overview
The Republic of China
中华人民共和国
country information
Flag
capital
Beijing
DRIVING SIDE: Right
INTERNET CODE: .cn
TOME ZONE: UTC +8
China Standard Time
Country Tel Code: +86
Neighbours
Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar
South Asia: India, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan
Central Asia: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
Inner and Northeast Asia: Russia, North Korea and Mongolia
Shares Maritime boundaries: South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Philippines
population
1.3 billion
religion
Bhuddism (18.2%)
Christianity (5.1%)
Islam (1.8%)
Folk Religion (21.9%)
Other (<53.1%)
president & parliament
Current Ruler: Xi Jinping
Prime Minister: Li Keqiang
Current Ruling Party: The Communist Party of China (CPC)
minority & majority groups
Han Chinese 91.6% | Zhuang 1.3% | Other (incl. Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) 7.1%
LANGUAGE
Standard Chinese (Mandarin) / English
Hello: Nǐ hǎo
Yes and No: no general vocabulary, rather one speaks in the affirmative/negative https://shawnpowrie.com/chinese/yes-no/
Thank you: Xièxiè
C U R R E N C Y &
E X C H A N G E R AT E
*Renminbi / Chinese Yuan CNY (¥)
1 USD = 7.07 CNY
1 CNY = 2.65 ZAR
Subject to change
*Popular analogies given to explain the difference between yuan and renminbi are drawn from British pound sterling vs. the pound, or Federal Reserve notes vs. the U.S. dollar. Any expression of price is always in dollar, pound, or yuan—not Federal Reserve notes, sterling, or renminbi. The price of any commodity or transaction would be $120, £100, or ¥150.
VACCINATIONS
*Coronavirus
Travel to China is not advised.
An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission & for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
See WHO recommendations: www.who.int
ELECTRICITY
Voltage Requirements:
220 V
Standard Frequency:
50 Hz
There are three types of plugs used in China – three-pronged angled pins, two flat pins (the most common) or two narrow round pins.
Access to electricity (% of population) in China was reported at 100 % in 2014, according to the World Bank
TEMPERATURE
Winter: min. -19 °C – max. -9 °C
Summer: min. 16 °C – max. 26°C
The territory of China lies between latitudes 18° and 54° N, and longitudes 73° and 135° E. China’s landscapes vary significantly across its vast territory. China’s climate is mainly dominated by dry seasons 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. The climate in China differs from region to region because of the country’s highly complex topography.
DIPLOMATIC TIES / AIRPORTS / CARRIERS / NGO’S
EMBASSY / CONSULAR PRESENCE
South African Embassy in Beijing
5, Dong Zhi Men Wai Da Jie, Beijing, 100600 China
Head of Mission: Ambassador Dolana Msimang
Refer to: www.dirco.gov.za/beijing/
(+86) 10 8532 0000
Fax: (+86) 10 6532 7319
MAIN AIRPORT(S)
Shangai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
31° 08′ 36.16″ N | 121° 48′ 18.77″ E
Beijing Capital International (PEK)
40° 3′ 48″ N | 116° 35′ 4″ E
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)
23.3959° N | 113.3080° E
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Valid visa is required. When making Visa application you must submit a detailed itinerary of all places you plan to visit, and all hotel bookings.
Registration with the Chinese Public Security Bureau within 24 hours is mandatory
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS & CARRIERS
There are 37 China domestic Airlines
The four major airlines are Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines. There are thousands of China domestic flights every day. The top destinations are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xian and Chengdu
NGO’S OPERATING IN COUNTRY & CONTACT DETAILS
List of NGO’s operating in China can be obtained via: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_non-governmental_organizations_in_China
China law puts foreign NGOs under tighter control
Only NGOs with non-political agendas are tolerated by the government
NB: The country is not a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Investopedia. 2019. Yuan vs. Renminbi: What’s the difference? [Online]. Available at:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/061115/yuan-vs-rmb-understanding-difference.asp [2020/02/11].
Climatestotravel.com. Climate: China. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/china [2020/02/11].
Last updated 20 April 2020