Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Member Countries

Official Name: People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.)

Local Time: UTC +8h

Country Calling Code: +86

Capital City: Beijing

Major Chinese cities in the Mekong Sub-Region: Lijiang, Shangri-La, Kunming, Liuzhou, Baise, Nanning

Government: The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is a basic element of China’s political framework. It is a multiparty cooperation system in which the CPC exercises state power. In addition to the CPC, there are eight other political parties. [The eight other political parties are the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China National Democratic Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong Party, the Jiusan Society, and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.] The other parties participate fully in the administration of state affairs under the leadership of the CPC.

Population: 1,410.5 million people (2022).

Area: Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region cover 631,600 km² (243,700 sq mi), out of China’s total 9.6 million km² (about 3.7 million sq. mi.).

Climate: Yunnan’s climate is generally mild, due to the province’s location on south-facing mountain slopes, receiving the influence of both the Pacific and Indian oceans. Guangxi has a subtropical climate, with long, hot, and humid summers lasting from April to October; and mild winters with very rare snows.

Religions: Officially atheist; Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity.

Language: PuTongHua (Mandarin); other spoken languages in Yunnan and Guangxi include Yue, Pinghua, Tibeto-Burman languages (including Bai, Yi, Tibetan, Naxi); Tai languages (Zhuang, Bouyei, Dong, Shui, and Tai Lü); Hmong–Mien.

Currency: Yuan Renminbi (CNY)