【Introduction】

   This book is an annual statistics publication, which covers very comprehensive data series in 1997 and some selected data series in historically important years and the most recent ten years at national level and local levels of province, autonomous region, and municipalities directly under the central government and therefore, reflects various aspects of China's social and economic development.

【Main Contents】

The book contains the following twenty two parts,
1.Division of Administra-tive Areas and Natural
Resources;
2.General Survey;
3.National Accounts;
4.Population;
5.Employment and Wages;
6.Investment in Fixed Assets;
7.Production and Consumption of Energy;
8.Government Finance;
9.Price Indices;
10.People's Livelihood;
11.General Survey of Cities;
12.Agriculture;
13. Industry;
14. Cons -truction;
15.Transportation, Postal and
Telecommunica -tions services;
16.Domestic Trade;
17.Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation;
18.Tourism;
19.Banking and Insurance;
20.Education, Science and Culture;
21.Sports, Public Health, Social Welfare and
Others;
22.Main Social and Economic Indicators of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). In the appendices listed are Main Social and Economic Indicators of Taiwan Province and the Region of Macao; A Comparison of Economic and Social Indicators Among People's Republic of China and Other Countries. In brief introduction at the beginning of each part, mainly coverage of this chapter, data sources, statistical coverage. Statistical methods and historical changes are concerned. In addition, Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators are provided at the end of each part.