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Known as the People's Republic of China under Communist rule for more than six decades, the Asian nation can be traced as far back as 221 B.C. In modern times, the world's most populous country represents a significant portion of the global economy and not always in a positive light. Exports from defective, rotting drywall to toxic toothpaste sparked outrage recently in the United States, whose debt is a major asset for the Chinese government. The country isn't just criticized for its labor practices; the government is often accused of violating human rights.
During the 2010 summer, China replaced Japan as the world's No. 2 economy as receding global growth sapped momentum and stunted a shaky recovery. China has emerged as an economic power that is changing everything from the global balance of military and financial power to how cars are designed. It is already the biggest exporter, auto buyer and steel producer, and its global influence is expanding.
China has been a major force behind the world's emergence from deep recession, delivering much-needed juice to the U.S., Japan and Europe. The country's growth has been spectacular, its voracious appetite fueling demand for resources, machinery and products from the developing world as well as rich economies like Japan and Australia.
But China's rise has produced glaring contradictions. The wealth gap between an elite who profited most from three decades of reform and its poor majority is so extreme that China has dozens of billionaires while average income for the rest of its 1.3 billion people is among the world's lowest with a per capita income of $3,600.
The world's largest carbon polluter, China pledged it would cut its carbon intensity -- emissions per unit of GDP -- by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level. Nationwide efforts have also been made to reach the goal of improving energy efficiency by 20 percent from 2005 to 2010.
China's roadways are increasingly overburdened as the number of private vehicles booms along with commercial truck traffic hauling materials like coal and food to cities. Traffic slowdowns because of construction and accidents are common. In 2010, one traffic jam lasted for more than 10 days, an unusual length of time even for China.
Despite being North Korea's main ally and benefactor, China has backed U.N. resolutions punishing the isolated country for nuclear tests but issued only a muted response to the March 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship that an international investigation blamed on the North, which has denied the allegation.
On the Internet, Beijing encourages its use for education and business but tries to block access to material deemed subversive or pornographic, including websites abroad run by human rights and pro-democracy activists. The actions to keep China's citizens from finding politically sensitive information and images online have been dubbed the "Great Firewall."
With the world's biggest population of Web users at more than 384 million, China has a history of hacking. In 1999, Web surfers defaced U.S. government sites after the mistaken American bombing of Beijing's Belgrade embassy killed three Chinese. Nationalists have attacked Web sites in Japan and Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as its own territory.
Intelligence experts say that since the 1970s, Beijing has carried on a quiet campaign to acquire foreign technology and other secrets by using Chinese businesspeople, students and scientists who travel abroad as part-time spies.
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- China Mobile says 9 months profit up 5.4 percent
China Mobile says 9 months profit up 5.4 percent
Read Full Story » - China Mobile says 9 months profit up 5.4 percent
China Mobile says 9 months profit up 5.4 percent
Read Full Story » - China says Internet censorship meets global norms
China says Internet censorship meets global norms
Read Full Story » - China rare earths supplier suspends production
China rare earths supplier suspends production
Read Full Story » - Ma: Any peace treaty with China may need vote
Ma: Any peace treaty with China may need vote
Read Full Story » - Chinese court rejects activist appeal for protest
Chinese court rejects activist appeal for protest
Read Full Story » - China to allow trial use of local government bonds
China to allow trial use of local government bonds
Read Full Story » - US complains to China about Tibetan suicides
US complains to China about Tibetan suicides
Read Full Story » - Silicon Valley and Washington: Ships in the night?
Enjoying boom times in China, U.S. tech companies are nervous about a political battle brewing
Read Full Story » - US requests website censoring details from China
US requests website censoring details from China
Read Full Story » - Philippines apologizes to China over sea accident
Philippines apologizes to China over sea accident
Read Full Story » - China's vice premier to visit North, South Korea
China's vice premier to visit North, South Korea
Read Full Story » - China: Dalai Lama stance on suicides is terrorism
China: Dalai Lama stance on suicides is terrorism
Read Full Story » - China vaccinates 9 million amid polio outbreak
China vaccinates 9 million amid polio outbreak
Read Full Story » - Debt panic in China's Wenzhou may augur wider woes
Debt panic in China's Wenzhou may augur wider woes
Read Full Story » - China's top communists call for cultural campaign
China's top communists call for cultural campaign
Read Full Story » - Taiwan and China to sign nuclear power safety deal
Taiwan and China to sign nuclear power safety deal
Read Full Story » - Debt panic in China's Wenzhou may auger wider woes
Debt panic in China's Wenzhou may auger wider woes
Read Full Story » - US states balance China as both partner and rival
US states balance China as both partner and rival
Read Full Story » - Group says Tibetan sets herself on fire in protest
Group says Tibetan sets herself on fire in protest
Read Full Story » - China's economic growth slows amid cooling efforts
China's economic growth slows amid cooling efforts
Read Full Story » - Toddler hit-and-run sparks outrage in China
Toddler hit-and-run sparks outrage in China
Read Full Story »
CBS News Correspondent Celia Hatton Visits the Chengdu Panda Reserve and Breeding Center in Sichuan, China
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Death Toll Grows From Nation's Worst Flood Season in a Decade
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Firefighters Wage 15-Hour Battle Against 100-Foot Flames in Port City
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A Series of Strong Earthquakes Struck China's Western Qinghai Province, Killing Hundreds, Injuring Thousands and Burying Many Others Under Rubble
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President Obama Tours the Great Wall of China
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The President Makes His First Trip to China During an Eight-Day Trip Through Asia
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Communist China Celebrates 60 Years with Parades and Fireworks
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A Vigil In Hong Kong And Tightened Security In Beijing Mark The Anniversary Of The Military Attack On Students
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