China is larger by total area than India or Kazakhstan. China covers about 9.6 million square kilometres, compared with roughly 3.29 million for India and 2.72 million for Kazakhstan.
China’s enormous size comes from its broad east–west and north–south reach. It stretches from the Pacific coast across deserts, high plateaus, grasslands, basins and mountains to Central Asia. The Himalayas form much of its southwestern boundary, while the Gobi Desert lies along parts of its northern frontier.
A common mix-up is confusing total area with land area. Total area includes inland water, while land area excludes lakes and rivers. China’s exact ranking against the United States can vary by source because countries count water and disputed territories differently, but that issue does not affect this comparison: China is far larger than either India or Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country, and India is the world’s seventh-largest country by total area, but both remain substantially smaller than China.