China's Gansu Province has recently submitted an application to become a member of NEAR. If approved during the 14th NEAR General Assembly scheduled to be held in Ulsan Metropolitan City on October 25, it will bring up the total count of NEAR members to 81.

Gansu is the 13th Chinese member to seek NEAR membership, following Liaoning's application for membership in 2021. Additionally, it is the second application received following Russia's Altai Republic's application for membership this year.

Situated in the western interior of China, Gansu covers a vast area of 425,800 square kilometers, characterized by a narrow and elongated terrain stretching 1,655 kilometers from east to west and 530 kilometers from north to south. The province comprises 12 municipalities, two ethnic autonomous regions (Linxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region), and 86 prefectures (cities and districts). Its resident population stands at 24.92 million.