China is becoming more important to the world economy everyday. The BBC has put together a number of country profiles, there is one on China at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm
If you're interested in how this country is run (on paper anyway): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/china_politics/government/html/1.stm
Like many other countries, realities of everyday life are often affected by local economic, political, and environmental conditions much more than the theoretical structure of the government. But it's good to know the theory anyway. I also recommend the book "China Wakes". Though it's become a bit dated since being published in the 90s, it still gives a good picture of the different Chinas. Just like there's no one USA, but many different facets of American life that range across a spectrum of viewpoints and cultures, China is also a big onion that peels back in many different layers.
