China

China

China's economy is the second largest in the world by nominal GDP. In 2018, it was around two-thirds of the US economy and 2.7 times larger than Japan, the third largest. China has been among the fastest growing economies over the last 30 years, averaging over 6 percent annually. It is also the world's fastest-growing consumer market and second-largest importer of goods. It has 119 of the world's 500 largest companies, the world's largest foreign-exchange reserves, and the second-highest number of billionaires with total wealth of $996 billion. It still has much further to grow with a GDP per capita of $9,771 USD in 2018 and a Human Capital Index rating of 46. Services is the largest sector at 52 percent of GDP, followed by manufacturing at 29.4 percent. It is the world's largest manufacturing economy and exporter of goods. It also has the world's largest natural resources worth $23 trillion, 90 percent of which are coal and rare earth metals. In 2017, its main export sectors were electronics (27 percent of total exports), machinery (22 percent), and textiles (15 percent). Its largest individual exports were transmitting and receiving apparatus for televisions, radio and phones (8.5 percent), computers (5.3 percent), ICT services (4.7 percent), and parts and accessories for office machines (3.4 percent). Its largest export partner is the US (19 percent). Its largest imports are electronic integrated circuits (13.2 percent), oil (9.9 percent), iron ore (3.9 percent), cars (2.9 percent) and soya beans (2.3 percent). Since the late 1970s, China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system based on agriculture to a more market-oriented system based on manufacturing exports and services. In 1985 about 63 percent of the population lived in rural areas, and nearly 63 percent of the labour force was in agriculture. Today 59 percent live in urban areas and 43 percent work in services. Reforms began with the end of collectivized agriculture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Reform then moved to other parts of the economy with liberalisation of prices and greater autonomy for SOEs. The private sector was encouraged, and a modern banking system and stock markets were developed. China employed a selective industrial policy with state support for key sectors and maintained a restrictive investment regime. Its latest strategic plan, "Made in China 2025", seeks to put China at the forefront of a range of key global industries.

Its population in 2018 was 1,415,045,928 [1]

In 2015, 12.41% of its total energy
consumption was renewable [2]

In 2021, its GDP grew by 8.11% [2]

In 2021 it had a positive Current
Account Balance of US$bn 317.30 [3]

Its unemployment rate in 2021 was 3.96% [3]

Its Expenditure on R&D (as a percentage of
GDP) in 2020 was 2.40% [2]

A Big Mac will set you back the
local equivalent of US$3.05 [4]



What free trade areas or economic unions is it a member of?

None


What trade deals are there with other countries and economic unions?

Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (from 17/06/1976)

China - Hong Kong, China, free trade agreement (from 29/06/2003)

China - Macao, China, free trade agreement (from 17/10/2003)

Chile - China free trade agreement (from 01/10/2006)

Pakistan - China free trade agreement (from 01/07/2007)

China - New Zealand free trade agreement (from 01/10/2008)

China - Singapore free trade agreement (from 01/01/2009)

ASEAN - China Free Trade Area (from 01/01/2010)

Peru - China free trade agreement (from 01/03/2010)

China - Costa Rica free trade agreement (from 01/08/2011)

Iceland - China free trade agreement (from 01/07/2014)

Switzerland - China free trade agreement (from 01/07/2014)

Australia - China free trade agreement (from 20/12/2015)

China - Korea, Republic of, free trade agreement (from 20/12/2015)

China - Georgia free trade agreement (from 18/01/2018)

China - Mauritius free trade agreement (from 01/01/2021)

Business in Times of Corona: The Lure of Rustbelts When Lean Is No Longer Mean

During their short lifetime, shrimp barely migrate. Aided by a snap of their tail and the tidal currents, the crustaceans may cover a distance of perhaps a few thousand meters

Business in Times of Corona: Time to Make America Great Again

The corona pandemic rapidly engulfing the world has led to a sudden reversal in the plight of the nation state as a concept. Rescued from well-deserved oblivion, even smaller countries
Read more

Business in Times of Corona: World Bank and IMF Ready to Assist Low- and Middle-Income Countries

As concerns grow over the impact of the pandemic on less resilient economies, multilaterals such as the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are readying and

Coronavirus Fears Put Stocks in Correction Territory

After the U.S. stock market had been largely unaffected by the coronavirus outbreak in China, things took a turn for the worse as the virus started spreading outside of China. A broad
Read more

Ana Palacio: Europe on a Geopolitical Fault Line

Two months ago, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his fear that a “Great Fracture” could split the international order into two

Jim O’Neill: The Return of Fiscal Policy

As we enter the last quarter of 2019 (and of the decade), cyclical indicators point to a slowing world economy amid wide-ranging structural challenges. There are plenty of issues to
Read more

Malpass Shows Pragmatism and Relevant Smarts in his New Role

Some critics see the nomination and election of the new president of the World Bank, David Malpass, as a continuation of the Trump administration’s stance on multilateral institutions and China.

PwC: CEOs’ Confidence in Business Growth Dips as Global Economy Seen to Falter

CEOs around the world are less optimistic about the strength of the global economy than they were a year ago – and less sure of their organisations’ ability to grow
Read more

Narendra Modi: Giving India Its Due

He definitely is the man of the moment. The establishment may disagree, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India sprang a surprise on his political opponents who had earlier dismissed

Otaviano Canuto, Center for Macroeconomics and Development: China’s Rebalancing Act is Slowly Addressing Sliding Growth Figures

China’s economic growth has been sliding since 2011, while its economic structure has gradually rebalanced toward lower dependence on investments and current-account surpluses. Steadiness in that trajectory has been accompanied
Read more

Trade with the United Kingdom

Source: UK Office for National Statistics, October 2022.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

CFI