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GOVERNMENT
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CHINA
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Partners
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Country
Name:
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conventional
long form: People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhong Guo
abbreviation: PRC |
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Government
Type:
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Communist
state |
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Capital:
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Beijing
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Administrative
Divisions:
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23
provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions*
(zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities** (shi, singular
and plural); Anhui, Beijing**, Chongqing**, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong,
Guangxi*, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei,
Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol*, Ningxia*,
Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin**,
Xinjiang*, Xizang* (Tibet), Yunnan, Zhejiang
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries
for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
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Independence:
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221
BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty 221 BC; Qing or
Ch'ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912; People's
Republic established 1 October 1949) |
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National
Holiday:
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National
Day, 1 October (1949) |
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Constitution:
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most
recent promulgation 4 December 1982 |
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Legal
System :
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a
complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary
civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in
effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made
to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal |
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Executive
Branch:
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chief
of state: President JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) and Vice
President HU Jintao (since 16 March 1998)
head of government: Premier ZHU Rongji (since 18 March 1998);
Vice Premiers QIAN Qichen (since 29 March 1993), LI Lanqing (29
March 1993), WU Bangguo (since 17 March 1995), and WEN Jiabao
(since 18 March 1998)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
(NPC)
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 16-18
March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003); premier nominated
by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
election results: JIANG Zemin reelected president by the Ninth
National People's Congress with a total of 2,882 votes (36 delegates
voted against him, 29 abstained, and 32 did not vote); HU Jintao
elected vice president by the Ninth National People's Congress
with a total of 2,841 votes (67 delegates voted against him, 39
abstained, and 32 did not vote) |
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Legislative
Branch:
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unicameral
National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,979
seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial
people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 1997-NA February 1998 (next to
be held late 2002-NA March 2003)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA |
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Judicial
Branch:
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Supreme
People's Court, judges appointed by the National People's Congress
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Political
Parties and Leaders:
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Chinese
Communist Party or CCP [JIANG Zemin, General Secretary of the
Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled
by CCP |
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International
Organization Participation:
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AfDB,
APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer),
MINURSO, NAM (observer), OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant), ZC |
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Flag
Description:
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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 |
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