<P> China , officially the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia and the world 's most populous country , with a population of around 1.404 billion . Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres ( 3.7 million square miles ) , it is the world 's second - largest state by land area and third - or fourth - largest by total area . Governed by the Communist Party of China , it exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , five autonomous regions , four direct - controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ) and the Special Administrative Regions Hong Kong and Macau , also claiming sovereignty over Taiwan . China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia , and has been characterized as a potential superpower . </P>
<P> China , officially the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia and the world 's most populous country , with a population of around 1.404 billion . Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres ( 3.7 million square miles ) , it is the world 's second - largest state by land area and third - or fourth - largest by total area . Governed by the Communist Party of China , it exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , five autonomous regions , four direct - controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ) and the Special Administrative Regions Hong Kong and Macau , also claiming sovereignty over Taiwan . China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia , and has been characterized as a potential superpower . </P>
where is the people 's republic of china located
where is the people 's republic of china located
East Asia
East Asia