Ⅰ.China Statistical Yearbook 1999 is an annual statistics publication, which covers very comprehensive data series in 1998 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.

Ⅱ.The book contains the following twenty-two parts, l. Division of Administrative 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. Construction; 15. Transportation, Postal and Telecommunications 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.

Ⅲ. The national data in this book do not include that of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan Province and the Region of Macao except for divisions of administrative areas territory, forest resources. IV. Statistics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region constitute an integral part of the national statistics of China. According to the principles set forth in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, statistically Hong Kong and the mainland of China are two mutually independent regions, and follow their own and different statistical systems in carrying out independent statistical operation. Statistics on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as included in this Yearbook are provided by the Department of Census and Statistics of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and edited by the State Statistical Bureau. Users are alerted to the difference in the concepts, definitions and coverage of statistics when using and comparing data of the mainland of China and Hong Kong.

V. The units of measurement used in this book are internationally standard measurement units.

VI. The major data sources of this publication are obtained from annual statistical reports, and some from sample surveys. Data of Taiwan and the Region of Macao are collected from Monthly Statistics Bulletin and Statistical Yearbook compiled by Taiwan and Macao respectively. Data for major countries and territories are collected from various statistical publications published by the United Nations.

VII. Statistical discrepancies due to rounding are not adjusted in this book.

VIIIThe notes concerning the whole table are placed at the upper part of the table, while the notes concerning individual indicators are placed at the lower part. If the table is a continued one, the footnotes are placed in the last page.

IXNotations used in this book:

“ ” indicates that the figure is not large enough to be measured with the smallest unit in the table, “(blank)”indicates that the data not available. “#” indicates the major items of the total, “* or ① ”indicated “see footnotes below”.