Ionospheric models and data for the Chinese subcontinent

The Chinese ionospheric sounding network, equipments and data obtined upto now are presented in this paper. A ionospheric F 2 -layer model for use in the Asia-Oceania Region, known as the AOR mapping, and the Chinese Reference Ionosphere(CRI) for use in the Chinese subcontinent are described in brief. Several statistical TEC models based on observations in China are present. Several numerical physical models established in China are described. Some regional features of the ionosphere over the Chinese subcontinent are summerized. In consequence of the significant inclination of geomagnetic latitude to geographic latitude in the Chinese subcontinent, the Chinese sounding network has an important advantage for the study of the geomagnetic lowlatitude ionosphere and equatorial dynamic process, especially for study of the longitude effect which reaches apparently its maximum in this geographical region.