China launches Chang’e 1 lunar orbiter

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...

The summit brought leaders from China and African states together and adopted a cooperation plan expanding trade, investment, debt relief, and aid. It reflected South-South diplomacy and offered...

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...