China vs. Hong Kong
Introduction
China | Hong Kong | |
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Background | China's historical civilization dates from at least 1200 B.C.; from the 3rd century B.C. and for the next two millennia, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. 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 Chinese Communist Party 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 but political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations. | Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years. |
Geography
China | Hong Kong | |
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Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China |
Geographic coordinates | 35 00 N, 105 00 E | 22 15 N, 114 10 E |
Map references | Asia | Southeast Asia |
Area | total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km | total: 1,108 sq km land: 1,073 sq km water: 35 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than the US | six times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries | total: 22,457 km border countries (14): Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2129 km, India 2659 km, Kazakhstan 1765 km, North Korea 1352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4630 km, Nepal 1389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4133 km and Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1297 km | total: 33 km regional borders (1): China 33 km |
Coastline | 14,500 km | 733 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 |
Climate | extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north | subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall |
Terrain | mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east | hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north |
Elevation extremes | highest point: Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m mean elevation: 1,840 m | highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m lowest point: South China Sea 0 m |
Natural resources | coal, iron ore, helium, petroleum, natural gas, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, cadmium, ferrosilicon, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, lithium, mercury, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, antimony, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest), arable land | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar |
Land use | agricultural land: 54.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 11.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.8% (2018 est.) forest: 22.3% (2018 est.) other: 23% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 5% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.9% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 95% (2018 est.) |
Irrigated land | 690,070 sq km (2012) | 10 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 | occasional typhoons |
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; coastal destruction due to land reclamation, industrial development, and aquaculture; deforestation and habitat destruction; poor land management leads to soil erosion, landslides, floods, droughts, dust storms, and desertification; trade in endangered species | air and water pollution from rapid urbanization; urban waste pollution; industrial pollution |
Geography - note | note 1: 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 note 2: the largest cave chamber in the world is the Miao Room, in the Gebihe cave system at China's Ziyun Getu He Chuandong National Park, which encloses some 10.78 million cu m (380.7 million cu ft) of volume note 3: China appears to have been the center of domestication for two of the world's leading cereal crops: millet in the north along the Yellow River and rice in the south along the lower or middle Yangtze River | consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands |
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 | population fairly evenly distributed |
Demographics
China | Hong Kong | |
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Population | 1,397,897,720 (July 2021 est.) | 7,263,234 (July 2021 est.) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.29% (male 129,296,339/female 111,782,427) 15-24 years: 11.48% (male 86,129,841/female 73,876,148) 25-54 years: 46.81% (male 333,789,731/female 318,711,557) 55-64 years: 12.08% (male 84,827,645/female 83,557,507) 65 years and over: 12.34% (male 81,586,490/female 90,458,292) (2020 est.) | 0-14 years: 12.81% (male 490,477/female 437,971) 15-24 years: 8.81% (male 334,836/female 303,897) 25-54 years: 42.66% (male 1,328,529/female 1,763,970) 55-64 years: 17.24% (male 582,047/female 668,051) 65 years and over: 18.48% (male 625,453/female 714,676) (2020 est.) |
Median age | total: 38.4 years male: 37.5 years female: 39.4 years (2020 est.) | total: 45.6 years male: 44.2 years female: 46.5 years (2020 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.26% (2021 est.) | 0.2% (2021 est.) |
Birth rate | 11.3 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 8.23 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
Death rate | 8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 7.92 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
Net migration rate | -0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 1.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2020 est.) | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.75 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
Infant mortality rate | total: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) | total: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 2.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.31 years male: 74.23 years female: 78.62 years (2021 est.) | total population: 83.41 years male: 80.71 years female: 86.28 years (2021 est.) |
Total fertility rate | 1.6 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 1.22 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | NA |
Nationality | noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese | noun: Chinese/Hong Konger adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong |
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% (2010 est.) note: the Chinese Government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups | Chinese 92%, Filipino 2.5%, Indonesian 2.1%, other 3.4% (2016 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | NA |
Religions | folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.3%, Christian 5.2%, Muslim 2%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 51.8% (2020 est.) note: officially atheist | Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3% (2016 est.) note: many people practice Confucianism, regardless of their religion or not having a religious affiliation |
HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | NA |
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) major-language sample(s): ???? - ??????????? (Mandarin) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. | Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 est.) major-language sample(s): ????,???????????? (Cantonese) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. |
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2015) | total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 18 years (2019) |
Education expenditures | NA | 3.8% of GDP (2019) |
Urbanization | urban population: 62.5% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) note: data do not include Hong Kong and Macau | urban population: 100% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.58% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
Drinking water source | improved: urban: 97.7% of population rural: 87.8% of population total: 92.8% of population unimproved: urban: 2.3% of population rural: 12.2% of population total: 7.2% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: -1% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) |
Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 97.1% of population rural: 82% of population total: 90.7% of population unimproved: urban: 2.4% of population rural: 18% of population total: 9.3% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 96.4% of population total: 96.4% of population unimproved: urban: 3.6% of population total: 3.6% of population (2017) |
Major cities - population | 27.796 million Shanghai, 20.897 million BEIJING (capital), 16.382 million Chongqing, 13.794 million Tianjin, 13.635 million Guangzhou, 12.592 million Shenzhen (2021) | 7.598 million Hong Kong (2021) |
Physicians density | 1.98 physicians/1,000 population (2017) | 2 physicians/1,000 population (2019) |
Hospital bed density | 4.3 beds/1,000 population (2017) | 5.4 beds/1,000 population (2018) |
Contraceptive prevalence rate | 84.5% (2017) | 66.7% (2017) |
Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 42.2 youth dependency ratio: 25.2 elderly dependency ratio: 17 potential support ratio: 5.9 (2020 est.) data do not include Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan | total dependency ratio: 44.7 youth dependency ratio: 18.3 elderly dependency ratio: 26.3 potential support ratio: 3.8 (2020 est.) |
Government
China | Hong Kong | |
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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" or "Middle Kingdom" | conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball) local short form: Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball) abbreviation: HK etymology: probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor" |
Government type | communist party-led state | presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China |
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 Uyghur, 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 | none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China) |
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) | none (special administrative region of China) |
National holiday | National Day (anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949) | National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July (1997) is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
Constitution | history: several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982 amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress or supported by more than one fifth of the National People's Congress membership; passage requires more than two-thirds majority vote of the Congress membership; amended several times, last in 2018 | history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the People's Republic of China State Council, or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong's deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC |
Legal system | civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - on 28 May 2020, the National People's Congress adopted the PRC Civil Code, which codifies personal relations and property relations | mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age in direct elections for half of the Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials |
Executive branch | chief of state: President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President WANG Qishan (since 17 March 2018) head of government: Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premiers HAN Zheng (since 19 March 2018), SUN Chunlan (since 19 March 2018), LIU He (since 19 March 2018), HU Chunhua (since 19 March 2018) 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 (no term limits); election last held on 17 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress election results: XI Jinping reelected president; National People's Congress vote - 2,970 (unanimously); WANG Qishan elected vice president with 2,969 votes | chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013) head of government: Chief Executive Carrie LAM (since 1 July 2017) cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held in 2022) election results: Carrie LAM elected chief executive; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM 777, John TSANG 365, WOO Kwok-hing 21, invalid 23 note: the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the Election Committee to 1,200 members |
Legislative branch | description: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (maximum of 3,000 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 independent parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected elections: last held in December 2017-February 2018 (next to be held in late 2022 to early 2023) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 2,238, women 742, percent of women 24.9% | description: unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; 35 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; 30 members indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods; 5 at large "super-seat" members directly elected by all of Hong Kong's eligible voters who do not participate in a functional constituency; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 4 September 2016; (scheduled for September 2020, but delayed until 19 December 2021); note - byelection held on 11 March and 25 November 2018 to fill 5 seats left vacant after 5 legislators were removed from office election results: percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 36%; pro-Beijing 40.2%, localist 19%, other 4.8%; seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 40 (DAB 12, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 9); pro-democracy 23 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 6, PP-LSD 2, Professional Commons 2, Labor 1, NWSC 1, PTU 1, other democrats 3), localists 6 (ALLinHK 2, CP-PPI-HKRO 1, Demosisto 1, Democracy Groundwork 1, other localist 1), non-aligned independent 1; composition - men 59, women 11, percent of women 15.7%; note - 2 localists were barred from taking office in November 2016 and 4 pro-democracy legislators were removed in July 2017; two pan-democratic, two DAB, and one pro-establishment candidates won the byelections in 2018 to fill the seats vacated by the 5 legislators removed from office; one pro-democracy seat remains unfilled pending a court appeal; percent of vote by block as of March 2019 - pro-Beijing 62% pro-democracy 38%; seats by block/party as of March 2019 - pro-Beijing 43 (DAB 13, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 11); pro-democracy 26 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 5, Professional Commons 2, Civic Passion 1, Labor 1 PTU 1, Council Front 6, independent 3); composition as of March 2019 - men 58, women 11; percent of women 15.7%
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Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges, including the chief justice and 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); 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; International Commercial Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues note: in late 2014, China unveiled a multi-year judicial reform program; progress continued in 2018 | highest courts: Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 1 non-permanent judge judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges serve until normal retirement at age 65, but term can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit subordinate courts: High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals |
Political parties and leaders | Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping] note: China has 8 nominally independent small parties controlled by the CCP | parties: ALLinHK (alliance of 6 localist groups) Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [LO Wai-kwok] Civic Party [Alan LEONG] Civic Passion or CP [CHENG Chung-tai] (part of Civic Passion-Proletariat Political Institute-Hong Kong Resurgence Order alliance or CP-PPI-HKRO that dissolved after the 2016 election) Democracy Groundwork [LAU Siu-lai] Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king] Democratic Party [LO Kin-hei] Demosisto [Ivan LAM] (announced cessation of all operations, 30 June 2020) Federation of Trade Unions or FTU [Stanley NG Chau-pei] Labor Party [Steven KWOK Wing-kin] League of Social Democrats or LSD [Raphael WONG Ho-ming] Liberal Party [Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan] Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung] New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP Lau Su-yee] People Power or PP [TAM Tak-chi] Youngspiration [Sixtus "Baggio" LEUNG Chung-hang] other: Professional Commons [Charles Peter MOK] (think tank) Professional Teachers Union or PTU note: political blocks include: pro-democracy - Civic Party, Democratic Party, Labor Party, LSD, NWSC, PP, Professional Commons, PTU; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, NPP, BPA; localist - ALLinHK, CP, Democracy Groundwork, Demosisto; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies |
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, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador QIN Gangas (since 29 July 2021) chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266 FAX: [1] (202) 495-2138 email address and website: chinaemppress_us@mfa.gov.cn http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco; note - the US ordered closure of the Houston consulate in late July 2020 | chief of mission: none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US Government and other US entities; Eddie MAK, JP (since 3 July 2018) is the Hong Kong Commissioner to the US Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; address: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: [1] 202 331-8947; FAX: [1] 202 331-8958; hketo@hketowashington.gov.hk HKETO offices: New York, San Francisco |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires David MEALE (since July 2021) embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600 mailing address: 7300 Beijing Place, Washington DC 20521-7300 telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000 FAX: [86] (10) 8531-4200 email address and website: BeijingACS@state.gov https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/ consulate(s) general: Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan; note - the Chinese Government ordered closure of the US consulate in Chengdu in late July 2020 | chief of mission: Consul General Hanscom SMITH (since July 2019); note - also accredited to Macau embassy: 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong mailing address: 8000 Hong Kong Place, Washington DC 20521-8000 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598 email address and website: acshk@state.gov https://hk.usconsulate.gov/ |
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 | red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China |
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" | note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China) |
National symbol(s) | dragon, giant panda; national colors: red, yellow | orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white |
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 | see China |
Economy
China | Hong Kong | |
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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 phaseout 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. From 2013 to 2017, China had one of the fastest growing economies in the world, averaging slightly more than 7% real growth per year. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2017 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. In July 2005 moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid-2005 to late 2008, the renminbi (RMB) 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 announced it would resume a gradual appreciation. From 2013 until early 2015, the renminbi held steady against the dollar, but it depreciated 13% from mid-2015 until end-2016 amid strong capital outflows; in 2017 the RMB resumed appreciating against the dollar - roughly 7% from end-of-2016 to end-of-2017. 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. However, since late 2015 the Chinese Government has strengthened capital controls and oversight of overseas investments to better manage the exchange rate and maintain financial stability. The Chinese Government faces numerous economic challenges including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic household consumption; (b) managing its high corporate debt burden to maintain financial stability; (c) controlling off-balance sheet local government debt used to finance infrastructure stimulus; (d) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and college graduates, while maintaining competitiveness; (e) dampening speculative investment in the real estate sector without sharply slowing the economy; (f) reducing industrial overcapacity; and (g) raising productivity growth rates through the more efficient allocation of capital and state-support for innovation. 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 more progress on subsidizing innovation than rebalancing the economy. Beijing has committed to giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources, but the Chinese Government's policies continue to favor state-owned enterprises and emphasize stability. 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. The slight acceleration in economic growth in 2017-the first such uptick since 2010-gives Beijing more latitude to pursue its economic reforms, focusing on financial sector deleveraging and its Supply-Side Structural Reform agenda, first announced in late 2015. | Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983. Excess liquidity, low interest rates and a tight housing supply have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly. The lower and middle-income segments of the population increasingly find housing unaffordable. Hong Kong's open economy has left it exposed to the global economic situation. Its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment makes it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy. Mainland China has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 47.3 million in 2014, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. After peaking in 2014, overall tourist arrivals dropped 2.5% in 2015 and 4.5% in 2016. The tourism sector rebounded in 2017, with visitor arrivals rising 3.2% to 58.47 million. Travelers from Mainland China totaled 44.45 million, accounting for 76% of the total. The Hong Kong Government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the preferred business hub for renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts, RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong, RMB trade settlement is allowed, and investment schemes such as the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) Program was first launched in Hong Kong. Offshore RMB activities experienced a setback, however, after the People's Bank of China changed the way it set the central parity rate in August 2015. RMB deposits in Hong Kong fell from 1.0 trillion RMB at the end of 2014 to 559 billion RMB at the end of 2017, while RMB trade settlement handled by banks in Hong Kong also shrank from 6.8 trillion RMB in 2015 to 3.9 trillion RMB in 2017. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2015, mainland Chinese companies constituted about 50% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 66% of the exchange's market capitalization. During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. In 2014, Hong Kong and China signed a new agreement on achieving basic liberalization of trade in services in Guangdong Province under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, which took effect in March 2015, cover a negative list and a most-favored treatment provision. On the basis of the Guangdong Agreement, the Agreement on Trade in Services signed in November 2015 further enhanced liberalization, including extending the implementation of the majority of Guangdong pilot liberalization measures to the whole Mainland, reducing the restrictive measures in the negative list, and adding measures in the positive lists for cross-border services as well as cultural and telecommunications services. In June 2017, the Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (Ecotech Agreement) were signed under the framework of CEPA. Hong Kong's economic integration with the mainland continues to be most evident in the banking and finance sector. Initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Stock Connect the Mutual Recognition of Funds, and the Bond Connect scheme are all important steps towards opening up the Mainland's capital markets and have reinforced Hong Kong's role as China's leading offshore RMB market. Additional connect schemes such as ETF Connect (for exchange-traded fund products) are also under exploration by Hong Kong authorities. In 2017, Chief Executive Carrie LAM announced plans to increase government spending on research and development, education, and technological innovation with the aim of spurring continued economic growth through greater sector diversification. |
GDP (purchasing power parity) | $22,526,502,000,000 (2019 est.) $21,229,363,000,000 (2018 est.) $19,887,033,000,000 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $449.299 billion (2019 est.) $454.984 billion (2018 est.) $442.387 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
GDP - real growth rate | 6.14% (2019 est.) 6.75% (2018 est.) 6.92% (2017 est.) | -1.25% (2019 est.) 2.86% (2018 est.) 3.8% (2017 est.) |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | $16,117 (2019 est.) $15,243 (2018 est.) $14,344 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $59,848 (2019 est.) $61,064 (2018 est.) $59,849 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 7.9% (2017 est.) industry: 40.5% (2017 est.) services: 51.6% (2017 est.) | agriculture: 0.1% (2017 est.) industry: 7.6% (2017 est.) services: 92.3% (2017 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 0.6% (2019 est.) | 19.9% (2016 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 31.4% (2012) note: data are for urban households only | lowest 10%: 1.8% NA highest 10%: 38.1% NA (2016) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (2019 est.) 2% (2018 est.) 1.5% (2017 est.) | 2.8% (2019 est.) 2.4% (2018 est.) 1.4% (2017 est.) |
Labor force | 774.71 million (2019 est.) note: by the end of 2012, China's working age population (15-64 years) was 1.004 billion | 3.627 million (2020 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 27.7% industry: 28.8% services: 43.5% (2016 est.) | agriculture: 3.8% (2013 est.) industry: 2% (2016 est.) services: 54.5% (2016 est.) industry and services: 12.5% (2013 est.) agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining: 10.1% (2013) manufacturing: 17.1% (2013 est.) note: above data exclude public sector |
Unemployment rate | 3.64% (2019 est.) 3.84% (2018 est.) note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants | 2.93% (2019 est.) 2.83% (2018 est.) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index | 38.5 (2016 est.) 46.2 (2015 est.) | 53.9 (2016) 53.7 (2011 est.) |
Budget | revenues: 2.553 trillion (2017 est.) expenditures: 3.008 trillion (2017 est.) | revenues: 79.34 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 61.64 billion (2017 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; fertilizer; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, railcars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites | trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches |
Industrial production growth rate | 6.1% (2017 est.) | 1.7% (2017 est.) |
Agriculture - products | maize, rice, vegetables, wheat, sugar cane, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, sweet potatoes | pork, poultry, spinach, vegetables, pork offals, game meat, fruit, lettuce, green onions, pig fat |
Exports | $2.49 trillion (2018) $2.216 trillion (2017 est.) $1.99 trillion (2016 est.) | $568.877 billion (2019 est.) $602.306 billion (2018 est.) $581.072 billion (2017 est.) |
Exports - commodities | broadcasting equipment, computers, integrated circuits, office machinery and parts, telephones (2019) | gold, broadcasting equipment, integrated circuits, diamonds, telephones (2019) |
Exports - partners | United States 17%, Hong Kong 10%, Japan 6% (2019) | China 23%, India 14%, Netherlands 6%, United Kingdom 5% (2019) |
Imports | $2.14 trillion (2018) $1.74 trillion (2017 est.) $1.501 trillion (2016 est.) | $565.253 billion (2019 est.) $606.177 billion (2018 est.) $580.148 billion (2017 est.) |
Imports - commodities | crude petroleum, integrated circuits, iron, natural gas, cars, gold (2019) | integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, office machinery, telephones, diamonds (2019) |
Imports - partners | South Korea 9%, Japan 8%, Australia 7%, Germany 7%, US 7%, Taiwan 6% (2019) | China 46%, Taiwan 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5%, United States 5%, Japan 5% (2019) |
Debt - external | $2,027,950,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,935,206,000,000 (2018 est.) | $1,648,409,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,670,919,000,000 (2018 est.) |
Exchange rates | Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.5374 (2020 est.) 7.0403 (2019 est.) 6.8798 (2018 est.) 6.1434 (2014 est.) 6.1958 (2013 est.) | Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar - 7.75225 (2020 est.) 7.8285 (2019 est.) 7.8133 (2018 est.) 7.752 (2014 est.) 7.754 (2013 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Public debt | 47% of GDP (2017 est.) 44.2% of GDP (2016 est.) note: official data; data cover both central and local government debt, including debt officially recognized by China's National Audit Office report in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, and China Asset Management Company debt | 0.1% of GDP (2017 est.) 0.1% of GDP (2016 est.) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $3.236 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $3.098 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) | $431.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $386.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
Current Account Balance | $141.335 billion (2019 est.) $25.499 billion (2018 est.) | $22.469 billion (2019 est.) $13.516 billion (2018 est.) |
GDP (official exchange rate) | $14,327,359,000,000 (2019 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 | $365.753 billion (2019 est.) |
Credit ratings | Fitch rating: A+ (2007) Moody's rating: A1 (2017) Standard & Poors rating: A+ (2017) | Fitch rating: AA- (2020) Moody's rating: Aa3 (2020) Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2017) |
Ease of Doing Business Index scores | Overall score: 77.9 (2020) Starting a Business score: 94.1 (2020) Trading score: 86.5 (2020) Enforcement score: 80.9 (2020) | Overall score: 85.3 (2020) Starting a Business score: 98.2 (2020) Trading score: 95 (2020) Enforcement score: 69.1 (2020) |
Taxes and other revenues | 21.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 23.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 5.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 39.1% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 42.7% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 20.4% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -18.4% (2017 est.) | household consumption: 67% (2017 est.) government consumption: 9.9% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 188% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -187.1% (2017 est.) |
Gross national saving | 44.2% of GDP (2019 est.) 44.4% of GDP (2018 est.) 45% of GDP (2017 est.) | 25% of GDP (2019 est.) 25.7% of GDP (2018 est.) 26.7% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Energy
China | Hong Kong | |
---|---|---|
Electricity - production | 5.883 trillion kWh (2016 est.) | 35.97 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - consumption | 5.564 trillion kWh (2016 est.) | 41.84 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - exports | 18.91 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 1.205 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - imports | 6.185 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 11.62 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Oil - production | 3.773 million bbl/day (2018 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) |
Oil - imports | 6.71 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Oil - exports | 57,310 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Oil - proved reserves | 25.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.) | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves | 5.44 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) | 0 cu m (1 January 2016 est.) |
Natural gas - production | 145.9 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption | 238.6 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 3.37 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - exports | 3.37 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - imports | 97.63 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 3.37 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Electricity - installed generating capacity | 1.653 billion kW (2016 est.) | 12.63 million kW (2016 est.) |
Electricity - from fossil fuels | 62% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Electricity - from other renewable sources | 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - production | 11.51 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - consumption | 12.47 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | 403,100 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - exports | 848,400 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 13,570 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - imports | 1.16 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 402,100 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) |
Telecommunications
China | Hong Kong | |
---|---|---|
Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 191.033 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13.75 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 4,029,603 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55.73 (2019 est.) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 1,746,238,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125.66 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 21,455,736 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 296.71 (2019 est.) |
Internet country code | .cn | .hk |
Internet users | total: 751,886,119 percent of population: 54.3% (July 2018 est.) | total: 6,450,167 percent of population: 89.42% (July 2018 est.) |
Telecommunication systems | general assessment: China has the largest Internet market in the world with almost all subscribers accessing Internet through mobile devices; market is driven through government-allied investment; fast-developing data center market; government aims to provide universal and affordable broadband coverage through market competition and private investment in state-controlled enterprises; 3G and LTE subscribers will migrate to 5G aiming for 1M 5G base stations; government strengthens IoT policies to boost economic growth; China is pushing development of smart cities beyond Beijing; Beijing residents carry virtual card integrating identity, social security, health, and education documents; government controls gateways to global Internet through censorship, surveillance, and shut-downs; major exporter of broadcasting equipment world-wide (2021) (2020) domestic: 13 per 100 fixed line and 120 per 100 mobile-cellular; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations has been in place since 2018 (2019) international: country code - 86; landing points for the RJCN, EAC-C2C, TPE, APCN-2, APG, NCP, TEA, SeaMeWe-3, SJC2, Taiwan Strait Express-1, AAE-1, APCN-2, AAG, FEA, FLAG and TSE submarine cables providing 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) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: excellent domestic and international services; some of the highest peak average broadband speeds and penetration rates in the world; HK government helps subsidize 5G projects and aims to be among earliest adopters of 5G mobile technology; almost all households have access to high-speed broadband connectivity through fiber; high mobile subscribership reflects tourism and multiple-device culture; government has organized the development of smart city and digital economy to encourage social inclusion and economic development, including health care, education, and utilities; US prevented use of Pacific Light submarine cable network due to security issues (2020) (2020) domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network; fixed-line is 55 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 289 per 100 (2019) international: country code - 852; landing points for the APG, ASE, EAC-C2C, HK-G, Bay-to-Bay Express Cable System, H2 Cable, HKA, SJC, SJC2, PLCN, SeaMeWe-3, TGN-IA, APCN-2, AAG, FLAG and FEA submarine cables that provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 449.279 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32.33 (2019 est.) | total: 2,804,790 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38.79 (2019 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 sends directives to all domestic media outlets to guide its reporting with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast; increasingly, Chinese turn to online and satellite television to access Chinese and international films and television shows (2019) | 4 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters of terrestrial radio, one of which is government funded, operate about 12 radio stations; note - 4 digital radio broadcasters operated in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2017, but all digital radio services were terminated in September 2017 due to weak market demand (2019) |
Transportation
China | Hong Kong | |
---|---|---|
Roadways | total: 4,960,600 km (2017) paved: 4,338,600 km (includes 136,500 km of expressways) (2017) unpaved: 622,000 km (2017) | total: 2,107 km (2017) paved: 2,107 km (2017) |
Ports and terminals | major seaport(s): Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin container port(s) (TEUs): Dalian (8,760,000), Guangzhou (23,236,200), Ningbo (27,530,000), Qingdao (21,010,000), Shanghai (43,303,000), Shenzhen (25,770,000), Tianjin (17,264,000) (2019) LNG terminal(s) (import): Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Tangshan, Zhejiang river port(s): Guangzhou (Pearl) | major seaport(s): Hong Kong container port(s) (TEUs): Hong Kong (18,361,000) (2019) |
Merchant marine | total: 6,197 by type: bulk carrier 1,515, container ship 322, general cargo 862, oil tanker 968, other 2,530 (2020) | total: 2,694 by type: bulk carrier 1,157, container ship 551, general cargo 188, oil tanker 372, other 426 (2020) |
Airports | total: 507 (2013) | total: 2 (2013) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 510 (2019) over 3,047 m: 87 2,438 to 3,047 m: 187 1,524 to 2,437 m: 109 914 to 1,523 m: 43 under 914 m: 84 | total: 2 (2019) over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 |
Heliports | 39 (2019) | 9 (2013) |
National air transport system | number of registered air carriers: 56 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2,890 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 436,183,969 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 611,439,830 mt-km (2018) | number of registered air carriers: 12 (registered in China) (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 275 (registered in China) annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 47,101,822 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 12,676,720,000 mt-km (2018) |
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | B | B-H |
Military
China | Hong Kong | |
---|---|---|
Military branches | People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (PLAN, includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (PLAAF, includes airborne forces), Rocket Force (strategic missile force), and Strategic Support Force (information warfare, cyber, space forces); People's Armed Police (PAP, includes Coast Guard, Border Defense Force, Internal Security Forces); PLA Reserve Force (2021) note(s): the PAP is a paramilitary police component of China's armed forces that is under the command of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and charged with internal security, law enforcement, counterterrorism, and maritime rights protection in 2018, the Coast Guard was moved from the State Oceanic Administration to the PAP; in 2013, China merged four of its five major maritime law enforcement agencies - the China Marine Surveillance (CMS), Maritime Police, Fishery Law Enforcement (FLE), and Anti-Smuggling Police - into a unified coast guard | no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong Police Force; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Theater Command (2021) |
Transnational Issues
China | Hong Kong | |
---|---|---|
Disputes - international | China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to a number of boundary disputes across the 2,000 mile shared border; India does not recognize Pakistan's 1964 ceding to China of the Aksai Chin, a territory designated as part of the princely state of Kashmir by the British Survey of India in 1865; China claims most of the Indian state Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas, but the US recognizes the state of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory; Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China's Chumbi salient; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol (the so-called "nine-dash line") off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Sea, 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, and in 2017 China and ASEAN began confidential negotiations for an updated Code of Conduct for the South China Sea designed not to settle territorial disputes but establish rules and norms in the region; this still 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 early 2018 China began deploying advanced military systems to disputed Spratly outposts; 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 privation and oppression; 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, continues to consider building five hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests | Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods |
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 | despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people |
Trafficking in persons | current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in China and Chinese people abroad; Chinese men, women, and children are victims of forced labor and sex trafficking in at least 60 countries; traffickers also use China as a transit point to subject foreign individuals to trafficking in other countries throughout Asia and in international maritime industries; state-sponsored forced labor is intensifying under the government's mass detention and political indoctrination campaign against Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; well-organized criminal syndicates and local gangs subject Chinese women and girls to sex trafficking within China; women and girls from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and several countries in Africa experience forced labor in domestic service, forced concubinism leading to forced childbearing, and sex trafficking via forced and fraudulent marriage to Chinese men; African and Asian men reportedly experience conditions indicative of forced labor aboard Chinese-flagged fishing vessels; many North Korean refugees and asylum-seekers living in China illegally are particularly vulnerable to trafficking tier rating: Tier 3 - China does not fully meet the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government prosecuted and convicted some traffickers and continued to cooperate with international authorities to address forced and fraudulent marriages in China; however, there was a government policy or pattern of widespread forced labor, including the continued mass arbitrary detention of more than one million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and other Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of law enforcement officials allegedly complicit despite continued reports of officials benefiting from, permitting, or directly facilitating sex trafficking; authorities did not report identifying any trafficking victims or referring them to protective services; it is likely that law enforcement arrested and detained unidentified trafficking victims for crimes traffickers compelled them to commit; for the third consecutive year, the government did not report the extent to which it funded anti-trafficking activities in furtherance of the 2013-2020 National Action Plan on Combating Human Trafficking (2020) | current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Hong Kong, and traffickers also exploit victims from Hong Kong abroad; traffickers exploit women from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia in sex trafficking; some women in Hong Kong - often with the assistance of their families - deceive Indian and Pakistani men into arranged marriages involving forced domestic service, bonded labor in construction and other physically demanding industries, and other forms of abuse via exploitative contracts; drug trafficking syndicates coerced South American women to carry drugs into Hong Kong; employment agencies hired foreign domestic workers under false pretenses and forced them into commercial sex, sometimes through debt-based coercion tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Hong Kong does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; Hong Kong is hiring and training 98 new employees within the immigration, customs, labor, and justice departments dedicated to trafficking issues; authorities screened more than 7,000 vulnerable individuals for trafficking; the labor department introduced a victim identification mechanism to its division offices; the government provided anti-trafficking training to various officials; the government did not investigate, prosecute, or convict any cases of labor trafficking, investigated fewer sex trafficking cases, and did not provide victims any government-funded services; the government continued to penalize victims for unlawful acts traffickers compelled them to commit; no legislation was enacted to fully criminalize all forms of trafficking (2020) |
Environment
China | Hong Kong | |
---|---|---|
Air pollutants | particulate matter emissions: 49.16 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 9,893.04 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 1,490.24 megatons (2020 est.) | carbon dioxide emissions: 43.64 megatons (2016 est.) |
Revenue from forest resources | forest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.) | forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) |
Revenue from coal | coal revenues: 0.57% of GDP (2018 est.) | coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) |
Waste and recycling | municipal solid waste generated annually: 210 million tons (2015 est.) | municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,679,816 tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,931,138 tons (2016 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 34% (2016 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook