Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

The People’s Bank of China moved from a strict US dollar peg toward a managed floating exchange-rate regime referencing a basket of currencies, and revalued the renminbi. The step responded to...

Chinese and Russian forces conducted a large joint exercise, with participation by other Shanghai Cooperation Organization states. It demonstrated expanding military cooperation and regional...

China launched Shenzhou VI, its first crewed mission carrying two astronauts and its first multi-day human spaceflight. The mission demonstrated advances in engineering and state capacity. Space...

The 1958 Agricultural Tax Regulations were annulled effective January 1, ending the agricultural tax nationwide after phased reductions. The measure shifted the state’s fiscal relationship with...

The railway linking Xining and Lhasa began operation, connecting Tibet more directly to the Chinese national transport network. The line enabled mobility and commerce but also raised concerns about...

China launched its first lunar probe, beginning a sustained program of robotic and crewed space exploration. The mission marked technological capability and national ambition, while expanding...

China and New Zealand signed a bilateral free-trade agreement after three years of negotiations. New Zealand became the first developed country to conclude such an agreement with China. The deal...

A major earthquake struck Sichuan, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions. The disaster prompted a vast state-led relief effort and public scrutiny of school construction and local...

The Olympic Games opened in Beijing, projecting China’s economic modernization and international stature. The spectacle also drew attention to human rights, censorship, labor, and environmental...

China’s State Council announced a large stimulus package in response to the global financial crisis, emphasizing infrastructure, housing, and domestic demand. The response supported global recovery...