Chapter 4: Workforce Education and Development Systems in the People’s Republic of China

Located in the southeastern part of the Asian continent, the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter abbreviated as China) is the third largest country in the world in terms of territory encompassing 9.6 million square kilometers and the largest in terms of population with nearly 1.3 billion people. There are altogether 56 ethnic groups who live in China. Among them, the Han nationality makes up around 92% of the total and is found mostly in central and eastern parts of the country. The remaining nationalities (referred to in China as minority groups) are distributed mostly in border regions. While maintaining a unified leadership, Chinese government exercises a policy of regional autonomy for various ethnic groups, allowing them to live in compact communities, establish self-government, and direct their own affairs.