[Faraz]

CHINA

Official name:
Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo (Zhongguo) (People's Republic of China)

Head of State:
State President Hu Jintao (elected 15 Mar 2003)

Head of government:
Premier of the State Council Wen Jiabao (appointed 16 Mar 2003)

Ruling party:
Zhongguo Gongchangdang (Chinese Communist Party) (CCP)

Area:
9,596,961 square km

Population:
1.32 billion (2005)

Capital:
Beijing (Peking)

Official language:
Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese – Beijing dialect).

Currency:
Renminbi yuan (Rmb) = 100 fen

Exchange rate:
Rmb8.09 per US$ (Oct 2005) (In Jul 2005, the currency peg with the US$ ended and there was a 2.1 per cent revaluation of the renminbi)

GDP per capita:
US$1,269 (2004)

GDP real growth: 1
0.10% (2004); 9.9% (2005)*, 10.2% 1st quarter 2006*

Labour force:
778.50 million (2004)

Unemployment:
9.80% (2004, urban areas); 20.00% (2004, urban and rural areas)

Inflation:
3.90% (2004)

Oil production:
3.49 million bpd (2004)

Balance of trade:
US$30.70 billion (2004))*; US$15.3 billion (Sep 2006)

Foreign debt:
US$233.30 billion (2004)*

Annual FDI: US$53.50 billion (2004)*