The People's Republic of China (Chinese:  Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó), also known as the PRC ^[1] is a country in East Asia. Its capital is Beijing.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the PRC under a one-party system since the country's establishment in 1949. Despite this, nearly half of the PRC's economy has been privatized in the past three decades under "Socialism with Chinese characteristics." During the 1980s, these economic reforms helped lift millions of people out of poverty, bringing the poverty rate down to 12% from 33% of the population.^[2] However, due to this mixing of market and planned economies, the PRC is faced with a number of problems associated with each, including unemployment and an increasing rural/urban income gap. Despite shortcomings, greater prosperity has led to growing Chinese influence in global economic, political, military, scientific, technological, and cultural affairs.

At over 3.7 million square miles (over 9.6 million km²), the PRC is the third largest country by area. It is also the world's most populous nation, with over 1.3 billion people.

The PRC is the world's fourth largest economy and represents China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and APEC. China is the third largest exporter and importer in the world. Due to its large and stable population, its rapidly growing economy and military spending and capabilities, ^[3] the PRC is often considered an emerging superpower.

In an ongoing dispute, the PRC claims sovereignty over Taiwan and some nearby islands, which have been controlled by the Republic of China (ROC) since 1945. The PRC asserts the Republic of China to be an illegitimate and supplanted entity and administratively categorizes Taiwan as a province of the PRC. The ROC does not recognize these claims, administering itself as a sovereign country with a democratically elected government and presidency. The term "mainland China" is sometimes used to denote the area under the PRC's rule, but usually excludes the two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong and Macau.