China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia. With a population of over 1.381Â billion, it is the world's most populous country. The state is governed by the Communist Party of China, and its capital is Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan. The country's major urban areas include Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Hong Kong. China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia, and has been characterized as a potential superpower.
Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, China has become one of the world's fastest-growing major economies. As of 2016, it is the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP and largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). China is also the world's largest exporter and second-largest importer of goods. China is a member of numerous formal and informal multilateral organizations, including the WTO, APEC, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the BCIM and the G-20.
A company incorporated in any of China's special administrative regions is not considered to be incorporated in China. See the corresponding list for companies incorporated in China's special administrative regions. For further information on the types of business entities in this country and their abbreviations, see "Business entities in China"
Largest firms
This list shows firms in the Fortune Global 500, which ranks firms by total revenue for 2016. Only the top five firms (if available) are included as a sample.
Notable firms
This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.
    Active firms
    State-owned firms
    Defunct firms
    Employee-owned or cooperative
See also
- List of companies of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
- List of companies of Hong Kong
- List of companies of Macau
- List of largest Chinese companies
References
