China

China 中国
Character Information
Name	People's Republic Of China (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó) (中华人民共和国)
Human Name	Wang Yao (王耀, Wanyao)
Alternate Spellings	Wang Yue, Wang You
Age	4000
Gender	Male
Birthday	October 10 (original profile), October 1 (Chinese release), Unknown (newer profiles)
Hair Color	Black (manga), Dark Brown (anime)
Eye Color	Brown/Amber
Height	169 cm (5' 6.5")
Debut Appearances
Volume	Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 1
Strip	Chapter 2: Allied Forces
Game	Gakuen Hetalia
Drama CD	Axis Powers Hetalia: The CD
Anime	Episode 01
Musical	~Singin' in the World~
Voice Actors
Japanese	Yuki Kaida Kanae Kasuga (Flower of Iris)
English	Clarine Harp
Tagalog	Hazel Hernan

China (中国, Chūgoku) is a main character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers. He is part of the Allied Forces. Between 2007 and early 2008, Himaruya gave human names to some of the characters and he received the name Wang Yao (王耀, Wanyao or Ouyou, 王耀, Wáng Yào).

Attributes

A 'chibi' version of China.

Appearance

China has dark hair tied back into a ponytail and is often shown wearing a green Chinese military uniform with a red armband with a white star on it. The shade of green varies; however, it's generally deep green, though it was once colored tan. In other instances, he wears a green mandarin jacket with yellow pants or a red one with white pants (as shown in the Hetalia trading card game). Seeing him "will make you say he's an old man or a hermit or something" though he looks young.

He has a scar on his back, having been attacked by Japan when they were younger, and a panda-shaped birthmark above his buttocks.

Over time, Himaruya said that China's design changed the least, though his bangs may have changed in volume a little. Himaruya's said that he's easier to draw than other characters, with a different easiness than England. He's also added that his expressions are easy to change.

Personality and Interests

Apparently one of the oldest nations, China lives through a tough life surrounded by mysterious things. He happens to be extremely superstitious, but not at all religious. He loves good luck and fortune. China tries to act as an older brother to the other Asian nations, but fails to be treated as one. He's also said to have many disciples, said to be his provinces, but no authority over them, either. When they begin to fight and refuse to work together, he doesn't try to reconcile them. Somewhat like America, he likes to be in charge and have what he wants. He tends to end his sentences with the sound "-aru" (a Japanese stereotype of Chinese accents), though sometimes he ends them with "-ahen" (opium) when conversing with England. He has a companion named "Shinatty-chan", an old man in a Hello Kitty knockoff costume.

China is shown to be a lover of cuisine, even being part of the Gourmet Food Club with France and Turkey in the Gakuen Hetalia strips, and is said to nag if food has a certain pattern of tastes. On one occasion in the WWII-set strips, he winds up arriving late to a meeting and explains that he always puts food as his first priority. According to his profile in Volume 6, it is said that he would eat anything that has four legs unless it's a chair.

He's said to hate losing and be patronizing, and he's only recently completely changed his halfhearted ways and begun to put serious effort into everything. He has a lot of mysterious, "secret" medicines at his house, though he's not sure of what their ingredients are, and tries to sell them to nations he feels are in need of them. Even in Hetalia Fantasia, he's shown to be a decent businessman, though he doesn't have any problem with taking advantage of customers such as Prussia when he sold him a panda that he claimed would make him happy as a prank on April Fools.

China appears to have a love of cute things, particularly cartoon characters, Hello Kitty, and pandas, and he is frequently seen carrying one. He is also very artistic, as he is skilled at not only painting beautiful human beings full-scale, but also on something as small as a strand of hair (as seen in a strip in the web-comic); his artistic abilities don't, however, apply across the board, as his anime art is quite poor compared to Japan's and Korea's.

Overall he appears to be a cheerful character, though he can occasionally slip into moments of melancholy when reflecting on how much the world has changed over his long life. He's also been shown to be easily annoyed and prone to snapping, particularly when it comes to Korea.

In the Hetalia Fantasia CD, he said that he, like all Chinese people, isn't one to waste a second of time. According to Russia, however, he often takes naps in the sun in his garden, does "some weird dance" (which China later clarified to have been tai chi) in the morning, and he himself said that he would sleep and eat all day on a holiday. In addition, he said that his specialty was online games. He also seems fairly gullible, as he said that, with the money he was earning, he would buy some products off of one of America's "promotional things".

Relationships

Hong Kong

Main Article: Hong Kong

Little has been revealed about their relationship. Hong Kong was raised by China before he became British territory. The two were eventually reunited when England's control ceased. In The Summary of the Plot until Now, China is seen telling Hong Kong to stop drawing explicit art, saying that he will have to mosaic it all out. Hong Kong replies, "I'm kinda sorry. And I won't do it again. Maybe." Also, Hong Kong refers China as teacher (sensei).

Japan

Main Article: Japan

After discovering the new nation (who appeared to be a child all on his own), China took him in and raised him as a younger brother, though Japan denied being related to him when asked about it. Japan eventually wound up betraying China when he decided to initiate a war and attacked him with a katana (leaving a scar on his back). Since that war, the two remained on opposing sides as enemies, and China became distressed as to how war changed his "brother".

Korea

Main Article: Korea

China is constantly annoyed by Korea's claims that he invented others' work and his claim that both he and Japan should consider him to be their older brother. Korea also happens to have an obsession with China, wanting to be acknowledged by him. He also once showed the belief that China's breasts belonged to him like Japan's.

Russia

Main Article: Russia

Despite the close relationship the two have had throughout their history, China is very suspicious and fearful of his northern neighbor, especially after the Sino-Soviet Split. In return, Russia has been shown to stalk China, especially when disguised in a panda suit. However, China still cares for Russia and provides medicine when he appears to have caught a cold.

Taiwan

Main Article: Taiwan

Little has been revealed about their relationship. In Asian and Western Festivals, Taiwan, like Hong Kong, refers to China as 'teacher.' However, she also talks back to him frequently and does not mind his bossiness.

Appearances

China in Episode 09.

Anime

China first appears in Episode 01, at the world meeting. As the others argue, he attempts to break up the fight by offering them snacks (that they refuse).

China's raising of Japan is spotlighted in Episode 16, which details their past history, though the betrayal aspect was left out of the anime adaptation.

Though his hair tends to be colored black in most artwork for the manga, China's character design in the anime gives him ash brown hair, as well as adding hair curls to his ponytail.

Musical

Taishi Sugie as China.

China appeared in the musical Hetalia ~Singin' in the World~ and was portrayed by Taishi Sugie.

Trivia

China's old profile, with Kuomintang flag.

• In his earliest webcomic profile, China was represented by the Guomindang flag of China. In his profiles from 2007 and on, Hidekaz Himaruya quickly switched the flag out for the People's Republic Of China one. However, the historically accurate flag for the WWII-set strips would be the flag for the Republic Of China (later used for Taiwan).
• His original birthday (October 10th) corresponded with the date of formation of the Republic Of China. However, in later profiles, his birthday was stated as "Unknown". In a Chinese printing of volume 2, his birthday is given as October 1st (the formation of the People's Republic Of China), though the same printing is controversial for changing Taiwan's profile to state that she is a "part of China" (the stance that both Republics of China take).
• He is immortal, which explains his great age of 4000 years. Some Chinese fans will modify his age to 5000, as it is considered to be a more accurate age for "China". This was mentioned in a volume 5 strip, stating that he is 4000 but some say 5000.
  

  Early China as seen in vol3.
• A rejected design for China showed that Himaruya originally considered having him wear glasses. One version of this early design appears in a scan of a notebook page featuring it along with an early male Korea and a Thailand. In the design, China also wears his hair down. A second doodle of the rejected concept would later appear in the special edition booklet for volume 3, where he was depicted with short hair and the glasses. In notes, Himaruya wrote that the character was originally supposed to be calmer and cruel, as well as appearing to be older; however, he decided to make him cuter after meeting many Chinese people in his school and neighborhood, though he noted that many mistake him for a girl now.
• In volume 4 it was revealed that he is a member of the Academy Gourmet Food Club along with France and Turkey. In the same scene of this colored chapter, a graphic hue edit or lighting error used to accentuate the punchline of this scene accidentally discolored these three characters' uniform pants to an odd shade of green, opening a door for some fan confusion.
• Himaruya once drew China with short hair. In the drawing, he was given a small ahoge like America's, and also appeared to wear his bomber jacket. China appeared to be somewhat uncomfortable.