China is the second most populous country on Earth, with over 1.4 billion people calling the nation home (close to 17% of the world’s total population). It is also the world’s second-largest economy by GDP, after the USA. China is the world’s oldest continuous major civilisation, with a recorded history dating back more than 3,500 years. Despite China’s landmass being as wide as some western countries that utilise 5 time zones, China only uses one official time zone: Beijing time.
FieldworkHub has carried out a large number of projects in China including face-to-face fieldwork in Beijing and Shanghai, the two biggest centres for market research.
China is by far the largest manufacturer in the world and the largest exporter of manufactured goods. Known as ‘the factory of the world’, the country produces vital products such as smartphones, computers, integrated circuits and micro assemblies, processed petroleum products and solar panels. Industries such as manufacturing account for 38% of China’s GDP.
China is also the world’s largest producer and consumer of agricultural products. The country is the largest global producer of tea, a beverage first consumed as early as 4000 years ago in classical-era China. The Chinese agricultural sector employs 300 million people and contributes 8% towards the country’s GDP. The leading contributor to China’s GDP is its services industry (55%), including wholesale and retail trade, finance, information and IT services, entertainment and arts.