Urumqi unrest begins

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...

Chinese naval vessels departed to protect commercial shipping from piracy off Somalia. The deployment extended China’s military presence beyond East Asia and was presented as an international...

The free trade area entered into force for China and six founding ASEAN members, lowering tariffs across much of their trade. It deepened regional supply chains and South-South economic links, while...

The Expo opened under the theme “Better City, Better Life,” presenting China as a capable host and an urban-development model. Its global spectacle coincided with the displacement and redevelopment...

The National People’s Congress approved the 12th Five-Year Plan, emphasizing rebalancing, social services, innovation and environmental goals alongside continued growth. Planning remained a major tool...

China launched its first space laboratory module, a step toward developing a permanent crewed space station. The program built independent technological capacity after exclusion from the International...

The Liaoning entered service as the PRC’s first aircraft carrier. Its commissioning signaled a new phase in naval modernization and power projection, although the carrier’s operational capability...