Geographical Science in PRC: History and Recent Developments

The article is an overview of the history of development and the current state of geographical science in China. The relevance of the work relates to the ongoing reorientation of Russia’s international scientific relations under the influence of the geopolitical crisis. Over the past decades, Chinese geography as a branch of knowledge has gone through a significant transformation, closely related to the dynamics of the country’s development. China’s outstripping economic growth in recent decades has been accompanied by significant government investments in strengthening the national scientific and educational system. This made it possible to strengthen the material and technical base and create a personnel and organizational reserve for internationalization. In modern China, there are such sections of geography as complex, physical, social, and informational. Topics related to climate, human settlement, the study of loess, mountainous and arid regions, urbanization, urban and regional planning, and industrial clusters are popular. The main feature of Chinese geographical research is the widespread use of quantitative and remote research methods, including in the study of social and international problems. Chinese geographers have made significant progress in studying the evolution of the environment in the Quaternary period using loess and glacial data, studying the East Asian atmospheric circulation, and zoning the territory, including carrying out functional zoning. However, local experts are alarmed by the growing divergence of various branches of geography, the lack of comprehensive and theoretical research. The article also provides background information about the main geographical organizations, journals, and scientists. The center of geographical science is Beijing, where the head institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is located, as well as two leading geographical faculties. In addition to the capital, the cities of Nanjing, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. stand out. Geographical specialties are taught at 44 universities in China. There are 12 geographical research institutes operating in the country, seven of them are part of the CAS system. A unified network of field stations has also been created. Number of geographical journals more than 20, including several English-language ones. The department of earth sciences of the CAS includes 138 academicians, of which 10+ are geographers. The Geographical Society of China plays a major role with 30+ subdivisions and regional-level commissions at every Chinese province.