Third Plenum adopts decision to reform economic structure

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...

Deng Xiaoping told British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that China intended to recover Hong Kong in 1997 and outlined a special administrative arrangement. The meeting began high-stakes...

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...

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...

China and Portugal signed a declaration setting the terms for Portugal’s administration of Macau until the 1999 transfer of sovereignty. The agreement drew on negotiations between two states but...

President Chiang Ching-kuo lifted martial law in Taiwan after 38 years. The decision followed sustained opposition organizing and opened a transition toward competitive politics; this history...