Sino-Vietnamese War begins

The State Council approved restoration of the national college entrance examination, allowing university entry to depend again on academic tests. The decision helped rebuild education and technical...

Washington and Beijing announced that diplomatic relations would begin on January 1, 1979. The decision shifted the global balance during the Cold War, while Washington’s recognition of Beijing and...

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Communist Party Central Committee marked a decisive turn toward economic modernization and reform. The shift opened China to foreign investment, trade, and...

The United States and the People’s Republic of China established formal diplomatic relations. The shift enlarged China’s access to trade, technology, and global institutions, while the US adopted a...

Deng Xiaoping arrived in the United States on the first official visit by a PRC leader since 1949. The trip helped make normalization tangible through public diplomacy, science and trade agreements,...

The National People’s Congress adopted the first law authorizing equity joint ventures with foreign investors. It provided a legal framework for technology, capital and market access as reform...

The IMF recognized the People’s Republic of China as China’s representative, restoring its formal role in the international monetary system. The step followed the PRC’s return to the UN and helped...

The World Bank restored the PRC’s representation, enabling the country to participate in development finance and technical cooperation. China’s relationship with the institution evolved from...

China’s legislature approved the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, part of an experiment to attract overseas capital and test market-oriented policies. Shenzhen’s rapid...

The Sixth Plenum adopted a resolution that reassessed the Party’s history since 1949 and condemned the Cultural Revolution while affirming Mao’s central historical role. It established an...