Government Stats: compare key data on China & Japan

Definitions

Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted.
Capital city > Geographic coordinates: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Capital city > Name: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Constitution: The dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments to a nation's constitution
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Executive branch > Cabinet: Cabinet includes the official name for any body of high-ranking advisers roughly comparable to a U.S. Cabinet. Also notes the method for selection of members.
Executive branch > Chief of state: The name and title of any person or role roughly equivalent to a U.S. Chief of State. This means the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government
Executive branch > Head of government: Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
Government type: A description of the basic form of government (e.g., republic, constitutional monarchy, federal republic, parliamentary democracy, military dictatorship).
Judicial branch: The name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.
Legal system: A brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Political parties and leaders: Significant political organizations and their leaders.
Political pressure groups and leaders: Organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election.
Suffrage: The age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted
International organization participation: This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.
Country name > Conventional long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Civil law system: Description.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Executive branch > Elections: Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election
National symbol(s): A national symbol is a faunal, floral, or other abstract representation - or some distinctive object - that over time has come to be closely identified with a country or entity. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one.
Flag description: A written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Country name > Conventional short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Constitutional form: Constitutional form of government.
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
Total businesses registered > Number: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward.
National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
Legislative branch > Election results: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Legislative branch > Elections: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index: Compares countries by their degree of government censorship, according to the Press freedom index. This index, created by the non-governmental organization Reporters without borders (RWS), is ellaborated using data from an extensive annual survey sent to professional reporters throughout the world. The survey contains questions about the type and ownership of media present in the country, freedom of speech, violence exerted against reporters, election campaigns, access of political parties to the media, etc.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage: Percentage of seats held by women in country's national parliament or legislative houses.
Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. "
Executive branch > Election results: Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election (if any)
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
Basis of executive legitimacy: Basis of executive legitimacy.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Country name > Local short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press: Compares countries by freedom of the press. The lower the score, the more free the press of that country is. The scores are taken from the Freedom of the Press Index, elaborated by Freedom House, self-defined as "an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world". The data used in the index come from an annual survey of media independence in 197 countries and territories, assessing the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in each of them.
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index: 2008
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament: Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber occupied by women.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
Democracy > Civil and political liberties: Civil and political liberties
Units: Index Ranging from 7 (High Levels of Liberties) to 1 (Low
Units: This is the average of two indicators - civil liberties and political liberties.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
National holiday: The primary national day of celebration - often independence day.
Capital > Geographic coordinates: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Democracy > First female parliamentarian: Year first woman elected or appointed to parliament.
Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
Politics: Country politics.
International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
Country name > Local long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years: Time to resolve insolvency (years). Time to resolve insolvency is the number of years from the filing for insolvency in court until the resolution of distressed assets.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Parliament > Seats held by women: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel: Date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state. Note that some countries had a “de facto” recognition in place long before the legal recognition.
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
Total businesses registered > Number per 1000: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Capital city: The location of the seat of government.
Capital > Name: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Legal origin: Legal origin identifies the origin of the Company Law or Commercial Code in each country
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Spending > Expense > Current LCU: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends."
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure.
Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level: Year women first voted at national level.
Legislature (parliament) > People per member: Number of people each member of the legislature represents on average. The number of members of the legislature is the sum of the members of all chambers of parliament, if applicable.
Capital > Time difference: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
International relations: Country international relations.
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Democracy > Female ministers: Women in government at ministerial level in 2000 (as % of total). Data were provided by states based on their definition of national executive and may therefore include women serving as ministers and vice ministers and those holding other ministerial positions, including parliamentary secretaries.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Democracy > Female parliamentarians: Seats in parliament held by women (as % of total). Data are as of 8 March 2002. Where there are lower and upper houses, data refer to the weighted average of women's shares of seats in both houses.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Role of head of state: Head of state.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong: Strength of legal rights index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws protect the rights of borrowers and lenders and thus facilitate lending. The index ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating that these laws are better designed to expand access to credit."
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
Foreign relations > Comprehensive National Power: Comprehensive National Power (CNP) is an index devised in the People's Republic of China, used to measure the general power of a nation-state. It takes into account both military factors (called hard power) and economic and cultural factors (called soft power). It's widely thought the main goal of contemporary China is to maximize the country's CNP, though by their own projections it's unlikely they will surpass nations like the USA, Russia, and the UK during this century.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per $ GDP figures expressed per 1 $ gross domestic product.
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Democracy > Female suffrage: Year in which women received the right to vote. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to vote.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council: Date on which the Syrian National Council was recognized, at least as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. For more information, please see http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Government/Foreign-relations/International-recognition-of-the-Syrian-National-Council-notes
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Democracy > Female candidacy: Year in which women received the right to stand for election. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to stand for election.
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Procedures to register property > Number: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members: Members of the lower (or sole) house.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars.
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s): This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Time to resolve insolvency > Years: Time to resolve insolvency is the number of years from the filing for insolvency in court until the resolution of distressed assets.
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth: Annual percentage growth of general government final consumption expenditure based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. General government final consumption expenditure (general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation.
Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
Trademarks > Nonresidents: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Statements on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia issued by countries who do not recognize their sovereignty.
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Capital city > Time difference: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant local currency.
Trademarks > Residents per million: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Procedures to register property > Number per million: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Spending > Expense > % of GDP: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends."
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes:
Degree to which the Syrian National Council is recognized as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current local currency.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Trademarks > Residents: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.

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STAT	China	Japan
Administrative divisions	23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)<br /><strong>provinces:</strong> Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)<br /><strong>autonomous regions:</strong> Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet)<br /><strong>municipalities:</strong> Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin	47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	39 55 N, 116 23 E	35 41 N, 139 45 E
Capital city > Name	Beijing	Tokyo
Constitution	most recent promulgation 4 December 1982; amended several times	previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address	PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002	Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300
Executive branch > Cabinet	State Council appointed by National People's Congress	Cabinet is appointed by the prime minister
Executive branch > Chief of state	President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013)	Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
Executive branch > Head of government	Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premier ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), and Vice Premier WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013)	Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 December 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Taro ASO (since 26 December 2012)
Government type	Communist state	a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy
Judicial branch	Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and basic courts); Special People's Courts (primarily military, maritime, railway transportation, and forestry courts)	Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Legal system	civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes	civil law system based on German model; system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
Legislative branch	unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui	bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for fixed six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for maximum four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs); the prime minister has the right to dissolve the House of Representatives at any time with the concurrence of the cabinet
Political parties and leaders	Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping]<br />eight nominally independent small parties ultimately controlled by the CCP	Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Banri KAIEDA]<br />Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]<br />Japan Restoration Party or JRP [Shintaro ISHIHARA]<br />Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]<br />New Komeito or NK [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]<br />People's Life Party or PF [Ichiro OZAWA]<br />Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]<br />Tomorrow Party of Japan or TPJ [Tomoko ABE]<br />Your Party or YP [Yoshimi WATANABE]
Political pressure groups and leaders	no substantial political opposition groups exist	<strong>other: </strong>business groups; trade unions
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	20 years of age; universal
International organization participation	ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Country name > Conventional long form	People's Republic of China	none
Civil law system	civil law system; based on native customs and practices with Soviet and German influence	Modeled after European (primarily German) civil law system. Japanese civil code of 1895.
Executive branch > Elections	president and vice president elected by National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress	Diet, the bicameral legislature, designates the prime minister; constitution requires that the prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, the leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary
National symbol(s)	dragon	red sun disc; chrysanthemum
Flag description	red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China	white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days	33 Ranked 40th. 50% more than Japan	22 Ranked 65th.
Country name > Conventional short form	China	Japan
Constitutional form	Republic	Constitutional monarchy
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	continuing talks and confidence-building measures work toward reducing tensions over Kashmir that nonetheless remains militarized with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; China claims most of India's Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Seas, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon exploration; China asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei; the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan continue to reject both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in dispute with North Korea; North Korea and China seek to stem illegal migration to China by North Koreans, fleeing privations and oppression, by building a fence along portions of the border and imprisoning North Koreans deported by China; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; China and Tajikistan have begun demarcating the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China has reconsidered construction of 13 dams on the Salween River, but energy-starved Burma, with backing from Thailand, remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests; Chinese and Hong Kong authorities met in March 2008 to resolve ownership and use of lands recovered in Shenzhen River channelization, including 96-hectare Lok Ma Chau Loop; Hong Kong developing plans to reduce 2,000 out of 2,800 hectares of its restricted Closed Area by 2010	the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting
Total businesses registered > Number	4.12 million Ranked 4th. 55% more than Japan	2.67 million Ranked 9th.
National anthem	<strong>name: </strong>"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> TIAN Han/NIE Er	<strong>name: </strong>"Kimigayo" (The Emperor"s Reign)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> unknown/Hiromori HAYASHI
FAX	86	81
Legislative branch > Election results	percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987	House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPD 115, DPJ 59, New Komeito 20, Your Party 18, JCP 11, JRP 9, SDP 3, others 4, independents 3<br />House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (by proportional representation) - LDP 31.6%, DPJ 16.6%, JRP 22.2%, New Komeito 12.2%, Your Party 7.7%, JCP 4.4%, TRP 3.9%, others 1.4%; seats by party LDP 294, DPJ 57, JRP 54, New Komeito 31, Your Party 18, TPJ 9, JCP 8, others 4, independents 5
Legislative branch > Elections	last held in December 2007-February 2008 (next to be held in late 2012 to early 2013)	House of Councillors - last held on 21 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 16 December 2012 (next to be held by 15 December 2016)
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index	73.07 Ranked 7th. 3 times more than Japan	25.17 Ranked 8th.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage	21.32% Ranked 75th. 3 times more than Japan	7.92% Ranked 161st.
Independence	1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China)	3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)
Executive branch > Election results	XI Jinping elected president by National People's Congress with a total of 2,952 votes; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with a total of 2,940 votes	FUKUDA elected prime minister with 338 of 477 votes cast in the House of Representatives; he received 106 of 240 votes cast in the House of Councillors; vote of House of Representatives prevailed
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts	Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues	8
Basis of executive legitimacy	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Country name > Local short form	Zhongguo	Nihon/Nippon
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press	85 Ranked 11th. 4 times more than Japan	22 Ranked 157th.
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index	6.5 Ranked 20th.	8.6 Ranked 5th. 32% more than China
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament	20.3% Ranked 53th. 2 times more than Japan	9.4% Ranked 124th.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy	55	1
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	13 Ranked 12th. 63% more than Japan	8 Ranked 59th.
Democracy > Civil and political liberties	0.5 Ranked 126th.	5.5 Ranked 19th. 11 times more than China
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$	317.44 billion$ Ranked 5th.	823.3 billion$ Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than China
National holiday	Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October	Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December
Capital > Geographic coordinates	39 55 N, 116 23 E	35 41 N, 139 45 E
Democracy > First female parliamentarian	1954 (elected)	1946 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days	35 days Ranked 86th. 52% more than Japan	23 days Ranked 125th.
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.996 Ranked 43th.	1 Ranked 20th. 1% more than China
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office	chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress; term limited to two consecutive 5-year terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the People's National Congress; term of other justices and judges NA	Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient	4.2 Ranked 65th.	4.8 Ranked 31st. 14% more than China
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days	29 Ranked 108th. 2 times more than Japan	13 Ranked 154th.
Politics	Under Communist rule since 1949, China has moved away from the Maoist radicalism that led to millions of deaths in the 1950s and 1960s, but the party has kept a tight grip on state and society, saying the suppression of dissent is justified by the need for stability.	The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was in power for much of the country's post-war history. It was ousted in 2009 by the Democratic Party, but returned to office with a landslide election win in 2012
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt	accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Parliament > Seats held by men	2,343 Ranked 1st. 5 times more than Japan	442 Ranked 10th.
Country name > Local long form	Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo	Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1.7 Ranked 137th. 3 times more than Japan	0.6 Ranked 169th.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.00962 Ranked 188th.	0.0627 Ranked 176th. 7 times more than China
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[86] (10) 8531-3000	[81] (03) 3224-5000
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery	None	None
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013)	Ambassador Kenichiro SASAE (since 19 November 2012)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Gary LOCKE (since 1 August 2011)	Ambassador Caroline Bouvier KENNEDY (since 19 November 2013)
Parliament > Seats held by women	635 Ranked 1st. 17 times more than Japan	38 Ranked 60th.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel	None	None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating	-7 Ranked 125th.	10 Ranked 6th.
UN membership date	24 Oct. 1945	18 Dec. 1956
Total businesses registered > Number per 1000	3.2 Ranked 55th.	20.96 Ranked 42nd. 7 times more than China
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	25 Ranked 8th. 79% more than Japan	14 Ranked 85th.
Capital city	Beijing	Tokyo
Capital > Name	Beijing	Tokyo
Legal origin	<a href=/country/gm>German</a>	<a href=/country/gm>German</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita	243.34$ per capita Ranked 80th.	6,443.96$ per capita Ranked 12th. 26 times more than China
Spending > Expense > Current LCU	2.41 trillion Ranked 12th.	63.87 trillion Ranked 1st. 27 times more than China
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days	145 Ranked 37th. 38% more than Japan	105 Ranked 82nd.
Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level	1947	1947
Legislature (parliament) > People per member	446,391 Ranked 5th. 3 times more than Japan	176,648 Ranked 13th.
Capital > Time difference	UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
International relations	China's new-found strength has made it more assertive on the global stage, but it dismisses concerns about high defence spending and its "peaceful rise" as baseless. Accusations - denied by China - that it keeps its currency cheap to boost exports have caused tension with the West, as has criticism of its human rights record. Tensions have recently risen with Japan over a group of disputed islands.	There has been tension with China and South Korea over Japan's wartime past and territorial waters, and with North Korea over the latter's nuclear ambitions
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million	0.107 Ranked 187th.	0.823 Ranked 176th. 8 times more than China
Democracy > Female ministers	2.6% Ranked 110th.	6.5% Ranked 95th. 3 times more than China
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members	2,987 Ranked 1st. 6 times more than Japan	480 Ranked 18th.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days	406 Ranked 150th. 13% more than Japan	360 Ranked 166th.
Democracy > Female parliamentarians	21.8% Ranked 26th. 2 times more than Japan	10% Ranked 88th.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number	4 Ranked 147th.	6 Ranked 72nd. 50% more than China
Role of head of state	Executive	Ceremonial
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita	243.49$ Ranked 80th.	6,444.06$ Ranked 12th. 26 times more than China
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	13 Ranked 22nd. 63% more than Japan	8 Ranked 104th.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong	6 Ranked 68th.	7 Ranked 47th. 17% more than China
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million	0.00311 Ranked 143th.	0.0376 Ranked 131st. 12 times more than China
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU	1.46 trillion Ranked 9th.	41.37 trillion Ranked 1st. 28 times more than China
Foreign relations > Comprehensive National Power	59.1 Ranked 6th. 2% more than Japan	57.84 Ranked 7th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP	0.142$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 76th.	0.18$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 58th. 27% more than China
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people	0.471 Ranked 165th. 58% more than Japan	0.299 Ranked 174th.
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	August 1, 1955	July 28, 1956
Democracy > Female suffrage	1949	"1945 ,1947"
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days	270 Ranked 20th. 40% more than Japan	193 Ranked 52nd.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council	Informal relations	Informal relations
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.0274 Ranked 188th.	0.243 Ranked 181st. 9 times more than China
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million	0.0244 Ranked 186th.	0.172 Ranked 170th. 7 times more than China
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million	0.0215 Ranked 184th.	0.102 Ranked 176th. 5 times more than China
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.0207 Ranked 185th.	0.11 Ranked 174th. 5 times more than China
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million	0.204 Ranked 184th.	1.51 Ranked 169th. 7 times more than China
Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita	3.2 per 1,000 people Ranked 56th.	20.96 per 1,000 people Ranked 43th. 7 times more than China
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU	97.54 billion Ranked 19th.	13.08 trillion Ranked 1st. 134 times more than China
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador	Zhang, Yesui Yesui Zhang	Sasae, Kenichiro Kenichiro Sasae
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita	217.14 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 63th.	6,782.1 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 6th. 31 times more than China
Time required to build a warehouse > Days	367 days Ranked 12th. 4 times more than Japan	96 days Ranked 151st.
Democracy > Female candidacy	1,949 Ranked 78th. About the same as Japan	1,945 Ranked 97th.
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000	0.0407 Ranked 45th.	0.145 Ranked 25th. 4 times more than China
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita	0.041 per 1,000 people Ranked 46th.	0.145 per 1,000 people Ranked 25th. 4 times more than China
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	May 13, 1992	March 5, 1993
National anthem > Name	"Yiyonggjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)	"Kimigayo" (The Emperor"s Reign)
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita	0.01 per 1 million people Ranked 169th.	0.063 per 1 million people Ranked 162nd. 6 times more than China
Time required to enforce a contract > Days	292 days Ranked 140th. 21% more than Japan	242 days Ranked 150th.
Procedures to register property > Number	3 Ranked 148th.	6 Ranked 72nd. Twice as much as China
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	29 Ranked 8th. 3 times more than Japan	11 Ranked 151st.
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members	5 Ranked 37th. 25% more than Japan	4 Ranked 123th.
National anthem > Note	adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as "Zhongguo Guoge" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, "Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm"	adopted 1999; in use as unofficial national anthem since 1883; oldest anthem lyrics in the world, dating to the 10th century or earlier; there is some opposition to the anthem because of its association with militarism and worship of the emperor
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	37 Ranked 104th. 19% more than Japan	31 Ranked 161st.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.00296 Ranked 184th.	0.047 Ranked 175th. 16 times more than China
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours	872 hours Ranked 12th. 2 times more than Japan	350 hours Ranked 48th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$	283.26 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 4th.	866.5 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than China
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita	0.002 per 1 million people Ranked 166th.	0.047 per 1 million people Ranked 158th. 24 times more than China
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita	0.024 per 1 million people Ranked 169th.	0.157 per 1 million people Ranked 165th. 7 times more than China
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.0236 Ranked 168th.	0.157 Ranked 164th. 7 times more than China
Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general	Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang	Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[86] (10) 8531-3300	[81] (03) 3505-1862
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s)	Los Angeles	Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 495-2138	[1] (202) 328-2187
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita	217.27 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 63th.	6,782.21 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 6th. 31 times more than China
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita	0.407 per 1,000 people Ranked 31st.	0.863 per 1,000 people Ranked 12th. 2 times more than China
Time to resolve insolvency > Years	2.4 years Ranked 96th. 4 times more than Japan	0.6 years Ranked 149th.
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense	4.05% Ranked 70th.	20.48% Ranked 10th. 5 times more than China
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth	9.01% Ranked 17th. 4 times more than Japan	2.02% Ranked 79th.
Time required to register property > Days	32 days Ranked 115th. 2 times more than Japan	14 days Ranked 142nd.
Trademarks > Nonresidents	52,788 Ranked 1st. 3 times more than Japan	18,573 Ranked 5th.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %	23.4% Ranked 65th. 3 times more than Japan	8.1% Ranked 159th.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense	60.39% Ranked 25th.	64.76% Ranked 1st. 7% more than China
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue	4.24% Ranked 62nd.	21.06% Ranked 9th. 5 times more than China
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general	Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco	Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle
FAX > Consulate(s) general	Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan	Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.00992 Ranked 168th.	0.0626 Ranked 162nd. 6 times more than China
Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia	On 27 August Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said that China is "concerned of the latest development in South Ossetia and Abkhazia". He also said "We have a knowledge of the complicated history and reality of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia issues. In accordance with China's consistent and principled stance on issues of this kind, we hope the relevant parties can resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation".	Yasuaki Tanizaki , director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's European bureau, said "Our country is gravely concerned about the move. Our country hopes that Russia ... will take responsible actions for the region's stability".
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament	2,987 Ranked 1st. 4 times more than Japan	722 Ranked 7th.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 495-2266	[1] (202) 238-6700
Capital city > Time difference	UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU	1115462000000	93379000000000
Trademarks > Residents per million	407.07 Ranked 31st.	863.1 Ranked 12th. 2 times more than China
Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.00229 Ranked 165th.	0.047 Ranked 156th. 21 times more than China
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.0221 Ranked 165th.	0.0861 Ranked 161st. 4 times more than China
Spending > Expense > % of GDP	11.14% Ranked 96th.	14.62% Ranked 32nd. 31% more than China
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	31 Ranked 92nd. 55% more than Japan	20 Ranked 157th.
Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes	A high-level SNC delegation visited Beijing on 10 May 2012 and met with the Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi , the Deputy Foreign Minister, and the Director of External Communication for the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the SNC, Yang promised to "look into" issuing a permit for the SNC to open an official office in China.	On 11 May 2012, a SNC Delegation visited the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SNC President Burhan Ghalioun held discussions with Foreign Mninister Koichiro Gemba . Later, Ghalioun met with Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ryuji Yamane and former UN Under Secretary General Yasushi Akashi .
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU	2601210000000	89074900000000
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million	0.301 Ranked 188th.	2.82 Ranked 181st. 9 times more than China
Trademarks > Residents	527,591 Ranked 1st. 5 times more than Japan	110,270 Ranked 3rd.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita	0.022 per 1 million people Ranked 166th.	0.086 per 1 million people Ranked 162nd. 4 times more than China
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people	1.74 Ranked 182nd.	3.47 Ranked 172nd. Twice as much as China

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; Wikipedia: List of national legal systems (Civil law); World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/).; Wikipedia: List of countries by system of government (Alphabetical list of countries); All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; World Development Indicators database; Wikipedia: Censorship by country (Censorship by country) ("Press Freedom Index 2013" , Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013); United Nations Statistics Division; "2012 Freedom of the Press Data" , Freedom House, 1 May 2012; Wikipedia: Bribe Payers Index; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files.; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Wikipedia: International recognition of Israel (UN member states); Polity IV Project, University of Maryland, at Polity IV Project; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; World Development Indicators database. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.; Wikipedia: Women's suffrage (Summary); Wikipedia: List of legislatures by number of members; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Comprehensive National Power; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Nepal; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; Wikipedia: International recognition of the Syrian National Council (UN member states); Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; Wikipedia: Term of office (Terms of office by country); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Abkhazia_and_South_Ossetia#States_that_do_not_recognise_Abkhazia_or_South_Ossetia_as_independent; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.

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