History of China in Timeline

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is an East Asian country and the world's second most populous, with over 1.4 billion people. Its land area makes it the third-largest globally, bordering fourteen countries and spanning five time zones. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, including provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital, while Shanghai is the most populous city and a major financial hub.

1901: Boxer Rebellion

In 1901, the anti-foreign Boxer Rebellion further weakened the Qing Dynasty.

1905: First Chinese Film Release

In 1905, the first Chinese film, Dingjun Mountain, was released.

1911: 1911 Revolution

In 1911, the Qing dynasty was overthrown by the 1911 Revolution, leading to the end of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC) the following year.

January 1912: Establishment of the Republic of China

In 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 of the Republic of China was given to Yuan Shikai, a former Qing general.

1912: Abdication of Puyi

In 1912, Puyi, the last Emperor of China, abdicated.

1912: End of Qing Dynasty

In 1912, the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, ended.

1915: Yuan Shikai Proclaims Himself Emperor

In 1915, Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself Emperor of China.

1916: Re-establishment of the Republic After Yuan Shikai's Death

After Yuan Shikai's death in 1916, the republic was re-established.

1927: Start of the Chinese Civil War

In 1927, the Chinese Civil War began when Kuomintang (KMT) forces purged members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

1927: Breakdown of KMT-CCP Alliance

In 1927, the Kuomintang's alliance with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) broke down after Chiang violently suppressed the CCP and other leftists in Shanghai, marking the beginning of the Chinese Civil War.

November 1931: Establishment of the 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 first participated in the Olympic Games in 1932.

1934: End of the Jiangxi Soviet

In 1934, the Jiangxi Soviet was wiped out by the KMT armies, leading the CCP to initiate the Long March.

1937: Japanese Invasion of Other Parts of China

In 1937, Japan invaded other parts of China, beginning the Second Sino-Japanese War.

1937: Invasion by the Empire of Japan

In 1937, the Empire of Japan invaded China, leading to the formation of the Second United Front between the CCP and KMT to fight the Japanese.

1945: Surrender of Japan

In 1945, after the surrender of Japan, Taiwan, along with the Penghu, were handed over to Chinese control.

1947: Establishment of Constitutional Rule

Constitutional rule was established in 1947, but many provisions of the ROC constitution were never implemented in mainland China due to the ongoing unrest.

October 1949: Proclamation of the People's Republic of China

On October 1, 1949, CCP Chairman Mao Zedong formally proclaimed the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

1949: Communists came 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, in which scientific research was part of central planning.

1949: Literacy Rate

China's literacy rate has grown dramatically, from only 20% in 1949 and 65.5% in 1979, to 97% of the population over age 15 in 2020.

1949: End of Major Combat in the Chinese Civil War

In 1949, major combat in the Chinese Civil War ended.

1949: Communist Victory and Proclamation of the People's Republic of China

In 1949, the Communists established control over most of China, proclaiming the People's Republic of China. The Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan, splitting the country.

1949: Per Capita Income Compared to World Average

When the PRC was founded in 1949, per capita income in China was one-fifth of the world average.

1950: Chinese population

In 1950, the Chinese population was 550 million.

1950: PRC captured Hainan from the ROC and annexed Tibet

In 1950, the PRC captured Hainan from the ROC and annexed Tibet.

1952: Participation as the PRC

China has participated as the PRC in the Olympic Games since 1952.

1953: Males in the total population

In 1953, males accounted for 51.8% of the population.

1958: Discovery of Erlitou culture sites

In 1958, archaeologists discovered sites belonging to the Erlitou culture that existed during the early Bronze Age.

1958: Start of Chinese Space Program

The Chinese space program started in 1958 with some technology transfers from the Soviet Union.

1959: Beginning of the Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward began in 1959.

1961: Population decline

In 2023, National Bureau of Statistics estimated that the population fell 850,000 from 2021 to 2022, the first decline since 1961.

1961: End of the Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward ended in 1961, resulting in an estimated 15 to 55 million deaths between 1959 and 1961, mostly from starvation.

1964: China detonates first atomic bomb

In 1964, China detonated its first atomic bomb.

1966: Beginning of the Cultural Revolution

In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the Cultural Revolution.

1970: Launch of First Satellite

In 1970, China launched its first satellite, the Dong Fang Hong I, becoming the fifth country to do so independently.

1971: UN recognition of PRC

In 1971, the UN representative for China was changed from the ROC to the PRC.

1971: PRC replaces ROC in the 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.

1972: Shanghai Communiqué

In 1972, the Shanghai Communiqué would precipitate the normalization of relations between China and the United States.

1974: Chinese population

In 1974, the Chinese population was 900 million.

1976: Science and Technology as one of the Four Modernizations

After Mao's death in 1976, science and technology were promoted as one of the Four Modernizations, and the Soviet-inspired academic system was gradually reformed.

1976: End of the Cultural Revolution

In 1976, Mao's death marked the end of the Cultural Revolution.

1978: Poverty Reduction Start

Between 1978 and 2018, China reduced extreme poverty by 800 million, bringing more people out of extreme poverty than any other country in history.

1978: Increase in Average Standard of Living

From 1978 to 2018, the average standard of living in China multiplied by a factor of twenty-six, and real wages grew seven-fold from 1978 to 2007.

1978: Economic Reforms Begin

In 1978, Deng Xiaoping began instituting economic reforms, leading to improved public health in China due to better nutrition.

1978: Deng Xiaoping Takes Power and Institutes Economic Reforms

In 1978, Deng Xiaoping took power and instituted large-scale political and economic reforms, together with the "Eight Elders".

1978: Start of Economic Reforms

In 1978, economic reforms began, moving the country away from a socialist planned economy towards a market-based economy.

1978: Introduction of Reform and Opening Up Policy

Since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy in 1978, China's economic growth has been almost consistently above 6 percent. China's GDP grew from $150 billion in 1978.

1979: Literacy Rate

China's literacy rate has grown dramatically, from only 20% in 1949 and 65.5% in 1979, to 97% of the population over age 15 in 2020.

1979: One-child policy

In 1979, China began to advocate for an even stricter limit of one child per family.

1980: Percentage of population living in urban areas

In 1980, 20% of the country's population was living in urban areas.

December 1982: Adoption of Current Constitution

China adopted its current constitution on December 4, 1982.

1989: Tiananmen Square Protests and Massacre

In 1989, a movement for increased democracy and liberalization stalled after the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

1989: Tiananmen Square protests

In 1989, there were protests such those in Tiananmen Square, and then throughout the entire nation. Jiang Zemin was elevated to become the CCP general secretary, becoming the paramount leader.

1990: Decrease in Population Living Below Poverty Line

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%.

1990: 1990 Asian Games

In 1990, China hosted the Asian Games in Beijing.

1990: Number of passengers

In 1990, the number of passengers was 16.6 million.

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: Rapid transit systems

Since 2000, the growth of rapid transit systems in Chinese cities has accelerated.

2001: Membership in the WTO

China has been a member of the WTO since 2001 and is the world's largest trading power.

2001: China Joins the World Trade Organization

The country joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

2003: Increase in citizen satisfaction with the government

A Harvard University survey published in July 2020 found that citizen satisfaction with the government had increased since 2003.

2003: Education Investment

Annual education investment went from less than US$50 billion in 2003 to more than US$817 billion in 2020.

2003: First Human Spaceflight

In 2003, China became the third country in the world to independently send humans into space with Yang Liwei's spaceflight aboard Shenzhou 5.

2003: SARS Outbreak

In 2003, China experienced a serious outbreak of SARS, which has since been largely contained.

2006: Rail traffic volume

In 2006, China's railways handled a quarter of the world's rail traffic volume on only 6 percent of the world's tracks.

2007: Real Wage Growth

From 1978 to 2018, the average standard of living in China multiplied by a factor of twenty-six, and real wages grew seven-fold from 1978 to 2007.

June 2008: Laogai Research Foundation Estimate of Reform Through Labor Facilities

In June 2008, the Laogai Research Foundation estimated that there were nearly 1,422 reform through labor (laogai) facilities in China, though they cautioned that this number was likely an underestimate.

2008: 2008 Summer Olympics

In 2008, China hosted the Summer Olympics in Beijing and its athletes received the highest number of gold medals.

2008: Number of Private Businesses Recorded

In 2008, around 30 million private businesses were recorded in China.

2009: Healthcare Provision Initiative

In 2009, the Chinese government launched a three-year, large-scale healthcare provision initiative worth US$124 billion.

2010: Population growth rate

Between 2010 and 2020, the average population growth rate was 0.53%.

2010: 2010 Asian Games

In 2010, China hosted the Asian Games in Guangzhou.

2010: Education Expenditure

In 2010, the annual education expenditure per secondary school student in Beijing totalled ¥20,023, while in Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces, it only totalled ¥3,204.

2010: Stunting Rate and Air Pollution Deaths

In 2010, the stunting rate in China declined to 9.9%, but air pollution caused 1.2 million premature deaths.

2010: Economic Complexity Index Ranking

In 2020, Harvard University's Economic Complexity Index ranked complexity of China's exports 17th in the world, up from 24th in 2010.

2010: World's Largest Manufacturing Nation

Since 2010, China has been the world's largest manufacturing nation, after overtaking the U.S.

2011: Health Insurance Coverage

By 2011, China's healthcare campaign resulted in 95% of the population having basic health insurance coverage.

2011: Poverty Line Denominator

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%.

2011: Launch of First Space Station Testbed

In 2011, China launched its first space station testbed, Tiangong-1.

2011: 2011 Summer Universiade

In 2011, Shenzhen hosted the Summer Universiade.

2012: Number of Bicycles

As of 2012, China had an estimated 470 million bicycles.

2012: 2012 Summer Paralympics

In 2012, China won the most medals at the Summer Paralympics, with 231 overall.

2012: BeiDou commercial navigation services across Asia

In 2012, China's BeiDou satellite navigation system began offering commercial navigation services across Asia.

2012: Mo Yan Nobel Prize

In 2012, Mo Yan, a xungen literature author, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

2012: Second-Largest in High-Tech Manufacturing

Since 2012, China has been the second-largest in high-tech manufacturing country, according to US National Science Foundation.

December 2013: Two-child policy enacted

In December 2013, China allowed families to have two children if one parent is an only child.

2013: World's Largest Trading Nation

China became the world's largest trading nation in 2013 by the sum of imports and exports, as well as the world's largest commodity importer.

2013: 2013 East Asian Games

In 2013, China hosted the East Asian Games in Tianjin.

2013: Lunar Landing of Robotic Rover

In 2013, a Chinese robotic rover Yutu successfully touched down on the lunar surface as part of the Chang'e 3 mission.

2013: Abolishment of Re-education Through Labor

In 2013, the state-imposed re-education through labor (laojiao) system was formally abolished, though the extent to which its practices ceased is uncertain.

2013: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, China officially spent around 2.7% of its GDP on R&D, totaling around $496 billion. It was ranked 11th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024, a considerable improvement from its rank of 35th in 2013.

2014: 2014 Summer Youth Olympics

In 2014, China hosted the Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing.

2015: Rural households access to basic sanitation

According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation, 77% of rural households had access to basic sanitation in 2015.

2015: World's Largest Middle-Class Population

China has had the world's largest middle-class population since 2015; the middle-class grew to 500 million by 2024.

2015: 1.5 Child Policy

From the mid-1980s to 2015; ethnic minorities were also exempt from one-child limits.

2016: Largest Trading Partner of 124 Countries

By 2016, China was the largest trading partner of 124 countries.

2016: World's Largest Publisher of Scientific Papers

China's academic publication apparatus became the world's largest publisher of scientific papers in 2016.

2016: Global Slavery Index Estimate

In 2016, the Global Slavery Index estimated that over 3.8 million people in China, representing 0.25% of the population, were living in "conditions of modern slavery."

2016: Two-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.

2017: Pharmaceutical Ingredient Production

In 2017, China produced around 40 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

2017: Wolf Warrior 2

In 2017, Wolf Warrior 2 was released.

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2017: Pew Research Center Ranking of Religious Restrictions

In 2017, the Pew Research Center ranked the Chinese government's restrictions on religion as among the highest globally, despite low levels of social hostilities related to religion within China.

2017: Number of passengers

In 2017, the number of passengers increased to 551.2 million.

2018: Number of Applications Received

According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators, China received more applications than the U.S. did in 2018 and 2019.

2018: Poverty Reduction Completion

Between 1978 and 2018, China reduced extreme poverty by 800 million, bringing more people out of extreme poverty than any other country in history.

2018: 4G users

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 satellite navigation system began offering global services.

2018: Increase in Average Standard of Living

From 1978 to 2018, the average standard of living in China multiplied by a factor of twenty-six, and real wages grew seven-fold from 1978 to 2007.

2018: Airline market share

In 2018, Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines collectively made up 71% of the Chinese airline market.

2018: Fourth-Most-Visited Country in the World

In 2018, China was the fourth-most-visited country in the world.

December 2019: COVID-19 Pandemic Identified

In December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic was first identified in Wuhan, China.

2019: Number of Applications Received

According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators, China received more applications than the U.S. did in 2018 and 2019.

2019: First Landing on the Far Side of the Moon

In 2019, China became the first country to land a probe—Chang'e 4—on the far side of the Moon.

2019: Highest Number of People With Net Wealth of at Least $110,000

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, according to the global wealth report by Credit Suisse.

2019: International and Domestic Tourism

In 2019, China received 65.7 million international visitors and Chinese tourists made an estimated 6 billion travels within the country.

2019: Annual ridership

With an annual ridership of over 2.3 billion passengers in 2019, China's high-speed rail is the world's busiest.

July 2020: Harvard University Survey on Citizen Satisfaction

A Harvard University survey published in July 2020 found that citizen satisfaction with the Chinese government had increased since 2003, also rating China's government as more effective and capable than ever in the survey's history.

October 2020: Stock Exchange Market Capitalization

As of October 2020, China's Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen stock exchanges together have a market capitalization of over $15.9 trillion.

2020: Ethnic minorities

According to the 2020 census, ethnic minorities account for less than 10% of the population of China.

2020: Longest metro systems

As of 2020, China boasts the five longest metro systems in the world with the networks in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen being the largest.

2020: Literacy Rate

China's literacy rate has grown dramatically, from only 20% in 1949 and 65.5% in 1979, to 97% of the population over age 15 in 2020.

2020: Successful Return of Moon Samples

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 in the world.

2020: Economic Complexity Index Ranking

In 2020, Harvard University's Economic Complexity Index ranked complexity of China's exports 17th in the world, up from 24th in 2010.

2020: Pew Research Center Ranking of Religious Restrictions

In 2020, the Pew Research Center ranked the Chinese government's restrictions on religion as being among the world's highest, despite ranking religious-related social hostilities in China as low in severity.

2020: Males in the total population

The 2020 census found that males accounted for 51.2% of the total population.

2020: Population in urban areas

The figures in the table are from the 2020 census, and are only estimates of the urban populations within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists for total municipal populations.

January 2021: Number of Female Billionaires

As of January 2021, China had 85 female billionaires, two-thirds of the global total.

May 2021: Three-child policy announced

A three-child policy was announced on 31 May 2021, due to population aging.

July 2021: Family size limits removed

In July 2021, all family size limits as well as penalties for exceeding them were removed.

2021: Infant Mortality Rate

As of 2021, the infant mortality rate in China is 5 per thousand.

2021: Landing a Spacecraft on Mars and Deploying a Rover

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: Global E-commerce Market Share

In 2021, China led the world in e-commerce, accounting for over 37% of the global market share.

2021: Global Ranking in Patents, Utility Models, Trademarks, Industrial Designs, and Creative Goods Exports

In 2021, China ranked first globally in patents, utility models, trademarks, industrial designs, and creative goods exports.

2021: China's Gini Coefficient

In 2021, China's Gini coefficient was 0.357.

2021: Second-Largest Recipient of Remittances

In 2021, China's foreign exchange remittances were $US53 billion making it the second-largest recipient of remittances in the world.

2021: The Battle at Lake Changjin

In 2021, The Battle at Lake Changjin was released.

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November 2022: Completion of the Tiangong Space Station and First In-Orbit Crew Handover

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: End of Strict COVID Measures

In December 2022, China abandoned its strict public health measures to eradicate COVID-19 after protests against the policy.

2022: Rural households access to basic sanitation

According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation, 93% of rural households had access to basic sanitation in 2022.

2022: World Values Survey Confidence in Government

According to the World Values Survey (2022), 91% of Chinese respondents have significant confidence in their government.

2022: China's Share of Global Economy and GDP Growth

As of 2022, China accounted for around 18% of the global economy by nominal GDP, and China's GDP grew to $17.96 trillion according to the World Bank.

2022: Electric Vehicle Consumption and Production

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 (BEV and PHEV) in the world.

2022: Key Pharmaceutical Producer

By 2022, China had established itself as a key producer and exporter of pharmaceuticals.

2022: 2022 Winter Olympics

In 2022, Beijing and Zhangjiakou collaboratively hosted the Winter Olympics, making Beijing the first dual Olympic city.

2022: China's Share of World's Total Wealth

In 2022, China accounted for 18.6% of the world's total wealth, second highest in the world after the U.S.

2022: Overtaking the US in the Nature Index

In 2022, China overtook the US in the Nature Index, which measures the share of published articles in leading scientific journals.

2022: Largest Recipient of Inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

In 2022, China was amongst the world's largest recipient of inward foreign direct investment (FDI), attracting $180 billion, though most of these were speculated to be from Hong Kong.

2022: Highway length

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, National Bureau of Statistics estimated that the population fell 850,000 from 2021 to 2022, the first decline since 1961.

February 2023: Cellphone subscribers

As of February 2023, China had the largest number of active cellphones of any country, with over 1.7 billion subscribers.

May 2023: Announcement of Human Lunar Landing Plan

In May 2023, China announced a plan to land humans on the Moon by 2030.

December 2023: Urban mass transit systems in operation

As of December 2023, 55 Chinese cities have urban mass transit systems in operation.

December 2023: 5G users and base stations

As of December 2023, China had over 810 million 5G users and 3.38 million base stations installed.

2023: Largest exporter of cars

As of 2023 China became the world's largest exporter of cars by number.

2023: Number of universities and students enrolled

As of 2023, China had over 3,074 universities with over 47.6 million students enrolled, making it the largest higher education system in the world.

2023: Number of Chinese Nationals in Space

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 as Fourth-Most Traded Currency

As of 2023, the renminbi is the world's fourth-most traded currency.

2023: Students and Teachers in Schools

China has the largest education system in the world, with about 291 million students and 18.92 million full-time teachers in over 498,300 schools in 2023.

2023: 2023 Asian Games

In 2023, China hosted the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

2023: Outward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

In 2023, China's total outward FDI was $147.9 billion, with a number of major takeovers of foreign firms by Chinese companies.

2023: Student Enrollment

In 2023, about 91.8 percent of students continued their education at a three-year senior secondary school, while 60.2 percent of secondary school graduates were enrolled in higher education.

2023: Religious surveys

In 2023, according to surveys done by Pew Research, 93% of respondents were formally unaffiliated with any religion.

2023: World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023

In 2023, the World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook was published.

2023: Total fertility rate

In 2023, the total fertility rate was reported to be 1.09, ranking among the lowest in the world.

March 2024: Number of Billionaires and Millionaires

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: China's Foreign Exchange Reserves

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 launch

In May 2024, China launched Chang'e 6, initiating the first lunar sample return mission from the Apollo Basin on the far side of the Moon.

June 2024: Chang'e 6 lands on the Moon and sample return to Inner Mongolia

In June 2024, the Chang'e 6 mission lander separated from the orbiter and returner, touched down on the Moon, and the returner subsequently landed in Inner Mongolia, completing China's far side extraterrestrial sample return mission.

December 2024: Internet and broadband users

As of December 2024, China had the largest number of internet and broadband users, with over 1.1 billion Internet users, equivalent to around 78.6% of its population.

2024: University Rankings

According to the 2024 Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities, China trails only the United States and the United Kingdom in terms of representation on lists of the top 200 universities.

2024: Global Financial Centres Index Ranking

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.