China deposits Paris Agreement ratification

Parties to the UN climate convention adopted the Paris Agreement, with China among the world’s largest emitters and a major participant in climate diplomacy. The agreement’s universal framework...

The AIIB’s Articles of Agreement entered into force, establishing the new multilateral lender. China’s central role reflected demands for greater representation in development finance and its capacity...

The AIIB formally opened for business with China as its largest shareholder and a broad multinational membership. Its creation expanded the institutional landscape of development finance and gave...

A tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ruled in the Philippines-China arbitration. China rejected the proceedings and award. The dispute highlighted conflicts between maritime law,...

The QUESS satellite, later named Micius, was launched to test quantum communications over long distances. The mission demonstrated advanced research capabilities and stimulated international...

China hosted the G20 leaders’ summit, placing it at the center of debates about global growth, trade, development, and climate. Hosting signaled an expanded role in global governance, though the G20’s...

The renminbi became the fifth currency in the IMF’s reserve asset basket, alongside the US dollar, euro, yen, and pound. The change symbolized China’s growing role in the monetary system but did not...

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted the Cybersecurity Law, which took effect in June 2017. It set obligations for network operators, data handling and state oversight. The...

Xi Jinping delivered a prominent defense of economic globalization as political leaders elsewhere questioned free trade. His speech positioned China as a defender of multilateral trade in that moment,...

The domestically developed narrow-body aircraft completed its first flight from Shanghai. The C919 represented an effort to enter a global aerospace market long dominated by Boeing and Airbus,...