History of China in Timeline
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is an East Asian country with over 1.4 billion people, making it the second-most populous globally. It spans five time zones and borders 14 countries, ranking as the third-largest by land area at nearly 9.6 million square kilometers. China is divided into 33 province-level divisions, including provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions. Beijing serves as the capital, while Shanghai is the most populous city and a major financial hub.
1901: Boxer Rebellion
The anti-foreign Boxer Rebellion of 1899–1901 further weakened the Qing dynasty.
1905: First Chinese Film Released
In 1905, the first Chinese film, Dingjun Mountain, was released.
1911: Xinhai Revolution
In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution ended the Qing dynasty.
January 1912: Establishment of the Republic of China
On January 1912, the Republic of China was established, and Sun Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (KMT) was proclaimed provisional president.
March 1912: Yuan Shikai Becomes President
In March 1912, the presidency was given to Yuan Shikai, a former Qing general.
1912: Abdication of the Last Emperor
In 1912, Puyi, the last Emperor, abdicated, marking the end of the Qing dynasty.
1912: End of the Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, lasted until 1912.
1915: Yuan Shikai Proclaims Himself Emperor
In 1915, Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself Emperor of China.
1916: Re-establishment of the Republic
In 1916, Yuan Shikai was forced to abdicate and re-establish the republic after facing condemnation.
1927: Beginning of the Chinese Civil War
In 1927, the Chinese Civil War began when KMT forces purged members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
1927: Breakdown of KMT-CCP Alliance
In 1927, the alliance between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) broke down after Chiang violently suppressed the CCP in Shanghai, marking the beginning of the Chinese Civil War.
November 1931: Establishment of Chinese Soviet Republic
In November 1931, the CCP declared areas of the country as the Chinese Soviet Republic (Jiangxi Soviet) in Ruijin, Jiangxi.
1931: Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
In 1931, Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria.
1932: First Olympic Games Participation
China participated in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1932.
1934: CCP Initiates Long March
In 1934, the Jiangxi Soviet was eliminated by the KMT armies, causing the CCP to initiate the Long March and relocate to Yan'an.
1937: Second Sino-Japanese War
In 1937, Japan invaded other parts of China, precipitating the Second Sino-Japanese War.
1937: Japanese Invasion
In 1937, the Empire of Japan invaded China, leading to the Second Sino-Japanese War.
1947: Establishment of Constitutional Rule
In 1947, constitutional rule was established in China, but many provisions of the ROC constitution were never implemented in mainland China due to the ongoing civil war.
October 1949: Proclamation of the People's Republic of China
On October 1949, CCP Chairman Mao Zedong formally proclaimed the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.
1949: Forest coverage
According to China's government, the forest coverage of the country grew from 10% of the overall territory in 1949 to 25% in 2024.
1949: Communists Come to Power
After the Communists came to power in 1949, efforts were made to organize science and technology based on the model of the Soviet Union.
1949: Communist Victory and Establishment of the PRC
In 1949, the Communists established control over most of China, proclaiming the People's Republic of China and forcing the Nationalist government to retreat to Taiwan.
1949: End of Major Combat in Chinese Civil War
Major combat in the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949.
1949: Per Capita Income in 1949
When the PRC was founded in 1949, per capita income in China was one-fifth of the world average.
1950: PRC Annexes Tibet and Captures Hainan
In 1950, the PRC captured Hainan from the ROC and annexed Tibet.
1950: Population Increase
The Chinese population increased from 550 million in 1950.
1952: First Participation as PRC
In 1952, China participated in the Olympic Games as the PRC for the first time.
1953: Male Population
In 1953, males accounted for 51.8% of the total population in China.
1958: Discovery of Erlitou Culture Sites
In 1958, archaeologists discovered sites belonging to the Erlitou culture during the early Bronze Age.
1958: Space Program Started in 1958
The Chinese space program started in 1958 with some technology transfers from the Soviet Union.
1959: Great Leap Forward Famine
The Great Leap Forward resulted in an estimated 15 to 55 million deaths between 1959 and 1961.
1961: Reference to Population Decline
In 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics estimated that the population fell 850,000 from 2021 to 2022, the first decline since 1961.
1961: Great Leap Forward Famine
The Great Leap Forward resulted in an estimated 15 to 55 million deaths between 1959 and 1961.
1966: Launch of Cultural Revolution
In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the Cultural Revolution.
1970: First Satellite Launched in 1970
China launched the nation's first satellite, the Dong Fang Hong I, in 1970.
October 1971: PRC Replaces ROC in United Nations
In October 1971, the PRC replaced the ROC in the United Nations and took its seat as a permanent member of the Security Council.
1971: UN Representation
In 1971, the PRC replaced the Republic of China (ROC) as the sole representative of China in the United Nations.
1971: UN Recognition of PRC
In 1971, the UN representative for China was changed from the ROC to the PRC.
1972: Shanghai Communiqué
In 1972, the Shanghai Communiqué would precipitate the normalization of relations with the United States.
1974: Population Increase
The Chinese population reached 900 million in 1974.
1976: Science and Technology as One of the Four Modernizations After 1976
After Mao's death in 1976, science and technology were promoted as one of the Four Modernizations.
1976: End of Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution lasted until Mao's death in 1976.
1978: Start of economic reforms
After Deng Xiaoping began instituting economic reforms in 1978, the health of the Chinese public improved rapidly because of better nutrition.
1978: Poverty Reduction Between 1978 and 2018
Between 1978 and 2018, China reduced extreme poverty by 800 million.
1978: Living Standard and Wage Growth Starting in 1978
From 1978 to 2018, the average standard of living multiplied by a factor of twenty-six. Real wages grew seven-fold from 1978 to 2007.
1978: Economic reforms in 1978
In 1978, China introduced economic reforms and its GDP was $150 billion.
1978: Deng Xiaoping Takes Power
In 1978, Deng Xiaoping took power and instituted large-scale political and economic reforms.
1979: Advocacy for one-child policy
In 1979, China began to advocate for a strict limit of one child per family.
1979: Environmental Protection Law
Regulations such as the 1979 Environmental Protection Law are fairly stringent, though they are poorly enforced, frequently disregarded in favor of rapid economic development.
1980: Percent of the Population in Urban Areas
In 1980, 20% of China's population lived in urban areas.
December 1982: Adoption of Current Constitution
China adopted its current constitution on 4 December 1982.
1989: Tiananmen Square Protests
In 1989, a movement for increased democracy and liberalization stalled after the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.
1990: Poverty Statistics in 1990
From 1990 to 2018, the proportion of the Chinese population living with an income of less than $1.90 per day (2011 PPP) decreased from 66.3% to 0.3%, the share living with an income of less than $3.20 per day from 90.0% to 2.9%, and the share living with an income of less than $5.50 per day decreased from 98.3% to 17.0%.
1990: Increase in Air Passengers
In 1990, the number of air passengers in China was 16.6 million.
1990: Stunting rates
Rates of stunting, a condition caused by malnutrition, have declined from 33.1% in 1990.
1997: Return of Hong Kong
British Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 as a special administrative region.
1999: Return of Macau
Portuguese Macau returned to China in 1999 as a special administrative region.
2000: Growth of Rapid Transit Systems
Since 2000, the growth of rapid transit systems in Chinese cities has accelerated.
2001: WTO Membership in 2001
China has been a member of the WTO since 2001.
2001: Entry into the World Trade Organization
China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
2002: Hu Jintao Becomes General Secretary
At the 16th CCP National Congress in 2002, Hu Jintao succeeded Jiang as the general secretary.
2003: Citizen Satisfaction
A Harvard University survey published in July 2020 found that citizen satisfaction with the government had increased since 2003.
2003: Annual education investment
Annual education investment in China went from less than US$50 billion in 2003.
2003: SARS Outbreak
China's large population and densely populated cities led to serious disease outbreaks, such as SARS in 2003.
2003: First Human Spaceflight in 2003
In 2003, China became the third country in the world to independently send humans into space with Yang Liwei's spaceflight aboard Shenzhou 5.
2005: Nature reserves
As of 2005, China has over 2,349 nature reserves, covering a total area of 149.95 million hectares, 15 percent of China's total land area.
December 2006: Baiji confirmed extinct
The Baiji was confirmed extinct on 12 December 2006.
2006: Railway Traffic Volume
In 2006, China's railways handled a quarter of the world's rail traffic volume on 6% of the world's tracks.
2007: Real Wage Growth Through 2007
From 1978 to 2007, real wages grew seven-fold.
2007: Slowdown of Foreign Adoptions
Increased restrictions by the Chinese Government slowed foreign adoptions significantly in 2007.
June 2008: Laogai Research Foundation Estimate
In June 2008, the Laogai Research Foundation estimated that there were nearly 1,422 reform through labor (laogai) facilities.
2008: Private Businesses Recorded in 2008
Around 30 million private businesses were recorded in China in 2008.
2008: Beijing Summer Olympics
In 2008, China hosted the Summer Olympics in Beijing, receiving 48 gold medals.
2009: Healthcare provision initiative
In 2009, the government began a three-year large-scale healthcare provision initiative worth US$124 billion.
2010: Average Population Growth Rate
Between 2010 and 2020, the average population growth rate was 0.53%.
2010: Population Census Comparison
Compared with the 2010 population census, the Han population increased by 60,378,693 persons, or 4.93%, while the population of the 55 national minorities combined increased by 11,675,179 persons, or 10.26%.
2010: Economic Complexity Index in 2010
Harvard University's Economic Complexity Index ranked complexity of China's exports 24th in the world in 2010.
2010: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
In 2010 China's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan was received by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
2010: Disparity in Education Spending
In 2010, the annual education expenditure per secondary school student in Beijing totalled ¥20,023, while in Guizhou it only totalled ¥3,204.
2010: Stunting rates
Rates of stunting, a condition caused by malnutrition, have declined to 9.9% in 2010.
2010: Largest Manufacturing Nation in 2010
Since 2010, China has been the world's largest manufacturing nation, after overtaking the U.S.
2011: Health Insurance Coverage
By 2011, the healthcare provision initiative resulted in 95% of China's population having basic health insurance coverage.
2011: Poverty Metrics
From 1990 to 2018, the proportion of the Chinese population living with an income of less than $1.90 per day (2011 PPP) decreased from 66.3% to 0.3%, the share living with an income of less than $3.20 per day from 90.0% to 2.9%, and the share living with an income of less than $5.50 per day decreased from 98.3% to 17.0%.
2011: First Space Station Testbed in 2011
In 2011, China launched its first space station testbed, Tiangong-1.
2011: Shenzhen Summer Universiade
In 2011, Shenzhen hosted the Summer Universiade.
November 2012: Xi Jinping took office
Xi Jinping took office as general secretary on 15 November 2012.
2012: SIPRI Military Spending
According to SIPRI, China's military spending from 2012 to 2021 averaged US$215 billion per year or 1.7 per cent of GDP.
2012: Estimated Number of Bicycles
As of 2012, China has an estimated 470 million bicycles.
2012: High-Tech Manufacturing Country in 2012
China has been the second-largest high-tech manufacturing country since 2012.
2012: Summer Paralympics
China won the most medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, with 231 overall, including 95 gold.
2012: BeiDou Commercial Navigation Services in Asia Started in 2012
China's BeiDou, started offering commercial navigation services across Asia in 2012.
2012: Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize
In 2012, Mo Yan, a xungen literature author, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
2012: Xi Jinping Becomes Paramount Leader
Xi Jinping succeeded Hu as paramount leader at the 18th CCP National Congress in 2012.
December 2013: Two-child policy for some families
In December 2013, China allowed families to have two children if one parent is an only child.
2013: Largest Trading Nation in 2013
China became the world's largest trading nation in 2013 by the sum of imports and exports.
2013: Global Innovation Index Ranking in 2013
China's rank of 35th in the Global Innovation Index in 2013.
2013: East Asian Games in Tianjin
In 2013, China hosted the East Asian Games in Tianjin.
2013: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
In 2013, China initiated the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a large global infrastructure building initiative.
2013: Lunar Landing in 2013
In 2013, a Chinese robotic rover Yutu successfully touched down on the lunar surface as part of the Chang'e 3 mission.
2013: Abolition of re-education through labor
The state-imposed re-education through labor (laojiao) system was formally abolished in 2013.
2014: Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing
In 2014, China hosted the Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing.
2015: Lack of Access to Improved Sanitation
According to the Joint Monitoring Program, about 36% of the rural population in China still did not have access to improved sanitation in 2015.
2015: Largest Middle-Class Population Since 2015
China has had the world's largest middle-class population since 2015.
2015: "1.5"-child policy
From the mid-1980s to 2015, China had a "1.5"-child policy, with some exemptions to the one-child limit, particularly in rural areas.
2015: Slowdown of Foreign Adoptions
Increased restrictions by the Chinese Government slowed foreign adoptions significantly again in 2015.
2016: Largest Trading Partner in 2016
By 2016, China was the largest trading partner of 124 countries.
2016: Largest Publisher of Scientific Papers in 2016
China's academic publication apparatus became the world's largest publisher of scientific papers in 2016.
2016: Renewable energy share increases
China's adaptation of renewable energy has increased significantly in recent years, with their share increasing from 26.3 percent in 2016 to 31.9 percent in 2022.
2016: Replacement of one-child policy
In 2016, the one-child policy was replaced in favor of a two-child policy.
2016: Largest Number of Movie Screens
Since 2016, China has had the largest number of movie screens in the world.
2016: Global Slavery Index
The Global Slavery Index estimated that in 2016 more than 3.8 million people were living in "conditions of modern slavery".
2017: Pharmaceutical Ingredients Production
By 2017, China was producing around 40 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
2017: Government restrictions on religion
In 2017 and 2020, the Pew Research Center ranked the severity of Chinese government restrictions on religion as being among the world's highest.
2017: Release of Wolf Warrior 2
In 2017, the film Wolf Warrior 2 was released, and it became one of the top three highest-grossing films in China.
2017: Increase in Air Passengers
In 2017, the number of air passengers in China increased to 551.2 million.
2017: Crackdown in Xinjiang
Since 2017, the Chinese government has been engaged in a harsh crackdown in Xinjiang, with around one million Uyghurs and other ethnic and religion minorities being detained in internment camps.
2018: Patent Applications in 2018
According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators, China received more applications than the U.S. did in 2018.
2018: Mobile and Internet Statistics in 2018
As of 2018, China Telecom served more than 145 million broadband subscribers and 300 million mobile users; China Unicom had about 300 million subscribers; and China Mobile had 925 million users. Combined, the three operators had over 3.4 million 4G base-stations in China.
2018: 4G Users in 2018
By 2018, China had more than 1 billion 4G users, accounting for 40% of world's total.
2018: BeiDou Global Services by the End of 2018
China's BeiDou began offering global services by the end of 2018.
2018: Living Standard Multiplies by 26
From 1978 to 2018, the average standard of living multiplied by a factor of twenty-six.
2018: Most-Visited Country in 2018
In 2018, China was the fourth-most-visited country in the world.
2018: State-Owned Airlines Market Share
In 2018, the top three airlines in China, all state-owned, collectively made up 71% of the market.
December 2019: COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic was first identified in Wuhan in December 2019.
2019: Patent Applications in 2019
According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators, China received more applications than the U.S. did in 2019.
2019: Probe Landing on the Far Side of the Moon in 2019
In 2019, China became the first country to land a probe—Chang'e 4—on the far side of the Moon.
2019: Wealth Distribution Overtaking the U.S. in 2019
In 2019, China overtook the U.S. as the home to the highest number of people who have a net personal wealth of at least $110,000.
2019: International and Domestic Tourism in 2019
In 2019, China received 65.7 million international visitors and Chinese tourists made an estimated 6 billion travels within the country.
2019: Annual Ridership of High-Speed Rail
In 2019, the annual ridership of China's high-speed rail system was over 2.3 billion passengers, making it the world's busiest.
April 2020: Belt and Road Initiative
As of April 2020, the Belt and Road Initiative included 138 countries and 30 international organizations.
July 2020: Harvard University survey on government satisfaction
A Harvard University survey published in July 2020 found that citizen satisfaction with the government had increased since 2003.
October 2020: Stock Exchanges in October 2020
As of October 2020, China has three out of the ten largest stock exchanges in the world—Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen—that together have a market capitalization of over $15.9 trillion.
2020: Ethnic Minorities Account for Less than 10% of the Population
According to the 2020 census, ethnic minorities account for less than 10% of the population of China.
2020: Annual education investment
Annual education investment in China went to more than US$817 billion in 2020.
2020: Longest Metro Systems
As of 2020, China boasted the five longest metro systems in the world with the networks in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen being the largest.
2020: Government restrictions on religion
In 2017 and 2020, the Pew Research Center ranked the severity of Chinese government restrictions on religion as being among the world's highest.
2020: Moon Sample Return in 2020
In 2020, Chang'e 5 successfully returned Moon samples to the Earth, making China the third country to do so independently.
2020: Largest Cinema Market
In 2020, China became the largest cinema market.
2020: Economic Complexity Index in 2020
In 2020, Harvard University's Economic Complexity Index ranked complexity of China's exports 17th in the world.
2020: National security law in Hong Kong and Foreign Policy report on Uyghurs
In 2020, the Chinese authorities cracked down on dissent in Hong Kong after the passage of a national security law, and a Foreign Policy report stated that China's treatment of Uyghurs meets the UN definition of genocide.
2020: Government aims for peak emissions
In 2020, the Chinese government announced its aims for the country to reach its peak emissions levels before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 in line with the Paris Agreement.
2020: Chinese Census
The 2020 Chinese census recorded the population as approximately 1,411,778,724.
2020: Male Population
The 2020 census found that males accounted for 51.2% of the total population.
January 2021: Female Billionaires in January 2021
As of January 2021, China had 85 female billionaires, two-thirds of the global total.
May 2021: Announcement of three-child policy
On May 31 2021, a three-child policy was announced in China due to population aging.
July 2021: Removal of family size limits
In July 2021, all family size limits, as well as penalties for exceeding them, were removed in China.
2021: SIPRI Military Spending
According to SIPRI, China's military spending from 2012 to 2021 averaged US$215 billion per year or 1.7 per cent of GDP.
2021: Number of megacities
As of 2021, China has 17 megacities (cities with a population of over 10 million).
2021: Infant Mortality Rate
As of 2021, the infant mortality rate in China is 5 per thousand.
2021: E-commerce Market Share in 2021
China leads the world in e-commerce, accounting for over 37% of the global market share in 2021.
2021: Gini Coefficient in 2021
China's Gini coefficient was 0.357 in 2021.
2021: Land use
In 2021, 12 percent of global permanent meadows and pastures belonged to China, as well as 8% of global cropland.
2021: Mars Landing in 2021
In 2021, China became the third country to land a spacecraft on Mars and the second one to deploy a rover (Zhurong) on Mars.
2021: Foreign Exchange Remittances in 2021
In 2021, China's foreign exchange remittances were $US53 billion making it the second-largest recipient of remittances in the world.
2021: Release of The Battle at Lake Changjin and Hi, Mom
In 2021, two of the top three highest-grossing films in China, The Battle at Lake Changjin and Hi, Mom, were released.
November 2022: Completion of the Tiangong Space Station
China completed its own modular space station, the Tiangong, in low Earth orbit on 3 November 2022. On 29 November 2022, China performed its first in-orbit crew handover aboard the Tiangong.
December 2022: Abandonment of Zero-COVID policy
In December 2022, the government abandoned its strict public health measures intended to completely eradicate the virus after protests against the policy.
2022: World Values Survey
According to the World Values Survey (2022), 91% of Chinese respondents have significant confidence in their government.
2022: China's economy in 2022
As of 2022, China accounted for around 18% of the global economy by nominal GDP and China's GDP grew to $17.96 trillion.
2022: Electric Vehicle Consumption and Production in 2022
As of 2022, China is the world's leader in electric vehicle consumption and production, manufacturing and buying half of all the plug-in electric cars.
2022: Pharmaceuticals exporter
By 2022, China had established itself as a key producer and exporter of pharmaceuticals.
2022: Anti-Corruption Crackdown
By 2022, during Xi Jinping's tenure, a vast anti-corruption crackdown had prosecuted more than 2 million officials.
2022: GHG Emission Levels
By 2030 the GHG emissions of China will return to 2022 levels.
2022: Investment in renewable energy
China invested $546 billion in renewable energy in 2022; in that year it was also a major importer of Russian crude oil.
2022: Beijing Winter Olympics
In 2022, Beijing and Zhangjiakou collaboratively hosted the Winter Olympics.
2022: World's Total Wealth in 2022
In 2022, China accounted for 18.6% of the world's total wealth, second highest in the world after the U.S.
2022: Nature Index Ranking in 2022
In 2022, China overtook the US in the Nature Index, which measures the share of published articles in leading scientific journals.
2022: Foreign Direct Investment in 2022
In 2022, China was amongst the world's largest recipient of inward foreign direct investment (FDI), attracting $180 billion.
2022: Highway expansion
In 2022, China's highways reached a total length of 177,000 km, making it the longest highway system in the world.
2022: Population Decline
In 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics estimated that the population fell 850,000 from 2021 to 2022, the first decline since 1961.
February 2023: Active Cellphones in February 2023
As of February 2023, China has the largest number of active cellphones of any country, with over 1.7 billion subscribers.
May 2023: Lunar Landing Plan Announced in May 2023
In May 2023, China announced a plan to land humans on the Moon by 2030.
December 2023: Urban Mass Transit Systems
As of December 2023, 55 Chinese cities have urban mass transit systems in operation.
December 2023: 5G Users and Base Stations in December 2023
As of December 2023, China had over 810 million 5G users and 3.38 million base stations installed.
2023: Religious Beliefs
According to studies published in 2023, compiling demographic analyses conducted throughout the 2010s and the early 2020s, 70% of the Chinese population believed in or practiced Chinese folk religion. 25.2% are fully non-believers or atheists, 2.5% are adherents of Christianity, and 1.6% are adherents of Islam.
2023: Largest car exporter
As of 2023, China became the world's largest exporter of cars by number.
2023: Higher Education Statistics
As of 2023, China has over 3,074 universities, with over 47.6 million students enrolled in mainland China, giving China the largest higher education system in the world. As of 2023, China had the world's highest number of top universities.
2023: Chinese Nationals in Space as of 2023
As of 2023, eighteen Chinese nationals have journeyed into space, including two women.
2023: Life Expectancy
As of 2023, the life expectancy at birth in China exceeds 78 years.
2023: Renminbi Status in 2023
As of 2023, the renminbi is a component of the IMF's special drawing rights and the world's fourth-most traded currency.
2023: Top Grossing Films in China
As of 2023, the top three highest-grossing films in China were The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021), Wolf Warrior 2 (2017), and Hi, Mom (2021).
2023: Democracy Index ranking
China ranked at 148th out of 167 countries in 2023 on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.
2023: Electricity sources
In 2023, 60.5% of China's electricity came from coal, 13.2% from hydroelectric power, 9.4% from wind, 6.2% from solar energy, 4.6% from nuclear energy, 3.3% from natural gas, and 2.2% from bioenergy; in total, 31% of China's energy came from renewable energy sources.
2023: Outward FDI in 2023
In 2023, China's total outward FDI was $147.9 billion.
2023: World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook
In 2023, text was taken from the World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023, FAO, FAO.
2023: Lowest fertility rate
In 2023, the total fertility rate was reported to be 1.09, ranking among the lowest in the world.
March 2024: Billionaires and Millionaires in March 2024
In March 2024, China ranked second in the world, after the U.S., in total number of billionaires and total number of millionaires, with 473 Chinese billionaires and 6.2 million millionaires.
March 2024: Foreign Exchange Reserves in March 2024
As of March 2024, China's foreign exchange reserves reached US$3.246 trillion, making its reserves by far the world's largest.
May 2024: Chang'e 6 Mission in May 2024
China sent Chang'e 6 on 3 May 2024, which conducted the first lunar sample return from Apollo Basin on the far side of the Moon.
June 2024: Chang'e 6 Return
In June 2024, the returner for Chang'e 6 landed on Inner Mongolia, completing China's far side extraterrestrial sample return mission.
December 2024: Internet Users in December 2024
As of December 2024, China has the largest number of internet and broadband users, with over 1.1 billion Internet users—equivalent to around 78.6% of its population.
2024: Forest coverage
According to China's government, the forest coverage of the country grew from 10% of the overall territory in 1949 to 25% in 2024.
2024: Financial Centers in 2024
According to the 2024 Global Financial Centres Index, China has three out of the world's ten most competitive financial centers — Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen.
2024: Diplomatic relations
As of 2024, China has one of the largest diplomatic networks of any country in the world.
2024: Equity and Futures Markets in 2024
As of 2024, China has the world's second-largest equity markets and futures markets.
2024: R&D Spending in 2024
China officially spent around 2.7% of its GDP on R&D in 2024, totaling to around $496 billion. It was ranked 11th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.
2024: Urban Population
In 2024, over 67% of China's population lived in urban areas.
2024: People's Liberation Army structure
Since 2024, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) consists of four services: the Ground Force (PLAGF), the Navy (PLAN), the Air Force (PLAAF) and the Rocket Force (PLARF).
2025: Peak in GHG emissions
With current policies, the GHG emissions of China will probably peak in 2025.
2030: GHG emissions return to 2022 levels
By 2030 the GHG emissions of China will return to 2022 levels.
2030: Aims for peak emissions
In 2020, the Chinese government announced its aims for the country to reach its peak emissions levels before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 in line with the Paris Agreement.
2030: Planned Moon Landing by 2030
In May 2023, China announced a plan to land humans on the Moon by 2030.
2045: Phase out coal electricity generation
According to academics, in order to limit climate change in China to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F), electricity generation from coal in China without carbon capture must be phased out by 2045.
2060: Carbon neutrality target
In 2020, the Chinese government announced its aims for the country to reach its peak emissions levels before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 in line with the Paris Agreement.
