Editing China (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of China}}
[[File:East Asia topographic map.png|thumb|[[Topographic map]] of China]]
China's landscape is vast and diverse, ranging from the [[Gobi Desert|Gobi]] and [[Taklamakan Desert]]s in the arid north to the [[subtropical]] forests in the wetter south. The [[Himalaya]], [[Karakoram]], [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]] and [[Tian Shan]] mountain ranges separate China from much of [[South Asia|South]] and [[Central Asia]]. The [[Yangtze River|Yangtze]] and Yellow Rivers, the third- and sixth-longest in the world, respectively, run from the [[Tibetan Plateau]] to the densely populated eastern seaboard. China's coastline along the [[Pacific Ocean]] is {{cvt|14500|km}} long and is bounded by the [[Bohai Sea|Bohai]], [[Yellow Sea|Yellow]], [[East China Sea|East China]] and [[South China Sea|South China]] seas. China connects through the Kazakh border to the [[Eurasian Steppe]].

The territory of China lies between [[latitude]]s [[18th parallel north|18°]] and [[54th parallel north|54° N]], and [[longitude]]s [[73rd meridian east|73°]] and [[135th meridian east|135° E]]. The [[geographical center]] of China is marked by the Center of the Country Monument at {{coord|35|50|40.9|N|103|27|7.5|E|region:CN-62_type:landmark|name=Geographical center of China}}. China's landscapes vary significantly across its vast territory. In the east, along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, there are extensive and densely populated [[alluvial plain]]s, while on the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, broad [[grassland]]s predominate. Southern China is dominated by hills and low mountain ranges, while the central-east hosts the [[river delta|deltas]] of China's two major rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. Other major rivers include the [[Xi River|Xi]], [[Mekong]], [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] and [[Amur River|Amur]]. To the west sit major mountain ranges, most notably the Himalayas. High [[plateau]]s feature among the more arid landscapes of the north, such as the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert. The world's highest point, [[Mount Everest]] (8,848&nbsp;m), lies on the Sino-Nepalese border.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8608913.stm|title=Nepal and China agree on Mount Everest's height|date=8 April 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=18 January 2020|archive-date=12 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712190003/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8608913.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The country's lowest point, and the world's third-lowest, is the dried lake bed of [[Ayding Lake]] (−154&nbsp;m) in the [[Turpan Depression]].<ref>{{cite web |date=28 February 2015 |title=Lowest Places on Earth |url=http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/lowest-places-on-earth.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207222858/http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/lowest-places-on-earth.htm |archive-date=7 February 2015 |access-date=2 December 2013 |website=[[National Park Service]] |publisher=}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of China}}
{{Further|Great Green Wall (China)}}

[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map CHN present.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen-Geiger climate classification]] map for mainland China<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Beck|first1=Hylke E.|last2=Zimmermann|first2=Niklaus E.|last3=McVicar|first3=Tim R.|last4=Vergopolan|first4=Noemi|last5=Berg|first5=Alexis|author6-link=Eric Franklin Wood|last6=Wood|first6=Eric F.|title=Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution|journal=Scientific Data|date=30 October 2018|volume=5|page=180214|doi=10.1038/sdata.2018.214|pmid=30375988|pmc=6207062|bibcode=2018NatSD...580214B}}</ref>]]
China's climate is mainly dominated by [[dry season]]s and wet [[monsoons]], which lead to pronounced temperature differences between winter and summer. In the winter, northern winds coming from high-latitude areas are cold and dry; in summer, southern winds from coastal areas at lower latitudes are warm and moist.<ref>{{cite book|title=Regional Climate Studies of China|date=2008|publisher=Springer|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=SEO_RyNDJ0gC&pg=PA1 1]|isbn=978-3-5407-9242-0}}</ref>

A major environmental issue in China is the continued [[desertification|expansion of its deserts]], particularly the Gobi Desert.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 April 2006 |title=Beijing hit by eighth sandstorm |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4915690.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101023529/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4915690.stm |archive-date=1 January 2009 |access-date=21 January 2020 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Although barrier tree lines planted since the 1970s have reduced the frequency of [[sandstorms]], prolonged drought and poor agricultural practices have resulted in [[Asian dust|dust storms]] plaguing northern China each spring, which then spread to other parts of East Asia, including Japan and Korea. Water quality, [[erosion]], and [[Pollution in China|pollution control]] have become important issues in China's relations with other countries. Melting [[glaciers]] in the Himalayas could potentially lead to [[water shortage]]s for hundreds of millions of people.<ref name="msnbc">{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Michael |date=24 November 2008 |title=Himalaya glaciers melting much faster |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27894721 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023184210/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27894721/ |archive-date=23 October 2020 |access-date=21 September 2011 |work=[[NBC News]] |publisher=}}</ref> According to academics, in order to limit [[climate change in China]] to {{cvt|1.5|C-change}} electricity generation from [[coal in China]] without [[Carbon capture and storage|carbon capture]] must be phased out by 2045.<ref>{{cite report|date=December 2020|title=China's New Growth Pathway: From the 14th Five-Year Plan to Carbon Neutrality|url=https://www.efchina.org/Attachments/Report/report-lceg-20201210/Full-Report_Synthesis-Report-2020-on-Chinas-Carbon-Neutrality_EN.pdf|page=24|publisher=Energy Foundation China|access-date=16 December 2020|archive-date=16 April 2021|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416100821/https://www.efchina.org/Attachments/Report/report-lceg-20201210/Full-Report_Synthesis-Report-2020-on-Chinas-Carbon-Neutrality_EN.pdf}}</ref> With current policies, the GHG emissions of China will probably peak in 2025, and by 2030 they will return to 2022 levels. However, such pathway still leads to three-degree temperature rise.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lui |first1=Swithin |title=Guest post: Why China is set to significantly overachieve its 2030 climate goals |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-why-china-is-set-to-significantly-overachieve-its-2030-climate-goals |website=Carbon Brief |date=19 May 2022 |access-date=24 May 2022 |archive-date=23 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523114439/https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-why-china-is-set-to-significantly-overachieve-its-2030-climate-goals |url-status=live}}</ref>

Official government statistics about Chinese agricultural productivity are considered unreliable, due to exaggeration of production at subsidiary government levels.<ref>Chow, Gregory (2006) Are Chinese Official Statistics Reliable? CESifo Economic Studies 52. 396–414. 10.1093/cesifo/ifl003.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Liu G, Wang X, Baiocchi G, Casazza M, Meng F, Cai Y, Hao Y, Wu F, Yang Z |date=October 2020 |title=On the accuracy of official Chinese crop production data: Evidence from biophysical indexes of net primary production |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] |volume=117|issue=41|pages=25434–25444 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1919850117|pmc=7568317|pmid=32978301  |bibcode=2020PNAS..11725434L |doi-access=free}}</ref> Much of China has a climate very suitable for agriculture and the country has been the world's largest producer of rice, wheat, tomatoes, eggplant, grapes, watermelon, spinach, and many other crops.<ref>{{cite web|title=Countries by commodity|website=[[FAOSTAT]]|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/countries_by_commodity|access-date=16 January 2020|archive-date=29 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629173611/http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/countries_by_commodity|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, 12 percent of global permanent meadows and pastures belonged to China, as well as 8% of global cropland.<ref name=":14">{{Cite book |title=World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023 |place=Rome |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |url=https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc8166en |access-date=13 December 2023 |date=2023 |language=en |doi=10.4060/cc8166en |isbn=978-9-2513-8262-2 |archive-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215161116/https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc8166en |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Biodiversity ===
{{Main|Wildlife of China}}
[[File:Giant Panda Eating.jpg|thumb|A [[giant panda]], China's most famous [[List of endangered and protected species of China|endangered]] and [[endemic]] species, at the [[Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding|Chengdu Panda Base]] in [[Sichuan]]]]

China is one of 17 [[megadiverse countries]],<ref name="Ref_2009a">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2001/publications/theme-reports/biodiversity/biodiversity01-3.html|title=Biodiversity Theme Report|last=Williams|first=Jann|date=10 December 2009|website=Environment.gov.au|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811045957/http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2001/publications/theme-reports/biodiversity/biodiversity01-3.html|archive-date=11 August 2011|access-date=27 April 2010}}</ref> lying in two of the world's major [[biogeographic realm]]s: the [[Palearctic realm|Palearctic]] and the [[Indomalayan realm|Indomalayan]]. By one measure, China has over 34,687 species of animals and vascular plants, making it the third-most biodiverse country in the world, after [[Brazil]] and [[Colombia]].<ref>[http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03highest_biodiversity.htm Countries with the Highest Biological Diversity] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326060253/http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03highest_biodiversity.htm|date=26 March 2013}}. Mongabay.com. 2004 data. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> The country is a party to the [[Convention on Biological Diversity]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbd.int/countries/?country=cn|title=Country Profiles – China|website=[[Convention on Biological Diversity]]|access-date=9 December 2012|archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209085157/https://www.cbd.int/countries/?country=cn|url-status=live}}</ref> its [[Biodiversity action plan|National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan]] was received by the convention in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cn/cn-nbsap-v2-zh.pdf |title=translation: China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. Years 2011–2030|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cn/cn-nbsap-v2-zh.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|website=[[Convention on Biological Diversity]]|access-date=9 December 2012}}</ref>

China is home to at least 551 species of [[List of mammals of China|mammals]] (the third-highest in the world),<ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/mammals/analysis/geographic-patterns IUCN Initiatives – Mammals – Analysis of Data – Geographic Patterns 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512150801/http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/mammals/analysis/geographic-patterns|date=12 May 2013}}. IUCN. Retrieved 24 April 2013. Data does not include species in Taiwan.</ref> 1,221 species of birds (eighth),<ref>[http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03birds.htm Countries with the most bird species] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216152146/http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03birds.htm|date=16 February 2013}}. Mongabay.com. 2004 data. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> 424 species of reptiles (seventh)<ref>[http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03reptiles.htm Countries with the most reptile species] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216152129/http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03reptiles.htm |date=16 February 2013}}. Mongabay.com. 2004 data. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> and 333 species of amphibians (seventh).<ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/amphibians/analysis/geographic-patterns#diversity IUCN Initiatives – Amphibians – Analysis of Data – Geographic Patterns 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512145131/http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/amphibians/analysis/geographic-patterns|date=12 May 2013}}. IUCN. Retrieved 24 April 2013. Data does not include species in Taiwan.</ref> Wildlife in China shares habitat with, and bears acute pressure from, one of the world's largest population of humans. At least 840 [[List of endangered and protected species of China|animal species are threatened, vulnerable or in danger of local extinction]], due mainly to human activity such as habitat destruction, pollution and poaching for food, fur and [[traditional Chinese medicine]].<ref>[http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/infographic-top-20-countries-with-most-endangered-species Top 20 countries with most endangered species IUCN Red List] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424182826/http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/infographic-top-20-countries-with-most-endangered-species|date=24 April 2013}}. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> Endangered wildlife is protected by law, and {{As of|2005|lc=y}}, the country has over 2,349 [[Protected areas of China|nature reserves]], covering a total area of 149.95 million hectares, 15 percent of China's total land area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Brief/193257.htm|title=Nature Reserves|website=[[China Internet Information Center]] |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115063105/http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Brief/193257.htm |archive-date=15 November 2010|access-date=2 December 2013}}</ref> Most wild animals have been eliminated from the core agricultural regions of east and central China, but they have fared better in the mountainous south and west.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Turvey|first1=Samuel|date=2013|title=Holocene survival of Late Pleistocene megafauna in China: a critical review of the evidence|journal=[[Quaternary Science Reviews]]|volume=76|pages=156–166|doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.06.030|bibcode=2013QSRv...76..156T}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lander|first1=Brian|last2=Brunson|first2=Katherine|date=2018 |title=Wild Mammals of Ancient North China|journal=The Journal of Chinese History|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |volume=2|issue=2|pages=291–312|doi=10.1017/jch.2017.45|s2cid=90662935}}</ref> The [[Baiji]] was confirmed extinct on 12 December 2006.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Turvey|first1=Samuel|title=Witness to Extinction: How we failed to save the Yangtze River dolphin |date=2008|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>

China has over 32,000 species of vascular plants,<ref>[http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03plants.htm Countries with the most vascular plant species] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112001508/http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03plants.htm|date=12 January 2014}}. Mongabay.com. 2004 data. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> and is home to a variety of forest types. Cold [[coniferous]] forests predominate in the north of the country, supporting animal species such as [[moose]] and [[Asian black bear]], along with over 120 bird species.<ref name="rough guide"/> The [[understory]] of moist [[conifer]] forests may contain thickets of [[bamboo]]. In higher [[Montane ecosystems|montane]] stands of [[juniper]] and [[taxus|yew]], the bamboo is replaced by [[rhododendron]]s. [[Subtropical]] forests, which are predominate in central and southern China, support a high density of plant species including numerous rare endemics. Tropical and seasonal [[rainforest]]s, though confined to [[Yunnan]] and [[Hainan]], contain a quarter of all the animal and plant species found in China.<ref name="rough guide">{{cite book|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=dA_QbQiZkB4C&pg=PA1213 1213]|title=China|publisher=[[Rough Guides]]|date=2003|isbn=978-1-8435-3019-0|edition=3}}</ref> China has over 10,000 recorded species of [[fungi]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Conservation Biology: Voices from the Tropics|date=2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=OeqjKhDml6wC&pg=PA208 208] |isbn=978-1-1186-7981-4}}</ref>

=== Environment ===
{{Main|Environment of China|Environmental issues in China}}
{{See also|Renewable energy in China|Water resources of China|Energy policy of China|Climate change in China}}
[[File:ThreeGorgesDam-China2009.jpg|thumb|The [[Three Gorges Dam]] is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.]]

In the early 2000s, China has suffered from [[environmental issues in China|environmental deterioration and pollution]] due to its rapid pace of industrialization.<ref name="Ma2002">{{Cite book |last1=Ma |first1=Xiaoying |title=Environmental Regulation in China |last2=Ortalano |first2=Leonard |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |date=2000 |isbn=978-0-8476-9399-3 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=eQTbZRWgC74C&pg=PA1 1] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21545868|title=China acknowledges 'cancer villages'|date=22 February 2013|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=23 February 2013|archive-date=21 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321002451/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21545868|url-status=live}}</ref> Regulations such as the 1979 Environmental Protection Law are fairly stringent, though they are poorly enforced, frequently disregarded in favor of rapid economic development.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20114306|title=Riot police and protesters clash over China chemical plant|last=Soekov|first=Kimberley|date=28 October 2012|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=18 January 2020|archive-date=10 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410202328/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20114306|url-status=live}}</ref> China has the second-highest death toll because of air pollution, after [[Environmental issues in India|India]], with approximately 1 million deaths.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 February 2016 |title=Is air quality in China a social problem? |url=https://chinapower.csis.org/air-quality |access-date=26 March 2020 |website=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]] |publisher=ChinaPower Project |archive-date=26 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326081416/https://chinapower.csis.org/air-quality |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/phe/publications/air-pollution-global-assessment/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928165031/http://www.who.int/phe/publications/air-pollution-global-assessment/en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 September 2016|title=Ambient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and burden of disease|website=[[World Health Organization]]|access-date=28 April 2018}}</ref> Although China ranks as the highest [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions|CO{{Sub|2}} emitting]] country,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iea-emissions-idUSBRE95908S20130610|title=Global carbon emissions hit record high in 2012 |last=Chestney|first=Nina|date=10 June 2013|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=3 November 2013|archive-date=19 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119111939/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/10/us-iea-emissions-idUSBRE95908S20130610 |url-status=live}}</ref> it only emits 8 tons of [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita|CO{{Sub|2}} per capita]], significantly lower than developed countries such as the United States (16.1), Australia (16.8) and South Korea (13.6).<ref name="UCS-2020">{{cite web|date=August 2020|title=Each Country's Share of CO2 Emissions|url=https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/each-countrys-share-co2-emissions|access-date=30 October 2020|website=[[Union of Concerned Scientists]]|archive-date=15 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015184639/https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/each-countrys-share-co2-emissions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Greenhouse gas emissions by China]] are the [[List of countries by greenhouse gas emissions|world's largest]].<ref name="UCS-2020"/> The country has significant [[water pollution]] problems; only 89.4% of China's national surface water was graded suitable for human consumption by the [[Ministry of Ecology and Environment]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 June 2024 |title=2023 State of Ecology & Environment Report Review |url=https://chinawaterrisk.org/resources/analysis-reviews/2023-state-of-ecology-environment-report-review/ |access-date=18 October 2024 |website=[[China Water Risk]]}}</ref>

China has prioritized clamping down on pollution, bringing a significant decrease in air pollution in the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Jayaram |first1=Kripa |last2=Kay |first2=Chris |last3=Murtaugh |first3=Dan |date=14 June 2022 |title=China Reduced Air Pollution in 7 Years as Much as US Did in Three Decades |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-14/china-s-clean-air-campaign-is-bringing-down-global-pollution |access-date=13 January 2024 |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |archive-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107054008/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-14/china-s-clean-air-campaign-is-bringing-down-global-pollution |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the Chinese government announced its aims for the country to reach its peak emissions levels before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 in line with the [[Paris Agreement]],<ref name="CAT-2020">{{cite web |date=23 September 2020 |title=China going carbon neutral before 2060 would lower warming projections by around 0.2 to 0.3 degrees C |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/press/china-carbon-neutral-before-2060-would-lower-warming-projections-by-around-2-to-3-tenths-of-a-degree |access-date=27 September 2020 |website=[[Climate Action Tracker]] |archive-date=11 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211205338/https://climateactiontracker.org/press/china-carbon-neutral-before-2060-would-lower-warming-projections-by-around-2-to-3-tenths-of-a-degree |url-status=live}}</ref> which, according to [[Climate Action Tracker]], would lower the expected rise in global temperature by 0.2–0.3 degrees – "the biggest single reduction ever estimated by the Climate Action Tracker".<ref name="CAT-2020"/> According to China's government, the forest coverage of the country grew from 10% of the overall territory in 1949 to 25% in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 November 2024 |title=China completes 3,000-km green belt around its biggest desert, state media says |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-completes-3-000-km-112549261.html |access-date=8 December 2024 |work=[[Reuters]] |publisher= |agency=Yahoo}}</ref>

China is the world's leading investor in [[renewable energy]] and [[Renewable energy commercialization|its commercialization]], with [[US$|$]]546&nbsp;billion invested in 2022;<ref name="Schonhardt-2023">{{Cite news |last=Schonhardt |first=Sara |date=30 January 2023 |title=China Invests $546 Billion in Clean Energy, Far Surpassing the U.S. |work=[[Scientific American]] |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-invests-546-billion-in-clean-energy-far-surpassing-the-u-s/#:~:text=The%20country%20spent%20%24546%20billion,billion%20in%20clean%20energy%20investments. |access-date=19 May 2023 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519125528/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-invests-546-billion-in-clean-energy-far-surpassing-the-u-s/#:~:text=The%20country%20spent%20%24546%20billion,billion%20in%20clean%20energy%20investments. |url-status=live}}</ref> it is a major manufacturer of renewable energy technologies and invests heavily in local-scale renewable energy projects.<ref>{{cite news |last=Meng |first=Meng |date=5 January 2017 |title=China to plow $361 billion into renewable fuel by 2020 |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-energy-renewables/china-to-plow-361-billion-into-renewable-fuel-by-2020-idUSKBN14P06P |access-date=28 May 2018 |archive-date=27 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727074912/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-energy-renewables/china-to-plow-361-billion-into-renewable-fuel-by-2020-idUSKBN14P06P |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Schonhardt-2023"/> Long heavily relying on non-renewable energy sources such as coal, China's adaptation of [[Renewable energy in China|renewable energy]] has increased significantly in recent years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maguire |first=Gavin |date=23 November 2022 |title=Column: China on track to hit new clean & dirty power records in 2022 |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-track-hit-new-clean-dirty-power-records-2022-maguire-2022-11-23 |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=[[Reuters]] |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416175101/https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-track-hit-new-clean-dirty-power-records-2022-maguire-2022-11-23 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, 58.2% of China's electricity came from [[Coal in China|coal]] (largest producer in the world), 13.5% from [[Hydroelectric power in Himachal Pradesh|hydroelectric power]] (largest), 9.8% from [[Wind power in China|wind]] (largest), 8.3% from [[Solar power|solar energy]] (largest), 4.4% from [[Nuclear power in China|nuclear energy]] (second-largest), 3% from [[Natural gas in China|natural gas]] (fifth-largest), and 2.1% from [[bioenergy]] (largest); in total, 38% of China's energy came from clean energy sources.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=8 April 2025 |title=Global Electricity Review 2025: Analysis of key power sector emitters in 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-electricity-review-2025/major-countries-and-regions/ |access-date=15 May 2025 |website=[[Ember (non-profit organisation)|Ember]]}}</ref> Despite its emphasis on renewables, China remains deeply connected to global oil markets and next to India, has been the largest importer of Russian [[Petroleum|crude oil]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perkins |first=Robert |date=7 October 2022 |title=Russian seaborne crude exports slide to 12-month low as EU ban, price caps loom |url=https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/072022-russian-seaborne-crude-exports-retreat-from-three-year-highs-shipping-data |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014053951/https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/072022-russian-seaborne-crude-exports-retreat-from-three-year-highs-shipping-data |archive-date=14 October 2022 |website=[[S&P Global]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=International Energy Agency |author-link=International Energy Agency |date=24 February 2022 |title=Oil Market and Russian Supply – Russian supplies to global energy markets |url=https://www.iea.org/reports/russian-supplies-to-global-energy-markets/oil-market-and-russian-supply-2 |access-date=27 April 2022 |publisher=IEA |archive-date=16 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116162235/https://www.iea.org/reports/russian-supplies-to-global-energy-markets/oil-market-and-russian-supply-2 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Political geography ===
{{Main|Borders of China|Coastline of China|Territorial changes of the People's Republic of China}}China is the [[List of countries and dependencies by area|third-largest]] country in the world by land area after [[Russia]], and the third- or fourth-largest country in the world by total area.{{efn|According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', the total area of the United States, at {{convert|9522055|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}}, is slightly smaller than that of China. Meanwhile, the ''CIA World Factbook'' states that China's total area was greater than that of the United States until the coastal waters of the [[Great Lakes]] was added to the United States' total area in 1996. From 1989 through 1996, the total area of US was listed as {{convert|9372610|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} (land area plus inland water only). The listed total area changed to {{convert|9629091|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} in 1997 (with the Great Lakes areas and the coastal waters added), to {{convert|9631418|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} in 2004, to {{convert|9631420|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} in 2006, and to {{convert|9826630|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} in 2007 (territorial waters added).}} China's total area is generally stated as being approximately {{convert|9600000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ma|first1=Jin Shuang|last2=Liu|first2=Quan Riu|title=The Present Situation and Prospects of Plant Taxonomy in China|journal=[[Taxon (journal)|Taxon]]|volume=47|number=1|date=February 1998|pages=67–74|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]]|doi=10.2307/1224020|jstor=1224020|bibcode=1998Taxon..47...67M }}</ref> Specific area figures range from {{convert|9572900|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} according to the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'',<ref name="United States"/> to {{convert|9596961|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sp=us}} according to the ''[[Yearbook of the United Nations|UN Demographic Yearbook]]'',<ref name="UN Stat"/> and ''[[The World Factbook]]''.<ref name="CIA">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=China|access-date=23 November 2013}}</ref>[[File:China administrative.png|thumb|Map depicting territorial disputes between the PRC and neighboring states. For a larger map, see [[Template:PRC provinces big imagemap|here]].]]China has the [[List of countries and territories by number of land borders|longest combined land border in the world]], measuring {{convert|22117|km|mi|abbr=on|sp=us}} and its [[Coastline of China|coastline]] covers approximately {{convert|14500|km|mi|abbr=on|sp=us}} from the mouth of the [[Yalu River]] (Amnok River) to the [[Gulf of Tonkin]].<ref name="CIA"/> China [[Borders of China|borders 14 nations]] and covers the bulk of East Asia, bordering [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], and [[Myanmar]] in Southeast Asia; [[India]], [[Bhutan]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]]{{efn|China's border with Pakistan and part of its border with India falls in the disputed region of [[Kashmir]]. The area under Pakistani administration is claimed by India, while the area under Indian administration is claimed by Pakistan.}} and [[Afghanistan]] in South Asia; [[Tajikistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Kazakhstan]] in Central Asia; and [[Russia]], [[Mongolia]], and [[North Korea]] in [[Inner Asia]] and [[Northeast Asia]]. It is narrowly separated from [[Bangladesh]] and [[Thailand]] to the southwest and south, and has several maritime neighbors such as [[Japan]], [[Philippines]], [[Malaysia]], and [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wei|first=Yuwa|title=China and ITS Neighbors |volume=22|number=1|date=2014|pages=105–136|publisher=[[Willamette University College of Law]]|journal=Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution|jstor=26210500}}</ref>

China has resolved its land borders with 12 out of 14 neighboring countries, having pursued substantial compromises in most of them.<ref>{{cite web |title=Groundless to view China as expansionist, says Beijing after PM Modi's Ladakh visit |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/groundless-to-view-china-as-expansionist-says-beijing-after-pm-modi-s-ladakh-visit-1696727-2020-07-03 |access-date=13 August 2020 |website=[[India Today]] |date=3 July 2020 |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810133156/https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/groundless-to-view-china-as-expansionist-says-beijing-after-pm-modi-s-ladakh-visit-1696727-2020-07-03 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fravel |first=M. Taylor |author-link=Taylor Fravel |date=1 October 2005 |title=Regime Insecurity and International Cooperation: Explaining China's Compromises in Territorial Disputes |journal=[[International Security (journal)|International Security]] |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=46–83 |doi=10.1162/016228805775124534 |s2cid=56347789}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fravel |first=M. Taylor |title=Strong Borders, Secure Nation: Cooperation and Conflict in China's Territorial Disputes |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-6911-3609-7 |author-link=Taylor Fravel}}</ref> China currently has a disputed land border with [[Sino-Indian border dispute|India]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 December 2022 |title=India-China dispute: The border row explained in 400 words |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53062484 |access-date=16 May 2023 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |archive-date=20 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420180958/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53062484 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Bhutan–China border|Bhutan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 April 2023 |title=Bhutan wants a border deal with China: Will India accept? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65396384 |access-date=16 May 2023 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |archive-date=15 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515174751/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65396384 |url-status=live}}</ref> China is additionally involved in maritime disputes with multiple countries over territory in the [[East China Sea EEZ disputes|East]] and [[Territorial disputes in the South China Sea|South China Seas]], such as the [[Senkaku Islands dispute|Senkaku Islands]] and the entirety of [[South China Sea Islands]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 May 2012 |title=China denies preparing war over South China Sea shoal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-18045383 |access-date=16 January 2020 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |archive-date=7 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207111212/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-18045383 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=27 November 2013 |title=How uninhabited islands soured China-Japan ties |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11341139 |access-date=16 January 2020 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |archive-date=10 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710120934/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11341139 |url-status=live}}</ref>