Deng and Thatcher discuss Hong Kong’s future

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...

The National People’s Congress adopted the current PRC Constitution, establishing the formal framework for reform-era institutions and state modernization. The document affirmed Party leadership and...

The CCP Central Committee adopted a decision to reform China’s economic structure, expanding the reform agenda beyond agriculture and rural policy. It gave market mechanisms a larger role while...

China and the United Kingdom set terms for Hong Kong’s 1997 transfer under the “one country, two systems” framework. The agreement addressed a colonial-era settlement, while subsequent disputes over...

The PRC formally requested to resume its status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, beginning a long process that eventually led to WTO accession. The application marked an attempt to enter...

Taiwanese opposition activists founded the Democratic Progressive Party while martial law was still in force, challenging the Kuomintang’s one-party system. The move reflected local democratic...