The People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as China, is the most populous state in the world with over 1.3 billion people. Located in East Asia, China is governed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) under a single-party system. The PRC exercises jurisdiction over 24 provinces, four autonomous regions, four directly administered municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing) Its capital city is Beijing.