Located in South China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is an important junction of East China, Cental China and West China. It serves not only as a shortcut from China to ASEAN both by land and sea, but also as an important intersection that connect Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao to West China. Especially after the foundation of China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone, Guangxi plays a strategically important role as an intersection of ASEAN and pan-Pearl River Delta economic zone. Guangxi covers an area of 237,600 square kilometers, raking the 9th in China. With 1,595 kilometers of coastline, Guangxi is endowed with rich port resources, marine biological resources, and coastal tourism resources. There are 12 native ethic groups in Guangxi, including Zhuang, Han, Yao, Miao, Dong, Mulam, Maonan, Hui, Jing, Yi, Shui and Gelao, and some 25 smaller ones.

June30,2016

Called Zang for short, the Tibet Zang Ethnic Autonomous Region is located in the southwest part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The region borders Sichuan and Yunnan provinces to the east, Qinghai and Xinjiang to the north, and shares borders with India, Nepal, and Myanmar to the south, and bounded by Kashmir to the west. Tibet has both snowy sceneries on the plateau and the enchanting mien typical in the south. Tourism, Tibet medicine, special biology industry and green plateau-unique foodstuffs, processed husbandry products, local folk handcrafts and mineral mining constitute the economic pillars of Tibet. The agriculture of Tibet is based on animal husbandry, with such major livestock and fowl as sheep, goat, yak, yellow cat, dzo, horse, donkey, mule, Tibet chicken, and Tibet pig. Major agriculture crops include Qingke (a highland barley), wheat, pea, colza, etc. The local economy of Tibet has been witnessing constant improvements. In 2008, Tibet’s GDP totaled RMB 39.2 billion, ranking the 31st in the country. The gross regional product of Tibet totalled 92.08 billion yuan in 2014, a rise of 10.8 percent from 2013 based on comparable prices.

June30,2016

Situated at the southernmost tip of China, Hainan overlooks Guangdong across the Qiongzhou Strait to the north, Vietnam across the Beibu Bay to the west. Its neighbors in the South China Sea include the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. The jurisdiction of Hainan covers Hainan Island, the Xisha (Paracel) Islands, the Zhongsha (Macclesfield) Islands and the Nansha (Spratly) Islands as well as the surrounding maritime areas. The island covers a land area of 35.4 thousand square kilometers and has a maritime area of about 2 million square kilometers. Hainan Island is located in 18°10′-20°10′N and 108°37′-111°03′E. With the outline like an oval snow pear, the island has a northeast-southwest direction long axis which is about 290km. Meanwhile the northwest-southeast width of Hainan Island is approximately 180km; therefore it is the second island in China only after Taiwan Island. The coastline around the island is 1,528km with 68 harbors surrounded. There is an area of 2,330.55 square kilometers for isobathic regions from -5m to -10m, corresponding to 6.8% of the land area. Qiongzhou Strait, located between Hainan Island and Leizhou Peninsula, is about 18-nautical-mile wide; while Zengmu Ansha in Nansha Islands is the southernmost territory of China. The central Hainan Island is dome-mountain shape surrounded by lower flat land. With the Mt. Wuzhi and Yingge Hill as the core, the land declines gradually to the edges. Mountains, hills, tablelands and plains form the annular and laminar landform with obvious cascade terrain structure. Hainan has three cities at the prefecture level, which are Haikou, Sanya and Sansha. The cities at the county level in Hainan include Wuzhishan, Wenchang, Qionghai, Wanning, Danzhou and Dongfang. Meanwhile, Hainan has four counties, including Ding’an, Tunchang, Chengmai and Lingao; and six autonomous Counties, including Baisha Li Autonomous County, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County and Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County. Besides, Hainan hosts the Yangpu Economic Development Zone.

June30,2016

Called Dian or Yun for short, Yunnan Province is located in the far southwest of China, with the Tropic of Cancer running through its southern part. It borders Guizhou Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the east, Sichuan Province in the north and Tibet Autonomous Region in the northwest. Its bordering countries include Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. Yunnan covers an area of approximately 394,100 square kilometers, or 4.1 percent of China's total. The terrain of Yunnan is largely mountainous, especially in the north and west of the province. The average elevation of Yunnan is 1,980 meters. The province has eight prefecture-level cities and eight autonomous prefectures. In 2014, the province realized GDP of 1,281.459 billion yuan, up 8.1 percent from 2013, with the regional GDP per capita standing at 27,264 yuan.

June29,2016

Called "Xin" for short, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is located in northwestern China. Largest in area in all the province-level administrative regions of China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region covers an area of 1.66 million square kilometers, one sixth of China's territory. Situated in the hinterland of Eurasian continent, Xinjiang borders eight countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirghiziastan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, India and Afghanistan. The geographic position of Xinjiang makes it important strategically. In the past, Xinjiang served as the key section of the well-known Silk Road, while now it is an unavoidable part of the railway leading to the second Eurasia Continental Bridge. Xinjiang, called Western Region in ancient times, has been an inalienable part of China from ancient times. In 60 B.C., Xinjiang officially became a part of China's territory for that year central government of the Western Han Dynasty founded the West Region Frontier Command here. In 1884, the government of the Qing Dynasty established Xinjiang Province. In 1949, Xinjiang was liberated through peaceful means. October 1, 1955 saw the establishment of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The local economy of Xinjiang has been witnessing constant improvements over the past few years. The gross regional product of Xinjiang totalled 926.41 billion yuan in 2014, a rise of 10.0 percent from 2013 based on comparable prices.

June30,2016

Situated in northeast China, Jilin Province is one of the three regions in the world known for the black earth. Jilin Province is called Ji for short, whose capital city is Changchun. The northwestern part of the province is a section of the Songliao Plain which teems with maize. In agriculture, Jilin is rich in maize, soybean, rice, sorghum and oilseed, with its yield of beet ranking the top in China, and the output of ginseng accounts for about 80 percent of the national total. The province’s traditional specialties include pilose antler, ginseng, marten, which are called "three treasures" in the northeast, and Changchun ginseng cigarette, Jilin Sanbao wine, Tonghua wine, etc. Jilin has abundant forest reserves, fertile land and vast grasslands. Mainly, the mineral resources are coal, iron, copper and gold. Its automobile industry occupies an important place in China. The province has developed railway and highway systems, with railway as the main means of traffic. The Second-Songhua River is the chief way of water transportation, and the city of Changchun is a center of aviation industry. The world-famous Changbai Mountains, the source of the Tumen, Yalu, and Songhua rivers, are one of the most beautiful areas in China. Endowed with rich natural resources and charming scenery, the mountains are dotted with scenic spots. A nature preserve has been established here to protect the area's animals and plants. Together with the nature preserves in Wolong of Sichuan province and Dinghu Mountain of Guangdong Province, it has become a base for international scientific research into China's indigenous wildlife. Other scenic spots and historical sites include Jilin Songhua Lake and the Puppet Manchurian Imperial Palace Museum. The Korean ethnic group in Jilin has distinguished characteristics in terms of costume, architecture, and folk arts. The Koreans like athletic sports like football, wrestling, skating, springboard and playing swing. The women are fond of playing gangplank and swing. Football is especially popular among the Korean men, and Yanbian area has a reputation for the land of football. The Korean people are especially good at singing and dancing. The famous folk dances include the Tambourin Dance, Fan Dance, Carrying Water Dance, Sword Dance, Dance of Happy Farmers, etc. Cold noodles are their most popular food. Jilin Province is also one of the major forest regions in China. The Changbai Mountains in eastern Jilin, known as the "Changbai Sea of Forests," rise and fall for 1,000 km. The province features 7.77 million hectares of timberland and 41.3 percent of forest coverage. It produces 6 million cubic meters of timber yearly, ranking the second in China.

June30,2016

Located in West China, Sichuan Province is an important junction of southwest China, northwest China and central China. It serves not only as a critical intersection that connect the country’s central, southwestern and northwestern regions, but also as a transport corridor that links up Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Sichuan covers an area of 486,000 square km, ranking the 5th in China. There are 21 cities (prefectures) and 183 counties (districts) in Sichuan. Sichuan is a province with abundant resources, large population and strong economy.

June30,2016

Situated in east China's coastal area, with a coastal line of 487 km, and embracing the two metropolises of Beijing and Tianjin, Hebei province enjoys an ideal geographic location and possesses competitive edge in the economic activities in the Bohai-Rim and area Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic zone, which are designated as a priority for economic development in China. Over the past two decades since China adopted the reform and opening-up policy, Hebei has made great achievements in its modernization drive. Hebei has become one of the fastest growing areas in China and there is room to develop and expand. Hebei has a population of 68 million which ensures abundant labor resources. Lying in the center of Bohai-Rim area, Hebei is the first to receive the economic radiation from Beijing and Tianjin and maintains long-standing ties with the two metropolises. Hebei is one of the major production bases of cereals, cotton and edible oil in China and serves as an important base of aquatic and livestock products in north China. Hebei is also among the major provinces with rich mineral resources. Endowed with abundant tourist resource, Hebei takes the 1st place in terms of historical relics and the 2nd place in terms of natural and cultural landscapes in the country. Among the best known tourist attractions are the Imperial Summer Resorts in Chengde, Shanhaiguan Pass, Beidaihe Sea Side Resort, and the eastern and western Royal Tombs of Qing Dynasty, etc. Hebei realized 2,942.12 billion yuan of GDP in 2014, up 6.5 percent year on year, and its industrial added value reached 1,333.07 billion yuan, up 5 percent year on year. Fixed-asset investment grew 15 percent year on year in 2014 to 2,667.19 billion yuan, and its Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth stood at 1.7 percent.

June30,2016

Called Su for short, Jiangsu province is located on the east coast of China. It borders Shandong on the north, Anhui on the west, and Zhejiang and Shanghai on the south. Jiangsu’s coastline extends over 1,000 kilometres along the Yellow Sea, and the Yangtze River passes through Jiangsu’s southern region. Jiangsu covers an area of 102,660 square kilometres, approximately 1.06% of the total area of the nation. Jiangsu is divided into 13 provincially administrated municipalities: Nanjing, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Lianyungang, Huai’an, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Taizhou and Suqian. Jiangsu is one of the leading provinces in economic, scientific, and technological development. As one of China’s first provinces embracing the advancement of modernization, Jiangsu has consistently placed first in industrial output. In 2014, Jiangsu province realized GDP of 6,508.83 billion yuan, up 8.7 percent from 2013, with the regional GDP per capita standing at 81,874 yuan, up 8.8 percent year on year. Jiangsu has established strong friendships with 234 cities in 48 countries of the world, far more than those of any other province in China.

June30,2016

Anhui Province is called Wan for short, with Hefei as its capital city. Anhui was officially established as a province in 1667 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The word, “Anhui", derives from the acronym of Anqing prefecture and Huizhou prefecture.

June30,2016

Sitting at the highest latitudes and the northernmost end of China, Heilongjiang Province is one of the renowned heavy industry bases in China and serves as a major portal for trade with Russia. Heilongjiang is widely known as the cradle of China's modern industry, with its Daqing oilfield, Greater Hinggan Mountains and Xiao Hinggan Mountains, China First Heavy Industries (CFHI), two machinery giants, three power equipment producers, four large coal cities, and 10 military industry enterprises enjoying high popularity. Nowadays, the province is echoing the state northeast China old industry base boosting strategy and invigorating its heavy industry and expediting development of its strategic emerging industries including tourism- and modern services-centered tertiary industry for broader achievements. It boasts a border line of 3,045 kilometers, 25 Class A ports and 10 areas for mutual trade among inhabitants, making it an important channel linking Asia and Pacific Region with Russia and the Continent. By the end of 2012, the province had 38.34 million residents. Its gross domestic product (GDP) edged up 5.6 percent year on year to 1.50 trillion yuan in 2014.

June30,2016

Jiangxi Province, called Gan for short, lies on the southern bank of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It borders Zhejiang and Fujian provinces to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei and Anhui to the north. Jiangxi dominates the Yangtze River on the north, and connects Wuhan in the upper stream, and Nanjing and Shanghai downstream. It is close to the coastal opening cities in the southeast. Two trunk railways -- Beijing-Kowloon and Zhejiang-Jiangxi lines -- run through the whole province, which provided with convenient transportation and superior location. By the end of 2013, Jiangxi’s population had reached 45.22 million. There are 38 ethnic groups in the province, with Han people accounting for more than 99 percent of the total population. Jiangxi is famous for its Blue and White Porcelain. The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) is a key period for the development of the firing techniques of the Blue and White Porcelain in China. Its unique characteristics were based on the techniques of former dynasties. The Blue and White Porcelain had become major porcelain product of China by the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). Entering the 21st century, Jiangxi has insisted on applying scientific outlook on development, emphasizing on innovations, entrepreneurship, and development in a harmonious way. Taking ecological protection as its first priority, the province aims for a balanced and fast economic development. Since China’s reform and opening up policy was launched in 1978, its average annual economic growth rate in the years between 1979 and 2013, 1991 and 2013, 2001 and 2013 reached 10.7 percent, 11.7 percent and 13.2 percent, respectively. Jiang’s gross domestic production (GDP) rose 9.7 percent to 1.57 trillion yuan in 2014. Jiangxi province’s economic structure has been improving in the recent years. In 2014, added value of the primary industry totaled 168.37 billion yuan, rising 4.7 percent from the previous year; added value of the secondary industry grew 11.1 percent to 838.83 billion yuan; added value of the tertiary industry increased 8.8 percent to 563.66 billion yuan. Implementing a strategy for new pattern of industrialization, Jiangxi has nurtured and developed industries with its own characteristics, such as optoelectronic industry, high-precision copper-rod, high-grade and special steel products, special car and ship, precision machinery, bio-medication, particular chemical industry, green food, holiday-making tourism, and new-pattern service.

June30,2016

Situated at the lower reaches of the Yellow River and on China's eastern coastline, the province's territory consists of the Shandong Peninsular and adjacent inlands. Protruding into the conjunction area of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, the peninsula faces the Liaodong Peninsular of Liaoning Province over the sea. Its inland adjoins the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu. The province stretches 420 km from south to north and 700 km from east to west, covering an area of 156,700 square kilometers. Shandong is rich in marine resources. Its offshore area makes up 37 percent of the total surface area of the Bohai and Yellow seas, with a shoal area accounting for 15 percent of the nation's total. A total of 128 varieties of minerals, or 78 percent of that found in China, have been discovered in the province, of which 33 have their surveyed deposits listed among the top tens of the nation. One of China's major agricultural production bases, Shandong is known as "a warehouse of grains, cotton, and oil, and the land of fruits and aquatic products." The province is one of China's important energy bases, with the Shengli Oilfield being the second largest of its kind in the country, and Zhongyuan, another oilfield, having a major part on its territory. The crude oil produced in Shandong makes up one-third of the nation's total. With beautiful natural landscapes and numerous historical and cultural relics, Shandong has rich tourist resources. It offers a string of tourist attractions, such as Mount Taishan and the Temple, Mansion and Cemetery of Confucius, two World Heritage sites. Shandong realized 5,942.66 billion yuan of GDP in 2014, up 8.7 percent year on year, and its industrial added value reached 2,534.09 billion yuan, up 9.3 percent year on year. Fixed-asset investment grew 15.8 percent year on year in 2014 to 4,159.91 billion yuan, and its Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth stood at 1.9 percent year on year.

June30,2016

Hubei Province lies in the middle reach of the Yangtze River with an area of 186,000 square km. Situated at 108'21"-116'07" east longitude and 29'05"-33'20" north latitude, it got its name from being located to the north of the Dongting Lake. The terrain of Hubei Province is high in the west and low in the east and wide open to the south, the Jianghan Plain. Situated in south-central China, Hubei Province features a subtropical monsoon climate, with annual average temperature at about 15° C (59° F). The province has distinct four seasons with burning hot summer (June, July and August) and chilly winter (December, January and February). Hubei has 12 prefecture-level cities, one autonomous prefecture, 38 municipal districts, 24 county-level cities, including 3 sub-prefecture cities, 38 counties, two autonomous counties and one forest region. Hubei had a total resident population of 57.58 million in 2011, in which male population was 29.56 million while female population was 27.02 million, representing 51.43 percent and 48.66 percent respectively. Among all the resident population, those between the age of 0-14 were 7.99 million, which accounted for 13.88 percent of the total. There were 44.33 million people between the age of 15-64, holding a big share of the population pool with 77 percent. The elder citizens, who were above the age of 65, numbered 5.25 million, representing 9.12 percent of the total resident population.

June30,2016

Established in 1958, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region can be called Ning for short and is one of the five ethnic autonomous regions of China. It is located in northwest China or the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River. It covers an area of 66,400 square kilometers, with mountains and plains taking up 59% and 41% of its territory respectively. Plains are located in the northern part of Ningxia, while the Loess Plateau (Huangtu Plateau) and desertified grasslands are located in the south, where there are mostly mountains and hills. Ningxia has an altitude of 1,090 to 2,000 meters, an annual rainfall of 200 to 600 millimeters, an average annual temperature of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius and a total annual sunshine of 3,000 hours. It has a population of 6.6154 million. It has five prefecture-level cities, namely Yinchuan, Shizuishan, Guyuan, Wuzhong and Zhongwei. The capital Yinchuan is a city renowned for its historical and cultural heritage, and it is the political and economic centre of Ningxia. Ningxia has had the reputation of “An Oasis in the Hinterland” since ancient times, and has competitive edge in agriculture, energy and tourism. The plain area of Ningxia features fertile lands, with 397 kilometres of lands along the Yellow River and an annual runoff volume of 32.5 billion cubic meters. Since the Yellow River can be easily utilized for irrigation, Ningxia has over 400,000 hectares of high and steady-yield irrigated farmlands, making it one of the four gravity irrigation areas of China. 43 varieties of agro-products including rice have been listed as products with national geographic indications. Halal beef and mutton, wine grapes, Gojiberry, selenium sand watermelon and other products are internationally renowned after fine processing. Brand names such as Jiabeilan Wine have won several international awards, and agro-products produced in Ningxia are sold to more than 90 countries and regions around the world. Ningxia has an industrial system with pillar industries as coal, electricity, metallurgy, chemical industry, construction material and machinery. High and new-tech industries such as traditional medicine, mechatronics, bio-engineering, energy-conserving and environment-friendly industries and new material are developing fast. Ningxia is rich in coal, making it the perfect place for coal-fired power plants. 90% of the reserve is in Ningdong Coal Mine, which produces low-ash, low-sulfur, ultra-low-phosphorus coal that can be easily extracted. The Yinchuan Plain is rich in oil, gas, coalbed natural gas and thermal resources.

June30,2016

One of the four municipalities under the direct control of the central government of China, Shanghai (called Hu for short) is the largest industrial and commercial city in China and a famous international metropolis. The city is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the longest river in China, on the west bank of the East China Sea and in the middle of China's coastline. Through its coastal position Shanghai acts as a link between China’s inland regions and the outside world, and it is comfortable with both eastern and western cultures. With a history of more than 700 years, Shanghai was once the financial center of the Far East. Since the reforms that began in the 1990s great changes have taken place in the city. The municipal government is working towards building Shanghai into a modern metropolis and a global economic, financial, trading and shipping center by 2020. Shanghai has a land area of 6,340.5 square km and a resident population of 24.26 million at the end of 2014. The municipality is also a major port with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita reaching 97,300 yuan in 2014. Its GDP in 2014 topped 2.36 trillion yuan, up 7.0 percent from the previous year. The city continues to open up to foreign investment and trade. By the end of 2014, Shanghai had absorbed investment from 159 countries and regions, registered 490 regional headquarters and 381 R&D centers set up by multinational companies, and attracted 297 investment firms. Shanghai Port handled 755.29 million tons of cargos in 2014, including 35.29 million TEUs. Shanghai Port serves shipping liners that ply routes between Shanghai and major ports around the world, making the city a dynamic hub of people, trade, capital, technology and information.

June30,2016

Northeast China's Liaoning province borders the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea in the south and the Korean Peninsula in the east, and faces Japan to the southeast. The province takes an area of 148,000 square kilometers and accounts for 1.5 percent of China's land mass. The province is located in the southern part of middle latitude and eastern coast of Eurasia. It has a temperate continental monsoon climate that rain and hot weather come at the same time with abundant sunlight and significant annual variation in temperature. There are 14 prefecture-level cities, 17 county-level cities, 27 counties (including eight ethnic minority autonomous counties) and 56 municipal districts administrated by the government of Liaoning. The overall permanent resident population of Liaoning totaled 43.91 million by the end of 2014. Included were urban resident population of 29.44 million, rural resident population of 14.47 million, and the birth rate was 6.49 per thousand. The number of deaths was 274,000 and the death rate was 6.23 per thousand. The natural population growth rate was 0.26 per thousand.

June30,2016

Situated at the transitional area between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the plain on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing is the economic center of the upper Yangtze and a hub connecting China's vast west and eastern coast. One of the country’s four municipalities directly under the central government, Chongqing is famous for the towering mountains and roaring rivers, which have witnessed the local civilization of over 3,000 years. It is one of the four Chinese cities identified on the world map at the UN General Assembly Hall. In the recent 100 years, Chongqing was first the commercial and trade center of the region and then the wartime capital of then China. It was an ancient military fort and China's ancient regional trade center. It was a town specialized in entrepot trade and now the largest industrial and commercial city of the region. It was a port city based in the Sichuan Basin and now a municipality opened to the whole world.

June30,2016

Lying in the southeastern coast of China and bordering Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Guangdong, Fujian faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Straits and is one of mainland provinces the closest to Southeast Asia and Oceania, as well as an important window and base of China for global exchanges. Boasting a long history, Fujian was called the Region of Minyue during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Prefecture of Min-Zhong during Qing Dynasty. In the middle of Tang Dynasty, the post of Fujian Military Commissioner was established, and the province was hereafter called Fujian. The brief name of Fujian, "Min", is derived from Min River, the greatest river within the province. Covering a land area of 121,400 square kilometers and a sea area of 136,000 square kilometers, Fujian governs Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Putian, Longyan, Sanming, Nanping and Ningde, as well as 85 subordinated counties, county-level cities and districts if Jinmen included.

June30,2016