In the 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic, China has achieved unprecedented development: From a farming nation to a low-wage country to a technological powerhouse. Online trade, information and biotechnologies shape the economy today.
The transformation continues: for the centenary in 2049, party and state leader Xi Jinping wants to see China as a prosperous, culturally highly developed, socialist state.
An illustrative infographic on China in transition.