China
People's Republic of China China also referred to as Mainland China or Red China to distinguish it from Taiwan) is a state in East Asia. With more than 1.4 billion inhabitants (2020), China is the second most populous country in the world after India and the third largest in terms of total area. According to its socialist constitution, the People's Republic of China is "under the democratic dictatorship of the people." However, from its inception, it has been ruled by the Communist Party of China (CCP) in an authoritarian to totalitarian manner. To this day, it is accused of serious human rights violations.[1]
The People's Republic was proclaimed by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949, after the overthrow of the Republic of China in the Chinese Civil War.[10] An estimated 45 million people died in the famine triggered by the "Great Leap Forward" (1958–1961) initiated by Mao, and up to 20 million more died in the subsequent Cultural Revolution from 1966 onward. Only after Mao's death and the beginning of the end of Maoism in China did the country develop into an economic and technological superpower based on a cautious reform and opening policy from 1978 onwards. Since 2016, the World Bank has classified the country as an upper-middle income country. On average, China's economic output grew by 8.9% annually from 2000 to 2019. In addition to doubling China's share of world trade, its gross domestic product increased sixfold during this period, so that by the end of that period, China had become the world's second-largest economy.[13] However, since the "Paramount Leader" Xi Jinping took power in 2012, observers say the People's Republic has been regressing in terms of social and economic freedom and is becoming increasingly ideologically and internationally aggressive.
The People's Republic of China is the world's largest exporter, the second-largest importer, the country with the largest industrial production, the second-highest expenditure on research and development, the second-largest total national wealth, the largest standing army, and the second-largest defense budget. Depending on the source, it is considered an emerging[18][19][20] or already established superpower of the 21st century alongside the United States.
The People's Republic of China is one of the official nuclear powers, is one of the five official victorious powers of the Second World War, is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and is a member of the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, APEC, BRICS, UNESCO, Interpol, and the G20, among others.