CHINA – INFORMATION

On this page:

• China overview
• Culture/demographics
• National psyche
• Public diplomacy
• Media and the internet
• Comms and tech
• International forums

China Overview

China (officially the People's Republic of China) is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion. With an area of approximately 9.6 million square km, it is the world's third largest country. The country is officially divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). China is nominally a unitary one-party socialist republic; it is the world's fastest growing economy, second wealthiest nation in the world and the world's largest manufacturer and exporter. This YouTube explainer proves an excellent overview of China's demographics:

Culture/Demographics

Ancient Chinese culture is older than 5000 years. Chinese cultural history has enormous diversity and variety. The sophisticated Chinese civilisation is rich in the arts and sciences, elaborate painting and printing techniques and delicate pottery and sculpture. Chinese culture managed to retain its unique identity until the advent of Western culture in the mid-19th century.

For further information on China's culture see the resources below:

• Videos
  1. How Chinese Culture Has Changed in the Last Years
  2. What was China’s Cultural Revolution?
  3. China – A Century of Revolution 1949 – 1976 (Documentary)
• Podcasts
  1. China’s One Child Policy
  2. Population Management – The One Child Policy
  3. How China’s Rural Population Will Influence its Economic Future
  4. What is driving China’s Smart City development?
• Articles
  1. Decoding China
  2. The State Council Information Office – PRC – China facts
  3. NY Times:  China Transformed by Elimination of ‘Four Olds’
  4. History.com: China’s Cultural Revolution
  5. BBC: China Timeline
  6. Culture Crossing:  A basic guide to Chinese Culture & Etiquette

National Psyche

Chinese modern thinking is founded on the teachings of ancient Chinese philosophers such as Confucius (Confucianism), and Lao Tzu (Taosim), ancient military and administrative strategies, and more recently, New Confucianism. 

It is embedded in every aspect of Chinese people’s life, including art, literature, political and military strategy, business, medicine and so on.  Some key differences in the way China thinks, compared to Western cultures are detailed here, and summarised in the graphic below.

For further reading on China's psyche, see the resources below:

• Videos
  1. Understanding the Chinese Mindset
  2. The philosophical roots of Chinese strategic thought
• Podcasts
  1. How China’s past shapes its current ambitions
  2. How to be a sensitive China watcher
• Articles
  1. Why China Does What China Does
  2. A Century of Humiliation:  Understanding the Chinese Mindset

Intelligence Agencies

Unlike some more commonly known intelligence agencies such as ASIS, the UK’s MI6 , Israel’s MOSSAD and the USA’s CIA, very little is known or confirmed about China’s Intelligence agencies.  It is believed to comprise the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), both of which fall under the parent organisation the State Council of the PRC.   The video below gives a limited insight into Chinese secret services:

For further information on China's Intelligence agencies see the resources below:

• Videos
  1. What we know about China’s Spy Agency
• Podcasts
  1. Understanding China’s intelligence services
  2. Stranger than fiction: China’s Espionage Industrial Complex
  3. The Lawfare Podcast: Countering Chinese Espionage
• Articles
  1. The Ministry of Public Security
  2. Chinese Intelligence Agencies
  3. The Distinctive Case of Chinese intelligence Services
  4. Ministries of security, Strategic Support Force – China’s intel agencies and how they operate
  5. Russia as a hurricane, China as Climate Change: Different ways of information warfare
  6. Inside the US-China espionage war
  7. China’s misunderstood spies

Public Diplomacy

China switched from propaganda to public diplomacy in 1989 and public diplomacy is a huge part of China’s Foreign Policy as China becomes increasingly influential on the world stage.  While the majority of China’s public diplomacy is state-led, an increasing number of Chinese individuals and civil society groups are now participating in global networks, bringing new dynamics and legitimacy to China’s public diplomacy.  This video gives an insight into China’s changing approach to Diplomacy in 2021:

For further information on China's Public Diplomacy see the resources below:

• Videos
  1. Understanding China’s Diplomacy
  2. What role does Chinese cinema play in cultural diplomacy and manufacturing nationalism
  3. China’s Panda diplomacy explained
  4. Interpreting China’s ‘Wolf Warrior Diplomacy’ – The Diplomat
• Podcasts
  1. Decoding China’s Diplomacy discourse
• Articles
  1. China Public Diplomacy – interactive dashboard
  2. China’s Public Diplomacy
  3. Public Diplomacy: China’s Newest Charm Offensive
  4. How 21^st Century China sees Public Diplomacy as a path to soft power
  5. How China’s Public Diplomacy is changing under Xi Jinping
  6. China Public Diplomacy – The Diplomat

Media and the Internet

The Xinhua News Agency is the official state-run press agency of the PRC. It is also the largest and most influential News Agency in China.  The official television broadcaster of China is the China Central Television network (CCTV) which is owned by Chinese state-media and provides over 50 television channels throughout the country. With a population of 1.4 billion, China presents as the world’s largest social media market, although several more commonly known social media applications are unavailable for use in the country. For an overview of what the media looks like in China watch this ABC video:

For further reading on China’s Media and the Internet see the resources below:

• Video channels:
  1. XinghuaNet (New China TV)
  2. CCTV YouTube Channel
• Podcasts
  1. The state of Social Media in China
  2. Choose your own Dystopia: Social Media and Surveillance Capitalism
  3. Living with China’s social media censorship
• PR Articles
  1. Public Relations in China
  2. The State Council Information Office – The PRC
  3. Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council
  4. China Press Releases – Embassy of the PRC in Australia
  5. Embassy News and Speeches – Australian Embassy China
• Internet Articles
  1. White Paper: The Internet in China
  2. The Cyberspace Administration of China
  3. Insider Privacy: The Cyberspace Administration of China - Articles
• Social Media Articles
  1. Ban TikTok (Again)
  2. 10 most popular Social Media Sites in China
  3. Social media and censorship in China: how is it different to the West?
  4. Social networking in China – statistics and facts
  5. Apple removes VPN apps from the App Store in China

Comms and Tech

Chinese industries are rapidly expanding and increasing global competition in the areas of electronics, renewable energy, advanced nuclear energy, next generation telecommunication technologies, big data and supercomputers, AI, robotics, Space technology, and e-commerce. China has become a true global powerhouse, accounting for 40 percent of global e-commerce transactions (compared to just 1 percent a decade ago) and China’s high-tech export market is worth over 700 million USD annually.  This video gives a small snapshot of some of the emerging advancements in Chinese Tech.

For further reading on China’s comms and tech see the resources below:

• Videos
  1. What happens when China builds your country’s internet
  2. Is the next Silicone Valley in China?
  3. The race for Quantum Supremacy
  4. China created world’s largest Quantum communications network
  5. Scientist explains why China’s Quantum network is ‘unhackable’
  6. The rise of China’s 6G technology revealed
• Podcasts
  1. The investors guide to China – Technology and Innovation
  2. Inside China Tech – series of Podcasts
• Articles
  1. Securing the ICT and Services Supply Chain
  2. Understanding the Entities Listing in the Context of U.S China AI Competition
  3. Telecommunications industry in China – Statistics & Facts
  4. Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China
  5. China by design: World-leading connectivity nurtures new digital business models
  6. Facing up to China’s state-led Tech revolution
  7. Building China’s Telecommunications Network

International Forums

As well as holding a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, which gives it veto power, China is a member of many international organisations and forums, including monetary and financial organisations, educational, scientific and sporting and cultural organisations.  A full list of organisations in which the PRC is represented is here: The PRC in International Organizations (PDF).

For further reading on China’s involvement in international forums see the resources below:

• Videos
  1. ‘China is breaking all the international norms’
  2. President Xi’s full speech at the UN General Assembly
  3. China-ASEAN economic and strategic relations over the last 25 years
• Podcasts
  1. China’s evolving role in the United Nations
  2. Inside Geneva: The United Nations and China
  3. Examining China’s influence in the World Health Organisation
  4. How China is changing Global Governance
• Articles
  1. China’s Growing influence in International Organizations
  2. How China is remaking the UN in its own image
  3. China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations
  4. China’s approach to Global governance

Discussion Questions

1. China has a culture spanning 5000 years, and Australia has a little over 200 years of western recorded history. What would you consider are the key cultural differences between the two countries and how might these cultural differences impact ongoing understanding and relations?
2. The Cultural Revolution removed old things, ideas, customs and habits, and suppressed any form of continued traditions. Since the late 1970s, China’s culture has rapidly grown to include many western influences. What kind of influences do you think this would have on a Communist political framework, and why?
3. Social media companies in the West have received negative press in the past for their actions/inactions concerning social media involvement in US elections and the UK’s EU referendum. It is estimated that over half of US citizens receive their news from Facebook, and it is widely known that social media companies can have some control over the news people see each day. How does a social media company controlling a news feed differ from a government controlling what you is seen on social media? Noting that China’s blocking of Facebook in 2009 was reported to be in an effort to curtail communications among activists, do you think that the Chinese approach is the right one? Should all governments seek to regulate social media more?
4. China has become a powerful force in global governance and is a key stakeholder in many international organisations.  Beijing has used its influence at the UN to push some countries to adopt domestic cyber sovereignty or state-controlled internets, which challenge existing norms. Conversely, China has been a positive influence and key supporter of climate change and is the world’s biggest investor in renewable energy. In what other areas might China’s increasing influence within these organisations promote or challenge existing institutions and norms?

Last Reviewed 09/2024