China

• © UNESCO/Dominique Roger
• The Great Wall

The People’s Republic of China joined UNESCO on November 4, 1946; the UNESCO office is located in Beijing.

The People’s Republic of China is an active UNESCO partner in the Education for All process. Beijing hosted the Fifth Meeting of the High Level Group on EFA in November 2005.

Literacy, particularly in rural areas, is a priority in cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and UNESCO. The search for solutions to rural education problems led to the creation of the International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED). The Centre’s mission is to boost social and economic development in rural areas through education.

In 2006, China launched the international UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, which recognizes outstanding efforts to promote literacy in rural areas.

Among cooperative projects in culture, the Peking Man World Heritage site is of great significance for paleontology and paleoanthropology. It provides an exceptional reminder of the prehistoric human societies of the Asian continent, with remains of Homo sapiens found dating back as far as 18,000-11,000 BC. An ongoing project aims to improve the site’s management as well as discover unidentified fossils.

The China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe received the title of UNESCO Artist for Peace in July 2007. The distinction honours their commitment to overcoming disability through music and the performing arts.