Long-form name: People's Republic of China; abbreviated PRC

Type: Communist state; real authority lies with Communist Party's Politburo; the National People's Congress, in theory the highest organ of government, usually ratifies the party's programs; the State Council actually directs the government

Capital: Beijing

Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions* (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 3 municipalities** (shi, singular and plural); Anhui, Beijing**, 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*, Yunnan, Zhejiang; note--China considers Taiwan its 23rd province

Independence: unification under the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty 221 BC, Qing (Ch'ing or Manchu) Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912, People's Republic established 1 October 1949

Constitution: 4 December 1982

Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; highest judicial organ is Supreme People's Court, which reviews lower court decisions; all major legislation approved by Party Politburo before official adoption by State Council and National People's Congress (NPC); new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; party constitution revised in 1982 and 1987; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law

National holiday: National Day, 1 October (1949)

Branches: control is exercised by Chinese Communist Party, through State Council, which supervises ministries, commissions, and bureaus; all are technically under the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President YANG Shangkun (since 8 April 1988); Vice President WANG Zhen (since 8 April 1988); @m5Head of Government--Premier of State Council LI Peng (Acting Premier since 24 November 1987, Premier since 9 April 1988); @m5Note--de facto leader is DENG Xiaoping who retired from the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1977 but retained the post of Chairman of the Central Military Commission

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: elections held at county (xian) level for People's Congress representatives

Political party and leader: Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by Jiang Zemin as General Secretary of the Central Committee (since 24 June 1989)

Communists: about 45,000,000 party members (1986)

Other political or pressure groups: such meaningful opposition as exists consists of loose coalitions, usually within the party and government organization, that vary by issue

Member of: ADB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador ZHU Qizhen; Chancery at 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-2500 through 2502; there are Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Winston LORD; Embassy at Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, Beijing (mailing address is FPO San Francisco 96655); telephone �86� (1) 532-3831; there are US Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding China on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of China Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about China Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.