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| | CIA - The World Factbook -- China |
 | | In its rivalry with India as an economic power, China has a lead in the absorption of technology, the rising prominence in world trade, and the alleviation of poverty; India has one important advantage in its relative mastery of the English language, but the number of competent Chinese English-speakers is growing rapidly. |
 | | For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. |
 | | At the same time, one demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. |
| www.cia.gov /cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html |
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