Modern China

Population
China's 1.3bn people make up one-fifth of the world's population. But strict rules and changing lifestyles have led to lower growth rates. Most urban couples are bound by the "One Child" policy. Rural families are allowed a second child if their first-born is a girl. Many go to great lengths to ensure they have boys which officials believe is leading to a growing gender imbalance.
China is seeing a great movement of population from the rural interior to the cities in the east. In 1950, the urban population represented less than 13% of the total - it is now about 40% and is expected to reach 60% by 2030.

Ethnic issues
The Han Chinese make up over 92% of the population of China, which is also home to 55 other official ethnic groups.
Most of the minority groups live in sparsely populated border areas. Beijing faces two separatist conflicts in the western region - the Tibetans in Tibet and the Uighur in Xinjiang. Although tensions between other minority groups and the majority Han have mostly been hidden they have always been sensitive. And, after an outbreak of violence in Henan province in 2004, there are fears they could further deteriorate.