The International Convention on Driving Licences was signed
in September 1949. China did not become a republic until 1st
October 1949. This is the main reason why an international
driving licence cannot be used in China.
However, if you are over 18 and have a valid driving licence
from another country then it is quite likely you will only basically
need to do a written (computerized) test to obtain a 6 year China
driving licence for a fairly minimal fee.
