The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

est.)

      Imports - commodities:

       machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, plastics, iron and steel,

       chemicals

      Imports - partners:

       Japan 18%, Taiwan 11.9%, South Korea 10.4%, US 8.2%, Germany 5.9%

       (2003)

      Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:

       $412.7 billion (2003)

      Debt - external:

       $197.8 billion (2003 est.)

      Economic aid - recipient:

       NA

      Currency:

       yuan (CNY)

       note:: also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)

      Currency code:

       CNY

      Exchange rates:

       yuan per US dollar - 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002), 8.2771 (2001),

       8.2785 (2000), 8.2783 (1999)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications China

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       263 million (2003)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       269 million (2003)

      Telephone system:

       general assessment: domestic and international services are

       increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed

       domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and

       many towns

       domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular

       telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system

       with 55 earth stations is in place

       international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5

       Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik

       (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean

       regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South

       Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

      Radio broadcast stations:

       AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)

      Radios:

       417 million (1997)

      Television broadcast stations: 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)

      Televisions:

       400 million (1997)

      Internet country code:

       .cn

      Internet hosts:

       160,421 (2003)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       3 (2000)

      Internet users:

       94 million (2004)

      Transportation China

      Railways:

       total: 70,058 km

       standard gauge: 68,000 km 1.435-m gauge (18,668 km electrified)

       narrow gauge: 3,600 km 1.000-m and 0.750-m gauge local industrial

       lines

       dual gauge: 22,640 km (not included in total) (2003)

      Highways:

       total: 1,402,698 km

       paved: 314,204 km (with at least 16,314 km of expressways)

       unpaved: 1,088,494 km (2000)

      Waterways:

       121,557 km (2002)

      Pipelines:

       gas 15,890 km; oil 14,478 km; refined products 3,280 km (2004)

      Ports and harbors:

       Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Huangpu, Lianyungang, Nanjing,

       Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shantou, Shenzhen,

       Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Xingang, Yantai, Zhanjiang (2001)

      Merchant marine:

       total: 1,850 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,724,653 GRT/27,749,784 DWT

       by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 355, cargo 822, chemical tanker 28,

       combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 165, liquefied

       gas 28, multi-functional large load carrier 8, passenger 6,

       passenger/cargo 46, petroleum tanker 272, rail car carrier 1,

       refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 25, short-sea/passenger 39,

       specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 4

       foreign-owned: Cambodia 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 12, Japan 1, South

       Korea 2, Liberia 1, Malaysia 1, Panama 1, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1

       registered in other countries: 790 (2004 est.)

      Airports:

       507 (2003 est.)

      Airports - with paved runways:

       total: 332

       over 3,047 m: 49

       2,438 to 3,047 m: 97

       914 to 1,523 m: 22

       under 914 m: 35 (2003 est.)

       1,524 to 2,437 m: 129

      Airports - with unpaved runways:

       total: 175

       under 914 m: 66 (2003 est.)

       over 3,047 m: 23

       2,438 to 3,047 m: 10

       914 to 1,523 m: 40

       1,524 to 2,437 m: 36

      Heliports:

       15 (2003 est.)

      Military China

      Military branches:

       People's Liberation Army (PLA): comprises ground forces, Navy

       (including naval infantry and naval aviation), Air Force, and II

       Artillery Corps (strategic missile force), People's Armed Police

       Force (internal security troops, nominally a state security body but

       included by the Chinese as part of the "armed forces" and considered

       to be an adjunct to the PLA), militia

      Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service; 17 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2004)

      Military manpower - availability:

       males age 15–49: 379,524,688 (2004 est.)

      Military manpower - fit for military service:

       males age 15–49: 208,143,352 (2004 est.)

      Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

       males: 12,494,201 (2004 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $60 billion (2003 est.)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       3.5–5.0% (FY03 est.)

      Transnational Issues China

      Disputes