China becomes the world’s largest goods-trading nation

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...

The 18th Party Congress opened in Beijing and began a leadership transition that brought Xi Jinping to the party’s top post. The congress’s report addressed growth, reform, social development and...

The 18th Party Congress installed Xi as the Party’s general secretary and chairman of the Central Military Commission. This succession began a more centralized leadership period that reshaped domestic...

In a speech in Kazakhstan, Xi proposed a Silk Road Economic Belt, later joined by a maritime component as the Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative connected infrastructure finance, trade...

The zone opened to test reforms in trade, finance, investment, and administrative regulation. It signaled a new phase of economic opening aimed at moving from export manufacturing toward services...

Xi proposed a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during a visit to Indonesia. Paired with the overland belt, the proposal widened China’s regional infrastructure and connectivity agenda toward...

The Party Central Committee adopted a decision outlining reforms in markets, governance, and state institutions. It announced a larger role for market forces while retaining strong Party direction,...

Students and civic groups occupied the Legislative Yuan in protest against opaque handling of a proposed cross-strait trade-in-services agreement. The movement demanded public scrutiny of economic...