This is China on google map:
This is China map from a Chinese site. Why did i choose Chinese site? Because you can't deceive a Chinese with wrong China map.
Now we are comparing them.
Ooopss! Somebody trying to Show China smaller.
If you want to "measure it" the google map says you true. But the shape is wrong this causes big mistakes on the map.
Actually i was thinking that China must bigger than the map. Because there is 1,5 billion Chinese living there.
Yes, "the shape is wrong this causes big mistakes on the map". The shapes are different, but because of different map projections, not MISTAKES in the map!
Have you ever heard of different map projections?Google Maps are showing the whole world in a way that can be easily scrolled.
China can present a map that shows China alone and so can choose a projection of the Globe that gives as little distortion as possible to China.
Look at maps of Canada on Google Earth and on Google Maps (BOTH Google):
Canada Google Earth from 11,600 km (left) and Google Maps (right) They are quite different shapes, especially towards the north.
It's just different projections of the Globe. Google Earth uses a "Stereographic Projection (shows what it would look like from that eye height (here 11,600 km) and Google Maps use "Web Mercator" (easy to scroll around, but with the wee known exaggeration of size as we approach the poles).
Nobody is trying to fool you, or steal land from China, it's just what happens when you try to display a globe on a flat surface.
You simply cannot present large areas without getting some sort of distortion!