The aim of this guide is to act as a finding aid to English language information, publications, and research from the government of China. For finding aids to materials in Asian languages follow the links under Collections on the Asian Library page. For finding aids to materials published by the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations see the UBC Library Survivor's Guide to the United Nations and the UBC Guide to Intergovernmental Organizations. China has increasingly been providing English language translations of its official publications - particularly online. Considerably less of this material is available in print, though a reasonable number of statistical titles are available in print at UBC Library.
China has English language websites for both the federal government and its legislative body, the National People's Congress. Even more importantly, these sites often link to English translations of official publications. Chinese Central Government. This is the official English language portal for the Chinese government. It provides English language news, consumer information, press briefings and links to official publications, statistics and laws. Also provides links to sites for government administrations & bureaus, National People's Congress, law courts and the Chinese central bank. White Papers. The Chinese government has made English translations of some major policy papers available online. These White Papers date from 1991 onwards. Work Reports. Work Reports are annual reviews outlining economic and social progress in China. These include specific references to projects, plans and statistics. English language Work Reports are available online for 2000 to present. Constitution of China. A full-text English translation is available for the Constitution of 1982 and amendments through 2004. Laws & Regulations: National People's Congress database provides access to "a collection of the laws enacted by the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee and administrative regulations by the State Council." Note, the search function does not seem to work - but you can browse the laws within the database by topic here China Legislative Information Network System. This site provides summaries of laws & regulations; departmental rules; and judicial interpretations from the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council of China. UBC Library also has a wide array of Chinese laws and regulations in print - especially those relating to business law, taxation, special zones & cities, foreign enterprise, entrepreneurship and industrial policy. For detailed information on these areas see the Law Library's subject guide for LAW 334/336 - Introduction to Asian Legal Systems / Chinese Law and/or the guide for Law 337 - Trade & Investment in the People's Republic of China .
There are English language websites for many provincial and municipal governments, as well as federal ministries. Some Ministries also link to English language versions of their key publications, statistics and/or news features. For example: Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. Provides news features, policy announcements, texts of related laws, speeches and a wide array of statistics. Statistics include import and export figures, trade with various countries and regions, consumer price index, foreign investment, and retail price index. National Population and Family Planning Commission. Provides English translations of news highlights, project summaries and select publications. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Provides English translations of communiques (dating back to 2000); foreign policy statements (back to 1999); and speeches (oldest from 1983). The "countries & regions" tab takes you to an overview of bilateral relations between China and most other countries in the world. The "international issues" tab takes you to statements on China's attitude towards disarmament & arms control; summaries of China's participation in various international organizations and conferences; and statements on China's views towards/participation in various international treaties and laws. General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine. This agency is "in charge of national quality, entry-exit commodity inspections, entry-exit health quarantine, entry-exit animal and plant quarantine, import-export food safety, certification and accreditation, standardization, as well as administrative law-enforcement." This site provides access to English translations of related laws & regulations, policy statements, news releases. Also provides information pages on a wide array of special topics, including food safety, commodity inspections, equipment safety, standardization, certification & accreditation and quality control. China Climate Change Info-Net A sub-agency of China's Department of Climate Change, this network's website provides English news features; relevant laws & regulations; statements and speeches; and a wide array of project updates. State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO). Provides English news; background information; full-text of patent laws and regulations; other related laws and regulations; departmental annual reports; statistics and relevant white papers.
Census & Statistics Department: The Government of Hong Kong. "Up-to-date time series with detailed breakdown." Includes: key economic & social indicators, statistics by map and by subject, including: population, labour and employment, wages, national account, balance of payments, consumer price indices, external trade, and commerce. Links to the publication "Hong Kong in Figures" and to the latest press releases on the economy of Hong Kong. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Coverage: mid 1990s - present . Detailed annual economic and demographic data for National Accounts, Population, Employment and Wages, Investments, Energy, Government Finance, Consumer Price Indexes, Households, Domestic trade, Agriculture, Industry, Construction, Transport, Telecommunication Services, Social Services, Tourism. Some statistics available monthly and quarterly. People's Bank of China. The site provides access to information on China's monetary policy, banking rules & regulations, speeches by banking & government officials & various statistics. Statistics include: monetary & banking surveys, exchange rates, stock trading, treasury bonds etc. Annual reports available from 2007. Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. Provides news features, policy announcements, text of related laws, speeches and a wide array of statistics. Statistics include import and export figures, trade with various countries and regions, consumer price index, foreign investment, and retail price index. UBC Library also receives some statistical titles in print or on cd-rom. The following are key titles and often provide historical data that are not available online. China Monthly Statistics. From the China Statistical Information and Consultancy Service Centre, this title is available for 1992 - present. Provides main indicators of the economy, energy statistics, foreign and domestic trade figures, price indexes, household surveys, tourism statistics, banking figures and more. Note, after 2008, the agriculture statistics were replaced by a section on national accounts. National data do not include Hong Kong or Macao. China 5th Population Census Data. This cd-rom provides summary data from China's Fifth Population Census. "It provides segmented and cross-variable data of the administrative organizations at all levels by age, gender, educational level, occupation, employment, housing condition and basic facilities (fuel gas, water source and independent bathroom). All the data is from the National Bureau of Statistics and the National Statistics System." China Statistical Yearbook: For years 1984; 1986-1987 For years 1989-1990; 1992 For years 1981; 1983-1997; 1999 - 2008. China compendium of statistics : 1949-2004. This bilingual volume provides national statistical data spanning from 1949 - 2004 on a vast array of topics including, natural resources, population, employment, gross domestic product (GDP), household consumption, investment, revenues, taxes, expenditures, imports & exports, tourism, balance of payments, education and more. Also provides statistics for provinces, Hong Kong, Macao, and some municipalities. Financial Statistics Monthly: Taiwan District, Republic of China. Produced by Taiwan's Central Bank. Content is restricted to financial statistics, including exchange rates, international liquidity, bank reserves, interest rates, import & export indexes and balance of payments. Data follow IMF format and methodology.
