 16 1/2); no conscription; women may join as officers, currently serve in combat roles as pilots, and will soon be allowed in all combat roles (2016) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.3% of GDP (2017 est) 1.28% of GDP (2016) 1.95% of GDP (2015) 1.9% of GDP (2014) 1.85% of GDP (2013) | 2.42% of GDP (2015) 2.49% of GDP (2014) 2.46% of GDP (2013) 2.54% of GDP (2012) 2.65% of GDP (2011) |
Transnational Issues
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | continuing talks and confidence-building measures work toward reducing tensions over Kashmir that nonetheless remains militarized with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; China claims most of India's Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Seas, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon exploration; China asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei; the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen Rivers are in dispute with North Korea; North Korea and China seek to stem illegal migration to China by North Koreans, fleeing privations and oppression, by building a fence along portions of the border and imprisoning North Koreans deported by China; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; China and Tajikistan have begun demarcating the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China has reconsidered construction of 13 dams on the Salween River, but energy-starved Burma, with backing from Thailand, remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests Chinese and Hong Kong authorities met in March 2008 to resolve ownership and use of lands recovered in Shenzhen River channelization, including 96-hectare Lok Ma Chau Loop | since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas) India and Pakistan resumed bilateral dialogue in February 2011 after a two-year hiatus, have maintained the 2003 cease-fire in Kashmir, and continue to have disputes over water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal |
| Illicit drugs | major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry; more people believed to be convicted and executed for drug offences than anywhere else in the world, according to NGOs (2008) | world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 317,098 (Vietnam); undetermined (North Korea) (2016) IDPs: undetermined (2014) | refugees (country of origin): 110,098 (Tibet/China); 63,162 (Sri Lanka); 15,561 (Burma); 7,693 (Afghanistan) (2015) IDPs: 796,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2016) |
Source: CIA Factbook
