Beijing - The world's most-populous country is accumulating other superlatives after decades of rapid economic and technological development.
The following are a few of China's record-setting vital statistics:
- Stock floatations: Even before online retail giant Alibaba announced its plans to float, the Agricultural Bank of China held the record for biggest IPO, of 22 billion US dollars on the Hong Kong and Shanghai exchanges in 2010.
- Internet users: With 632 million people online and that number growing fast, China has the most netizens of any country.
- Currency reserves: At the end of last year, Beijing had about 3.82 trillion dollars' worth of foreign reserves, more than the annual economic output of Germany.
- Trade: China overtook the United States last year to become the world's number one trade partner.
- Building materials: China produces, and uses, as much coal, steel and cement in a year as the rest of the world put together.
- Beer: China produces, and drinks, more beer in a year than the rest of the world put together.
Per capita, however, consumption lags behind Czechs, Germans and Austrians.
- Carbon dioxide: China is also the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. - Sapa-dpa