I read that Canada is the second largest, though I believe much of the upper half is only marginally or (un)inhabitable due to cold, and inaccessibility issues.
China is relatively resource poor. The eastern half and north central part of their country does not have much to offer. Tibet had the source of two rivers, so they took them over. The farmland is all in the western half. Yet, they can not grow enough food to feed their 1.4 Billion people.
They do not have a lot of petroleum. They have some coal, but import most of it.
So, the only way to drive their industrial economy is import resources and manufacture cheap crap. The issue now is that they can make much of that cheap crap in other countries for less money. Their population is shrinking. They have already lost 100 million.
They are buying farm land here. They are trying to get Canada’s resources. Truedope is willing.
Russia sells them a lot of timber.
Russia sells them a lot of oil.
Iran sells them oil.
Australia, Malaysia and the US sell them coal.
The Congo sells them a lot of Cobalt.
China does have lithium and is willing to process it.
China does not have a lot of Nickle or Copper.
Chile and Bolivia have a lot of nickle and Copper. Which is why Chile nationalized it.