The 14 Countries That Border China

China shares land borders with 14 sovereign states—more than any other country except Russia (also 14). Total land boundary: ~22,000 km (13,700 mi).

The 14 Neighbors (Counterclockwise from Northeast)

1. North Korea (1,352 km) – Yalu/Tumen Rivers
2. Russia (4,133 km) – Amur, Ussuri, Argun Rivers; two separate sections (NE & NW)
3. Mongolia (4,630 km) – Gobi Desert, steppe
4. Kazakhstan (1,765 km) – Altai Mountains, steppe
5. Kyrgyzstan (1,063 km) – Tian Shan mountains
6. Tajikistan (477 km) – Pamir Mountains (Wakhan Corridor)
7. Afghanistan (92 km) – Wakhan Corridor only (remote, no road crossing)
8. Pakistan (592 km) – Karakoram Range (Khunjerab Pass)
9. India (3,488 km) – Disputed (Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh); Himalayas
10. Nepal (1,389 km) – Himalayas (Mt. Everest on border)
11. Bhutan (477 km) – Himalayas; disputed areas
12. Myanmar (Burma) (2,129 km) – Mountains, jungles; Muse–Ruili crossing
13. Laos (423 km) – Mekong River, mountains; Boten–Mohan crossing
14. Vietnam (1,281 km) – Mountains, karst; multiple crossings

Maritime Neighbors (Disputed/Proximity)

• South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan (ROC)

Special Notes

• Hong Kong & Macau are Special Administrative Regions of China—not sovereign borders.
• Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan) is a narrow 140-km panhandle separating Tajikistan and Pakistan; China-Afghanistan border is only 92 km there.
• Border Treaties: Resolved with Russia (2004), Vietnam (2000), others; disputes remain with India, Bhutan.

China's 14 land neighbors reflect its central Eurasian position.