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BASIC INFORMATION
Full Country Name: The People's Republic of China
Country Profile: China
Area: 9,956,960 sq km (3.7m sq mi)
Population: 1.29 bn
Capital City: Beijing
People: Han Chinese make up around 92 percent of the population. The remaining 8 percent is comprised of 55 minority ethnic groups.
Official Language: Mandarin (Putonghua) with many local dialects.
Religion(s): China is officially atheistic, but there are five State-Registered Religions: Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholic and Protestant Christianity.
Currency: Yuan or Renminbi (RMB)
Major political parties: Chinese Communist Party
Government: There are three major hierarchies in China: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the government and the military. The supreme decision-making body in China is the CCP Politburo and its 9-member Standing Committee, which acts as a kind of 'inner cabinet', and is headed by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. The National People's Congress (NPC) is China's legislative body. It has a five-year membership and meets once a year in plenary session. However, in practice it is the CCP who takes all key decisions.
Head of State and General Secretary of the CCP: President Hu Jintao
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC: Wu Bangguo
Premier of the State Council: Wen Jiabao
Foreign Minister: Li Zhaoxing
Membership of international groups/organisations: United Nations (including permanent membership of the UN Security Council), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF); Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; World Trade Organisation (WTO).
GEOGRAPHY
China is twice the size of Western Europe and the third largest country in the world, after Russia and Canada. China is a highly diverse country and its terrain varies from plains, deltas and hills in the east to mountains, high plateaux and deserts in the west. To the south its climate is tropical, whilst to the north it is sub-arctic. Less than one-sixth of China is suitable for agriculture and the most fertile areas lie in the eastern third of the country, which is economically the most developed region.
HISTORY
Longer Historical Perspective
The Chinese imperial system came to an end in 1911, when the Qing (Manchu) dynasty was overthrown and China was proclaimed a republic, partly through the efforts of revolutionaries such as Sun Yat-sen. The country then entered a period of warlordism until in 1927 the Nationalist Party or 'Kuomintang' (KMT), under its leader Chiang Kai-shek, established a central government in Nanjing. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in 1921 but broke with the KMT and was forced to flee into the interior in the Long March in 1934/35. Both KMT and CCP forces opposed Japan during World War Two but a civil war broke out from 1945-1949. CCP forces under Mao Zedong routed their KMT opponents and in 1949 Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. KMT elements fled to the island of Taiwan.
The period between 1949 and Mao's death in 1976 was characterised by an ambitious political and economic restructuring programme which involved the collectivisation of industry, the establishment of communes and the redistribution of land. The Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976 brought enormous upheaval in the political system and Mao had to rely on the armed forces to maintain order and exercise control.
Recent History
In December 1978 the CCP, inspired by Deng Xiaoping, launched a wide-ranging programme of economic and social reform which sought to modernise the economy, develop China's external relations (the 'open door policy') - especially with the West, and implement a gradual and limited liberalisation of Chinese society.
Political opposition to the more liberal reforms forced periods of retrenchment and in June 1989, following the brutal suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing, political control swung firmly into the hands of conservative elements within the CCP. The Chinese government labelled the demonstrations a 'counter-revolutionary rebellion' and clamped down on dissent. Prominent dissidents fled the country or went into hiding. Many activists were arrested. Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was replaced by Jiang Zemin, former Mayor and later Party Secretary of Shanghai. Jiang was appointed to the additional post of State President in March 1993. Since then, the Party leadership has continued the economic reform programme, while also seeking to improve China's standing in the international community. Jiang retired as President in March 2003 and was replaced by Vice-President Hu Jintao (see below)
BBC Monitoring Timeline
POLITICS
Recent Political Developments
The new State leadership positions were announced at the National People's Congress (NPC), which met from 5-18 March 2003. Hu Jintao was named President and Wen Jiabao became Premier. Wu Bangguo replaced Li Peng as NPC Chairman. The new leadership have made it clear that they will continue the current policy main priorities of economic growth, internal stability and opening up to the world.
The leadership transition was completed in September 2004 with Jiang Zemin retiring from the Chairmanship of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Hu Jintao assumed the post of CMC Chairman to add to his roles as State President and Party General Secretary.
Elections
China is in practice a one party state. The National People's Congress (NPC) is indirectly elected. Direct elections for village leaders have also been conducted since 1988. They take place every three years, although it is unclear how genuine and effective they are. The legislature remains subject to Party leadership. However, since 1987 the NPC has been building its oversight capacity over the actions of the government.
ECONOMY
Economic indicators:
GDP: US$1.4 trillion (2004)
GDP per head: US$1090 (2004)
Annual Growth: 9.5% (2004)
Inflation: 4.1% (2004 Q1-Q3)
Exchange rate: 15 Renminbi = ?1
UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: China
Chatham House China Project
China has been one of the world's economic success stories since reforms began in 1978. In purchasing power parity terms, China is the world's second biggest economy .Official figures show that GDP has grown on average by 9 percent a year over the past 25 years.
A growing share of China's economic growth has been generated in the private sector as the government has opened up industries to domestic and foreign competition, though the role of the state in ownership and planning remains extensive.
China's economic and social development challenges remain huge. These include reforming ailing state-owned industries, overhauling the financial sector and raising the incomes of China's rural population. China's leaders have launched a campaign to develop China's western regions as well as a drive to rejuvenate the old industrial bases in the Northeast. These campaigns are part of an effort to slow down the widening income gaps between China's more developed areas and the interior. China's entry into the World Trade Organisation in December 2001 is further integrating China into the global economy.
TAIWAN
The reunification of Taiwan with the rest of China remains one of the Chinese government's key objectives. Following defeat in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Taiwan and Penghu (Pescadores) Islands were ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki. They remained under Japanese rule until 1945 when the Japanese surrendered and the islands were occupied by Chinese Nationalist (KMT) forces. In December 1949, following the Nationalists' defeat on the mainland, the government of the then 'Republic of China' under President Chiang Kai-shek moved to Taiwan, together with approximately two million supporters. Although China has sought reunification through negotiation, the Chinese have not renounced the threat of military action against Taiwan. In February 2000, the Chinese issued a White paper on the Taiwan question which set out a further condition beyond a declaration of independence which could precipitate an attack: indefinite delay by Taiwan in negotiating unification.
The United Kingdom considers the Taiwan issue is one to be settled by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. We are strongly opposed to any use of force and urge both sides to engage in constructive dialogue.
Despite the political stalemate, economic and people-to-people links continue to develop at an impressive rate. Although direct trade is still prohibited, Taiwanese investment in China is substantial.
Britain recognised the People's Republic of China in 1950. In 1972, Britain and China upgraded relations to Ambassadorial level and signed a joint communiqué in which Britain acknowledged the position of the Government of the People's Republic of China that Taiwan was a province of China and recognised the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China. The United Kingdom does not recognise Taiwan as a state and does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Further information about Taiwan can be found on the Taiwan Profile.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
The PRC took over the China seat at the United Nations from Taiwan in 1971. Since the launch of its ‘open door policy' in 1978 China has begun to take a more active role in international organisations. The repression of the democracy movement in 1989, however, led to a chill in relations between the West and China. In recent years, China has generally pursued amicable relations with its neighbours and with the West. Diplomatic relations were restored or 'normalised' in the early 1990s with countries in South East Asia such as Indonesia and Vietnam.
China's international political and economic weight continues to grow. It hosted summits of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) and ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) in 2001, and is active within the ASEAN Plus Three (ASEAN countries plus China, South Korea and Japan) grouping. It joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001, and is increasingly active in the United Nations Security Council, where it holds one of the five Permanent Seats. China supported Security Council Resolution 1441 on Iraq.
CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK
The British Government's broad objectives are:
to encourage and support China's closer integration into the international system (including economic, financial and trade structures) as a responsible and friendly partner, and to encourage a constructive approach to international security issues and global challenges such as the environment, drugs, terrorism and AIDS;
to help China deliver economic reform and eradicate poverty;
to promote positive change in human rights, with a particular emphasis on promoting the rule of law;
to advance our commercial interests;
to fulfil our political and moral obligations to the people of Hong Kong.
Diplomatic Representation
Chinese representation in the UK
UK overseas mission in China
EU-China Relations
From 1 July to 31 December 2005 the UK serves as EU Presidency.
The EU’s China policy objectives are:
to engage China further, both bilaterally and on the world stage, through an upgraded political dialogue.
to support China's transition to an open society based upon the rule of law and respect for human rights.
to encourage the integration of China in the world economy through bringing it fully into the world trading system, and supporting the process of economic and social reform that is continuing in China.
to raise the EU's profile in China.
More details of our Presidency priorities can be found by visiting the UK Presidency of the EU 2005 website.
A summary detailing the architecture of China-EU relations can be found on the EU Commission website
UK Development Assistance
Although the Chinese government has made remarkable progress in lifting as many as 300m people out of poverty since 1978, there are still more than 160m people in China who live on less than $1 per day (the international standard which defines absolute poverty). The majority of the remaining poor are located in the Western Provinces of China.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is working with the Chinese Government to support their poverty reduction programmes. They are active in areas of basic education, health (particularly health policy, and in programmes to control TB and HIV/AIDS), economic reform and water and sustainable livelihoods. The main provinces in which DFID works are Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan. The DFID annual programme to China in 2004/2005 will be ?45 million.
More information can be found on the DFID Website - China country profile
Trade and Investment
The UK's bilateral trade relationship with China is strong and growing. UK trade with China has doubled in the past 5 years, growing faster than any of our G8 competitors:
Total exports to China in 2004 were ?2.4 billion, showing a rise of 23% on the figure for 2003. The UK's main exports to China by sector are electronic equipment and components, ICT, precision instruments and metals/ores.
Total imports from China in 2004 were ?10.6 billion. This represents a ratio of 4.5 to 1 in China's favour. Main imports were IT equipment, clothing, toys furniture, electrical machinery and telecommunications equipment.
Outward Investment
The UK is one of the largest investors in China (and the largest EU investor in China and Hong Kong combined) with over ,4000 British-invested projects. Major UK companies with investments in China include Arup, BP, Shell, P&O, Rolls Royce and Tesco.
China is a priority market for UK Trade and Investment. There are over 100 UK trade and investment supported missions, seminars and trade show events scheduled for 2005/2006. Areas of opportunities of potential interest to UK companies include the following sectors: aerospace, energy, environment, education and training, financial services, Healthcare, ICT, oil & gas and water. Commercial opportunities continue to increase significantly after China's entry to the WTO in December 2001.
Inward Investment
More than 400 companies have invested in the UK from mainland China. Whilst the majority are in the banking, consultancy and trading sectors, more companies are now looking at the UK's R&D capabilities and service sector. The majority of Chinese companies are based in the London area with new clusters to be found in the regions. 2003/2004 saw the biggest Chinese investment to date, with 324 new jobs created from 23 investments.
The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) is one of the principal vehicles in the UK for the development of business with China. The CBBC has offices in London, Glasgow and Newcastle and six offices in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Qingdao and Chengdu). UK Trade and Investment provides approximately one third of the CBBC's income through a grant-in-aid.
See also the CBBC website
Cultural relations with the UK
There are strong and growing cultural and educational relations between the UK and China. The British Council, which operates as the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Beijing and the British Consulates-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing, has a wide-ranging programme of activity covering areas such as the arts, education, science and technology and good governance. It is also active in promoting UK education. There are over 50,000 Chinese students studying in the UK, making China one of the leading providers of overseas students in the UK. The British Council also conducts over 60,000 English language examinations in China annually from a network of 21 test centres throughout the country.
More information can be found on the British Council website.
The British Council, China
The British Chevening Scholarships Programme for China is the largest in the world and is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. For the academic year 2003-04 it will have provided over 170 scholarships for young Chinese students. Many former Chevening scholars have gone on to achieve positions of influence in China.
The Great Britain-China Centre, founded in 1974 and part-funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, promotes understanding between Britain and China, particularly in the areas of legal and labour reform. It manages exchange programmes with Chinese partners, provides information and advice about China, and publishes the quarterly magazine China Review.
More information can be found at www.gbcc.org.uk
Recent Visits
Outward Visits
There have been several high-level visits to China in recent years.
The Prime Minister visited China on 5 and 6 September 2005 accompanied by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alan Johnson, and the Minister for Trade Ian Pearson:
On 5 September the programme focussed on EU Presidency business. For more information on the EU-China Summit, including the Joint Statement on EU-China relations and the Joint Declaration on Climate Change, please view the FCO news area. The Joint Press Conference held by the Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is avialable on the 10 Downing Street website.
On 6 September the Prime Minister covered the broad bilateral agenda at the UK-China Summit. For further information on the promotion of cultural and sporting links please view the 10 Downing Street website.
The Prime Minister visited Beijing and Shanghai in July 2003. After the visit he asked the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to set up and chair a China Task Force to examine ways of deepening our relationship with China in the areas of science and technology, environment, trade, and education. The Task Force recommendations formed the annex to the Joint Statement made by the two Premiers in May 2004.
Since July 2003 there have been visits to China by the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Leader of the House of Commons & Secretary of State for Wales, Secretary of State for International Development, the Minister for Trade, and the Defence Secretary. HRH The Duke of York also visited Shanghai in 2004.
Recent Inward Visits
In May 2004 the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited London. The two Prime Ministers issued a Joint Statement setting out plans for developing co-operation between the two countries.
Read the China-UK joint statement on the Number 10 website
Other senior Chinese visitors have included the Mayor of Beijing Wang Qishan, Tianjin Party Secretary Zhang Lichang, and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. President Hu Jintao visited Scotland in July 2005 to take part in the G8 Gleneagles Summit Outreach session.
HUMAN RIGHTS
The human rights situation in China continues to be a matter of serious concern. The detention and harassment of democracy activists, religious practitioners and Falun Gong adherents runs contrary to international human rights norms. Religious belief, freedoms of association, expression and of media are routinely restricted. Since Falun Gong was declared illegal by the Chinese authorities in 1999 large numbers of its practitioners have been detained and leaders given harsh sentences. Whilst the British Government does not take a view on the nature of Falun Gong, it is concerned by reports of human rights abuses against Falun Gong adherents.
We raise these and other issues, together with certain individual cases, at every appropriate contact with Chinese Ministers, within the EU/China Human Rights Dialogue and through our regular bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with the Chinese. This dialogue process began in September 1997, and formal sessions are held twice a year, alternately in London and Beijing. The most recent meeting took place in Beijing in November 2004.
Tibet
Successive British Governments have regarded Tibet as autonomous while recognising the special position of the Chinese there. Tibet has never been internationally recognised as an independent state. We welcomed the visit to Beijing and Lhasa in September 2002 by representatives of the Dalai Lama and continue to encourage the Chinese Government to enter into meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama to resolve the Tibetan issue.
More information on human rights in China, including Tibet - Human Rights Annual Report 2005
Follow this link to view a recent Parliamentary debate on Tibet.
Follow this link to view a recent debate about the persecution of Christians.
HEALTH
The overall health situation in China has improved considerably since 1949. For example, between 1965 and 1995, China's infant mortality rate decreased from 90 to 36 per 1,000 live births, and life expectancy at birth increased from 55 to 69 years. But these improvements have slowed since the 1980s. Economic reforms have inadvertently led to the collapse of rural community financing of health services.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS was first reported in China in 1985. In September 2002 the Chinese Government estimated that about a million people were infected with the HIV virus in China. The United Nations believes that this is still an underestimate and warns that as many as 1.5 million Chinese have the virus, rising to 20 million by the end of the decade. Although cases have been detected in all provinces, HIV transmission is primarily focused among intravenous drug users in certain provinces (eg Yunnan and Xinjiang). In 1998 the Chinese Government set out policy objectives and strategies to deal with HIV/AIDS and introduced measures such as HIV screening for all blood for clinical use and information campaigns.
TRAVEL
Travel Advice: China
USEFUL LINKS AND PAPERS:
Research and Analytical Papers: Asia and Australasia
Last reviewed - 7 September 2005
Afghanistan
Africa
The Caribbean
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Iraq
Latin America
Lebanon
Middle East Peace Process
Western Balkans
Shortcut Menu Careers with the FCO Country Profiles Foreign Embassies in the UK International Priorities Latest News Links Travel Advice UK Embassies Overseas UKvisas i-uk.com
BASIC INFORMATION
Full Country Name: The People's Republic of China
Country Profile: China
Area: 9,956,960 sq km (3.7m sq mi)
Population: 1.29 bn
Capital City: Beijing
People: Han Chinese make up around 92 percent of the population. The remaining 8 percent is comprised of 55 minority ethnic groups.
Official Language: Mandarin (Putonghua) with many local dialects.
Religion(s): China is officially atheistic, but there are five State-Registered Religions: Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholic and Protestant Christianity.
Currency: Yuan or Renminbi (RMB)
Major political parties: Chinese Communist Party
Government: There are three major hierarchies in China: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the government and the military. The supreme decision-making body in China is the CCP Politburo and its 9-member Standing Committee, which acts as a kind of 'inner cabinet', and is headed by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. The National People's Congress (NPC) is China's legislative body. It has a five-year membership and meets once a year in plenary session. However, in practice it is the CCP who takes all key decisions.
Head of State and General Secretary of the CCP: President Hu Jintao
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC: Wu Bangguo
Premier of the State Council: Wen Jiabao
Foreign Minister: Li Zhaoxing
Membership of international groups/organisations: United Nations (including permanent membership of the UN Security Council), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF); Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; World Trade Organisation (WTO).
GEOGRAPHY
China is twice the size of Western Europe and the third largest country in the world, after Russia and Canada. China is a highly diverse country and its terrain varies from plains, deltas and hills in the east to mountains, high plateaux and deserts in the west. To the south its climate is tropical, whilst to the north it is sub-arctic. Less than one-sixth of China is suitable for agriculture and the most fertile areas lie in the eastern third of the country, which is economically the most developed region.
HISTORY
Longer Historical Perspective
The Chinese imperial system came to an end in 1911, when the Qing (Manchu) dynasty was overthrown and China was proclaimed a republic, partly through the efforts of revolutionaries such as Sun Yat-sen. The country then entered a period of warlordism until in 1927 the Nationalist Party or 'Kuomintang' (KMT), under its leader Chiang Kai-shek, established a central government in Nanjing. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in 1921 but broke with the KMT and was forced to flee into the interior in the Long March in 1934/35. Both KMT and CCP forces opposed Japan during World War Two but a civil war broke out from 1945-1949. CCP forces under Mao Zedong routed their KMT opponents and in 1949 Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. KMT elements fled to the island of Taiwan.
The period between 1949 and Mao's death in 1976 was characterised by an ambitious political and economic restructuring programme which involved the collectivisation of industry, the establishment of communes and the redistribution of land. The Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976 brought enormous upheaval in the political system and Mao had to rely on the armed forces to maintain order and exercise control.
Recent History
In December 1978 the CCP, inspired by Deng Xiaoping, launched a wide-ranging programme of economic and social reform which sought to modernise the economy, develop China's external relations (the 'open door policy') - especially with the West, and implement a gradual and limited liberalisation of Chinese society.
Political opposition to the more liberal reforms forced periods of retrenchment and in June 1989, following the brutal suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing, political control swung firmly into the hands of conservative elements within the CCP. The Chinese government labelled the demonstrations a 'counter-revolutionary rebellion' and clamped down on dissent. Prominent dissidents fled the country or went into hiding. Many activists were arrested. Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was replaced by Jiang Zemin, former Mayor and later Party Secretary of Shanghai. Jiang was appointed to the additional post of State President in March 1993. Since then, the Party leadership has continued the economic reform programme, while also seeking to improve China's standing in the international community. Jiang retired as President in March 2003 and was replaced by Vice-President Hu Jintao (see below)
BBC Monitoring Timeline
POLITICS
Recent Political Developments
The new State leadership positions were announced at the National People's Congress (NPC), which met from 5-18 March 2003. Hu Jintao was named President and Wen Jiabao became Premier. Wu Bangguo replaced Li Peng as NPC Chairman. The new leadership have made it clear that they will continue the current policy main priorities of economic growth, internal stability and opening up to the world.
The leadership transition was completed in September 2004 with Jiang Zemin retiring from the Chairmanship of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Hu Jintao assumed the post of CMC Chairman to add to his roles as State President and Party General Secretary.
Elections
China is in practice a one party state. The National People's Congress (NPC) is indirectly elected. Direct elections for village leaders have also been conducted since 1988. They take place every three years, although it is unclear how genuine and effective they are. The legislature remains subject to Party leadership. However, since 1987 the NPC has been building its oversight capacity over the actions of the government.
ECONOMY
Economic indicators:
GDP: US$1.4 trillion (2004)
GDP per head: US$1090 (2004)
Annual Growth: 9.5% (2004)
Inflation: 4.1% (2004 Q1-Q3)
Exchange rate: 15 Renminbi = ?1
UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: China
Chatham House China Project
China has been one of the world's economic success stories since reforms began in 1978. In purchasing power parity terms, China is the world's second biggest economy .Official figures show that GDP has grown on average by 9 percent a year over the past 25 years.
A growing share of China's economic growth has been generated in the private sector as the government has opened up industries to domestic and foreign competition, though the role of the state in ownership and planning remains extensive.
China's economic and social development challenges remain huge. These include reforming ailing state-owned industries, overhauling the financial sector and raising the incomes of China's rural population. China's leaders have launched a campaign to develop China's western regions as well as a drive to rejuvenate the old industrial bases in the Northeast. These campaigns are part of an effort to slow down the widening income gaps between China's more developed areas and the interior. China's entry into the World Trade Organisation in December 2001 is further integrating China into the global economy.
TAIWAN
The reunification of Taiwan with the rest of China remains one of the Chinese government's key objectives. Following defeat in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Taiwan and Penghu (Pescadores) Islands were ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki. They remained under Japanese rule until 1945 when the Japanese surrendered and the islands were occupied by Chinese Nationalist (KMT) forces. In December 1949, following the Nationalists' defeat on the mainland, the government of the then 'Republic of China' under President Chiang Kai-shek moved to Taiwan, together with approximately two million supporters. Although China has sought reunification through negotiation, the Chinese have not renounced the threat of military action against Taiwan. In February 2000, the Chinese issued a White paper on the Taiwan question which set out a further condition beyond a declaration of independence which could precipitate an attack: indefinite delay by Taiwan in negotiating unification.
The United Kingdom considers the Taiwan issue is one to be settled by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. We are strongly opposed to any use of force and urge both sides to engage in constructive dialogue.
Despite the political stalemate, economic and people-to-people links continue to develop at an impressive rate. Although direct trade is still prohibited, Taiwanese investment in China is substantial.
Britain recognised the People's Republic of China in 1950. In 1972, Britain and China upgraded relations to Ambassadorial level and signed a joint communiqué in which Britain acknowledged the position of the Government of the People's Republic of China that Taiwan was a province of China and recognised the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China. The United Kingdom does not recognise Taiwan as a state and does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Further information about Taiwan can be found on the Taiwan Profile.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
The PRC took over the China seat at the United Nations from Taiwan in 1971. Since the launch of its ‘open door policy' in 1978 China has begun to take a more active role in international organisations. The repression of the democracy movement in 1989, however, led to a chill in relations between the West and China. In recent years, China has generally pursued amicable relations with its neighbours and with the West. Diplomatic relations were restored or 'normalised' in the early 1990s with countries in South East Asia such as Indonesia and Vietnam.
China's international political and economic weight continues to grow. It hosted summits of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) and ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) in 2001, and is active within the ASEAN Plus Three (ASEAN countries plus China, South Korea and Japan) grouping. It joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001, and is increasingly active in the United Nations Security Council, where it holds one of the five Permanent Seats. China supported Security Council Resolution 1441 on Iraq.
CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK
The British Government's broad objectives are:
to encourage and support China's closer integration into the international system (including economic, financial and trade structures) as a responsible and friendly partner, and to encourage a constructive approach to international security issues and global challenges such as the environment, drugs, terrorism and AIDS;
to help China deliver economic reform and eradicate poverty;
to promote positive change in human rights, with a particular emphasis on promoting the rule of law;
to advance our commercial interests;
to fulfil our political and moral obligations to the people of Hong Kong.
Diplomatic Representation
Chinese representation in the UK
UK overseas mission in China
EU-China Relations
From 1 July to 31 December 2005 the UK serves as EU Presidency.
The EU’s China policy objectives are:
to engage China further, both bilaterally and on the world stage, through an upgraded political dialogue.
to support China's transition to an open society based upon the rule of law and respect for human rights.
to encourage the integration of China in the world economy through bringing it fully into the world trading system, and supporting the process of economic and social reform that is continuing in China.
to raise the EU's profile in China.
More details of our Presidency priorities can be found by visiting the UK Presidency of the EU 2005 website.
A summary detailing the architecture of China-EU relations can be found on the EU Commission website
UK Development Assistance
Although the Chinese government has made remarkable progress in lifting as many as 300m people out of poverty since 1978, there are still more than 160m people in China who live on less than $1 per day (the international standard which defines absolute poverty). The majority of the remaining poor are located in the Western Provinces of China.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is working with the Chinese Government to support their poverty reduction programmes. They are active in areas of basic education, health (particularly health policy, and in programmes to control TB and HIV/AIDS), economic reform and water and sustainable livelihoods. The main provinces in which DFID works are Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan. The DFID annual programme to China in 2004/2005 will be ?45 million.
More information can be found on the DFID Website - China country profile
Trade and Investment
The UK's bilateral trade relationship with China is strong and growing. UK trade with China has doubled in the past 5 years, growing faster than any of our G8 competitors:
Total exports to China in 2004 were ?2.4 billion, showing a rise of 23% on the figure for 2003. The UK's main exports to China by sector are electronic equipment and components, ICT, precision instruments and metals/ores.
Total imports from China in 2004 were ?10.6 billion. This represents a ratio of 4.5 to 1 in China's favour. Main imports were IT equipment, clothing, toys furniture, electrical machinery and telecommunications equipment.
Outward Investment
The UK is one of the largest investors in China (and the largest EU investor in China and Hong Kong combined) with over ,4000 British-invested projects. Major UK companies with investments in China include Arup, BP, Shell, P&O, Rolls Royce and Tesco.
China is a priority market for UK Trade and Investment. There are over 100 UK trade and investment supported missions, seminars and trade show events scheduled for 2005/2006. Areas of opportunities of potential interest to UK companies include the following sectors: aerospace, energy, environment, education and training, financial services, Healthcare, ICT, oil & gas and water. Commercial opportunities continue to increase significantly after China's entry to the WTO in December 2001.
Inward Investment
More than 400 companies have invested in the UK from mainland China. Whilst the majority are in the banking, consultancy and trading sectors, more companies are now looking at the UK's R&D capabilities and service sector. The majority of Chinese companies are based in the London area with new clusters to be found in the regions. 2003/2004 saw the biggest Chinese investment to date, with 324 new jobs created from 23 investments.
The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) is one of the principal vehicles in the UK for the development of business with China. The CBBC has offices in London, Glasgow and Newcastle and six offices in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Qingdao and Chengdu). UK Trade and Investment provides approximately one third of the CBBC's income through a grant-in-aid.
See also the CBBC website
Cultural relations with the UK
There are strong and growing cultural and educational relations between the UK and China. The British Council, which operates as the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Beijing and the British Consulates-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing, has a wide-ranging programme of activity covering areas such as the arts, education, science and technology and good governance. It is also active in promoting UK education. There are over 50,000 Chinese students studying in the UK, making China one of the leading providers of overseas students in the UK. The British Council also conducts over 60,000 English language examinations in China annually from a network of 21 test centres throughout the country.
More information can be found on the British Council website.
The British Council, China
The British Chevening Scholarships Programme for China is the largest in the world and is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. For the academic year 2003-04 it will have provided over 170 scholarships for young Chinese students. Many former Chevening scholars have gone on to achieve positions of influence in China.
The Great Britain-China Centre, founded in 1974 and part-funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, promotes understanding between Britain and China, particularly in the areas of legal and labour reform. It manages exchange programmes with Chinese partners, provides information and advice about China, and publishes the quarterly magazine China Review.
More information can be found at www.gbcc.org.uk
Recent Visits
Outward Visits
There have been several high-level visits to China in recent years.
The Prime Minister visited China on 5 and 6 September 2005 accompanied by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alan Johnson, and the Minister for Trade Ian Pearson:
On 5 September the programme focussed on EU Presidency business. For more information on the EU-China Summit, including the Joint Statement on EU-China relations and the Joint Declaration on Climate Change, please view the FCO news area. The Joint Press Conference held by the Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is avialable on the 10 Downing Street website.
On 6 September the Prime Minister covered the broad bilateral agenda at the UK-China Summit. For further information on the promotion of cultural and sporting links please view the 10 Downing Street website.
The Prime Minister visited Beijing and Shanghai in July 2003. After the visit he asked the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to set up and chair a China Task Force to examine ways of deepening our relationship with China in the areas of science and technology, environment, trade, and education. The Task Force recommendations formed the annex to the Joint Statement made by the two Premiers in May 2004.
Since July 2003 there have been visits to China by the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Leader of the House of Commons & Secretary of State for Wales, Secretary of State for International Development, the Minister for Trade, and the Defence Secretary. HRH The Duke of York also visited Shanghai in 2004.
Recent Inward Visits
In May 2004 the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited London. The two Prime Ministers issued a Joint Statement setting out plans for developing co-operation between the two countries.
Read the China-UK joint statement on the Number 10 website
Other senior Chinese visitors have included the Mayor of Beijing Wang Qishan, Tianjin Party Secretary Zhang Lichang, and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. President Hu Jintao visited Scotland in July 2005 to take part in the G8 Gleneagles Summit Outreach session.
HUMAN RIGHTS
The human rights situation in China continues to be a matter of serious concern. The detention and harassment of democracy activists, religious practitioners and Falun Gong adherents runs contrary to international human rights norms. Religious belief, freedoms of association, expression and of media are routinely restricted. Since Falun Gong was declared illegal by the Chinese authorities in 1999 large numbers of its practitioners have been detained and leaders given harsh sentences. Whilst the British Government does not take a view on the nature of Falun Gong, it is concerned by reports of human rights abuses against Falun Gong adherents.
We raise these and other issues, together with certain individual cases, at every appropriate contact with Chinese Ministers, within the EU/China Human Rights Dialogue and through our regular bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with the Chinese. This dialogue process began in September 1997, and formal sessions are held twice a year, alternately in London and Beijing. The most recent meeting took place in Beijing in November 2004.
Tibet
Successive British Governments have regarded Tibet as autonomous while recognising the special position of the Chinese there. Tibet has never been internationally recognised as an independent state. We welcomed the visit to Beijing and Lhasa in September 2002 by representatives of the Dalai Lama and continue to encourage the Chinese Government to enter into meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama to resolve the Tibetan issue.
More information on human rights in China, including Tibet - Human Rights Annual Report 2005
Follow this link to view a recent Parliamentary debate on Tibet.
Follow this link to view a recent debate about the persecution of Christians.
HEALTH
The overall health situation in China has improved considerably since 1949. For example, between 1965 and 1995, China's infant mortality rate decreased from 90 to 36 per 1,000 live births, and life expectancy at birth increased from 55 to 69 years. But these improvements have slowed since the 1980s. Economic reforms have inadvertently led to the collapse of rural community financing of health services.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS was first reported in China in 1985. In September 2002 the Chinese Government estimated that about a million people were infected with the HIV virus in China. The United Nations believes that this is still an underestimate and warns that as many as 1.5 million Chinese have the virus, rising to 20 million by the end of the decade. Although cases have been detected in all provinces, HIV transmission is primarily focused among intravenous drug users in certain provinces (eg Yunnan and Xinjiang). In 1998 the Chinese Government set out policy objectives and strategies to deal with HIV/AIDS and introduced measures such as HIV screening for all blood for clinical use and information campaigns.
TRAVEL
Travel Advice: China
USEFUL LINKS AND PAPERS:
Research and Analytical Papers: Asia and Australasia
Last reviewed - 7 September 2005