History of China in Timeline

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is an East Asian country. It is the world's second-most populous country with over 1.4 billion residents. China shares land borders with fourteen countries, and has a land area of nearly 9.6 million square kilometers, making it the third-largest country by land area. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, including provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital, while Shanghai is its largest city and financial center.

1901: Weakening of the Qing dynasty

In 1901, The ill-fated anti-foreign Boxer Rebellion of 1899–1901 further weakened the dynasty.

1905: First Chinese film released

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

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1911: Xinhai Revolution

In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution of 1911–1912 ended the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China.

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: End of the Qing Dynasty

In 1912, Puyi, the last Emperor, abdicated, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty.

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, following popular condemnation and opposition.

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), leading to sporadic fighting between the two parties.

1927: Breakdown of KMT-CCP alliance

In 1927, the alliance between the Kuomintang (KMT) 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 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 participation in the Olympic Games

China first participated in the Olympic Games in 1932.

1934: KMT armies wipe out the Jiangxi Soviet

In 1934, the Jiangxi Soviet was wiped out by the KMT armies, leading the CCP to initiate the Long March and relocate to Yan'an in Shaanxi.

1937: Japanese invasion of China

In 1937, Japan invaded other parts of China, precipitating 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

In 1947, constitutional rule was established in China, but many provisions of the ROC constitution were never implemented in mainland China due to 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: 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 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: Adoption of China Standard Time

In 1949, China adopted a single national time zone, China Standard Time (UTC+8).

1949: End of major combat in Chinese Civil War

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

1949: Establishment of the People's Republic of China

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: Per Capita Income

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

1950: Population Increase in China

In 1950, the Chinese population was 550 million.

1950: PRC captures Hainan and annexes Tibet

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

1952: PRC participation in the Olympic Games

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

1958: Discovery of Erlitou culture sites

In 1958, archaeologists discovered sites belonging to the Erlitou culture that existed during the early Bronze Age, which have since been characterized as the remains of the historical Xia dynasty.

1958: Start of Chinese space program

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

1959: Start of the Great Leap Forward

In 1959, the Great Leap Forward, an idealistic massive industrialization project, resulted in an estimated 15 to 55 million deaths between 1959 and 1961, mostly from starvation.

1961: End of the Great Leap Forward

In 1961, the Great Leap Forward, an idealistic massive industrialization project, resulted in an estimated 15 to 55 million deaths between 1959 and 1961, mostly from starvation.

1964: China detonates its first atomic bomb

In 1964, China detonated its first atomic bomb, marking a significant advancement in its military capabilities.

1966: Start of the Cultural Revolution

In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the Cultural Revolution, sparking a decade of political recrimination and social upheaval.

1970: Launch of first satellite

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

October 1971: PRC replaces ROC in the United Nations

In October 1971, the PRC replaced the ROC in the United Nations, taking its seat as a permanent member of the Security Council.

1971: PRC Replaces ROC in the UN

In 1971, the PRC replaced the ROC as the sole representative of China in the United Nations and as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

1971: UN recognition of the PRC

In 1971, the United Nations representative for China was changed from the ROC (Taiwan) to the PRC.

1972: Normalization of relations with the United States

In 1972, the Shanghai Communiqué precipitated the normalization of relations between China and the United States following the Sino-Soviet split.

1974: Population Increase in China

In 1974, the Chinese population reached 900 million.

1976: Death of Mao

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.

1978: Poverty Reduction

Between 1978 and 2018, China reduced extreme poverty by 800 million people.

1978: Increase in Living Standard

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 improvements in public health due to better nutrition.

1978: Deng Xiaoping takes power and starts reform and opening up

In 1978, Deng Xiaoping took power and started the reform and opening up, instituting large-scale political and economic reforms.

1978: Start of economic reforms

In 1978, economic reforms began, moving China away from a socialist planned economy towards a market-based economy, spurring economic growth.

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. According to the World Bank, China's GDP grew from $150 billion in 1978.

1979: Literacy rate growth

By 1979, China's literacy rate had grown to 65.5%.

1979: Environmental Protection Law

Regulations such as the 1979 Environmental Protection Law are fairly stringent, though they are poorly enforced.

December 1982: Adoption of the current constitution

On 4 December 1982, China adopted its current constitution.

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 and Jiang Zemin's Ascension

In 1989, protests, including those in Tiananmen Square, occurred throughout China. Jiang Zemin was elevated to CCP general secretary, becoming the paramount leader.

1990: Asian Games in Beijing

China hosted the Asian Games in 1990 (Beijing).

1990: Percentage of population living with income of less than $1.90

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: Stunting rates

In 1990, stunting rates in China were 33.1%.

1997: Return of Hong Kong

In 1997, British Hong Kong returned to China as a special administrative region under the principle of one country, two systems.

1999: Return of Macau

In 1999, Portuguese Macau returned to China as a special administrative region under the principle of one country, two systems.

2001: WTO Membership

China has been a member of the WTO since 2001.

2001: China Joins World Trade Organization

In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization.

2002: Hu Jintao Succeeds Jiang Zemin

In 2002, at the 16th CCP National Congress, Hu Jintao succeeded Jiang Zemin as the general secretary.

2003: SARS outbreak

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

2003: Education investment growth

In 2003, China's annual education investment was less than US$50 billion.

2003: Citizen Satisfaction with the Government

Satisfaction with the government has increased since 2003

2005: Nature Reserves in China

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 December 12, 2006.

2007: Wage Growth

From 1978 to 2007, real (inflation-adjusted) wages in China grew seven-fold.

June 2008: Laogai Research Foundation Estimate of Labor Facilities

In June 2008, the Laogai Research Foundation estimated nearly 1,422 reform through labor facilities in China.

2008: Private Businesses Recorded

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

2008: Beijing Summer Olympics

China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where its athletes received 48 gold medals.

2009: Healthcare provision initiative

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

2010: Asian Games in Guangzhou

China hosted the Asian Games in 2010 (Guangzhou).

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: Premature deaths due to air pollution

In 2010, air pollution caused 1.2 million premature deaths in China.

2010: Inequality in education spending

In 2010, there was a significant inequality in education spending, with the annual expenditure per secondary school student in Beijing totalling ¥20,023 compared to ¥3,204 in Guizhou.

2010: Economic Complexity Index Ranking

In 2023, Harvard University's Economic Complexity Index ranked complexity of China's exports 16th 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, overtaking the U.S.

2011: Health insurance coverage

By 2011, as a result of the healthcare initiative, 95% of China's population had basic health insurance coverage.

2011: Proportion of Chinese population living with less than $1.90 per day

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: Summer Universiade

In 2011, Shenzhen hosted the Summer Universiade.

November 2012: Xi Jinping Takes Office

On November 15, 2012, Xi Jinping took office as the general secretary.

2012: Average Military Spending

According to SIPRI, its military spending from 2012 to 2021 averaged US$215 billion per year or 1.7 per cent of GDP, behind only the United States at US$734 billion per year or 3.6 per cent of GDP.

2012: Number of bicycles

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

2012: Mo Yan awarded Nobel Prize in Literature

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

2012: Xi Jinping Becomes Paramount Leader

In 2012, Xi Jinping succeeded Hu Jintao as paramount leader at the 18th CCP National Congress and shortly after launched an anti-corruption crackdown.

2012: Second-Largest in High-Tech Manufacturing

Since 2012, China has been the second-largest country in high-tech manufacturing.

2013: Largest Trading Nation

China became the world's largest trading nation in 2013 by the sum of imports and exports.

2013: East Asian Games

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

2013: Launch of the Belt and Road Initiative

In 2013, China initiated the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a large global infrastructure building initiative.

2013: Abolishment of re-education through labor system

In 2013, the state-imposed re-education through labor (laojiao) system was formally abolished.

2013: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2025, China was ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index, a considerable improvement from its rank of 35th in 2013.

2014: Summer Youth Olympics

In 2014, China hosted the Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, becoming the first country to host both regular and Youth Olympics.

2015: Largest Middle-Class Population

Since 2015, China has had the world's largest middle-class population.

2016: Largest Trading Partner

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

2016: 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 over 3.8 million people in China were living in "conditions of modern slavery."

2016: Largest number of movie screens

Since 2016, China has had the largest number of movie screens in the world.

2017: Wolf Warrior 2

As of 2025, Wolf Warrior 2 was the third highest-grossing film in China. The film was released in 2017.

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2017: Pharmaceutical Production

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

2017: Crackdown in Xinjiang

In 2017, the Chinese government started a harsh crackdown in Xinjiang, detaining around one million Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in internment camps to change their political thinking, identities, and religious beliefs.

2017: Pew Research Center Ranking of Religious Restrictions

In 2017, the Pew Research Center ranked Chinese government restrictions on religion among the world's highest, despite low religious-related social hostilities.

2018: Patent Applications

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

2018: Increase in Living Standard

From 1978 to 2018, the average standard of living in China multiplied by a factor of twenty-six.

2018: Fourth-Most-Visited Country

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: Patent Applications

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

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.

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.

April 2020: Belt and Road Initiative Expansion

As of April 2020, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) included 138 countries and 30 international organizations.

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, rating the government as more effective and capable.

October 2020: Stock Exchanges Market Capitalization

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

2020: Education investment reaches over US$817 billion

By 2020, China's annual education investment had grown to more than US$817 billion, while the literacy rate reached 97% of the population over age 15.

2020: Largest cinema market

In 2020, China became the largest cinema market.

2020: National security law in Hong Kong and Genocide Report

In 2020, China cracked down on dissent in Hong Kong after passing a national security law. Also in 2020, a Foreign Policy report stated that China's treatment of Uyghurs meets the UN definition of genocide.

2020: Emissions and Carbon Neutrality Aims

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: Pew Research Center Ranking of Religious Restrictions

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

January 2021: Female Billionaires

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

2021: Average Military Spending

According to SIPRI, its military spending from 2012 to 2021 averaged US$215 billion per year or 1.7 per cent of GDP, behind only the United States at US$734 billion per year or 3.6 per cent of GDP.

2021: The Battle at Lake Changjin

As of 2025, The Battle at Lake Changjin was the second highest-grossing film in China. The film was released in 2021.

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2021: Land Usage Statistics

In 2021, 12 percent of global permanent meadows and pastures belonged to China, as well as 8% of global cropland.

2021: World Leader in E-Commerce

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

2021: Global Leader in Patents, Trademarks, and Creative Goods Exports

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

2021: Gini Coefficient

In 2021, China's Gini coefficient was 0.357.

2021: Foreign Exchange Remittances

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

December 2022: End of COVID-19 Eradication Policy

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

2022: World Values Survey on 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 the Global Economy

As of 2022, China accounts for around 18% of the global economy by nominal GDP. Also in 2022, China's GDP grew to $17.96 trillion.

2022: Key producer and exporter of pharmaceuticals

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

2022: GHG Emission Levels

By 2022, GHG emission levels are expected to reduce after peaking in 2025.

2022: Anti-Corruption Crackdown Update

By 2022, Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown had prosecuted more than 2 million officials.

2022: Beijing Winter Olympics

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

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

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

2022: Investment in Renewable Energy

In 2022, China invested $546 billion in renewable energy and its commercialization.

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: Recipient of Inward Foreign Direct Investment

In 2022, China was amongst the world's largest recipients of inward foreign direct investment (FDI), attracting $180 billion.

2022: Leader in Electric Vehicle Production and Consumption

In 2022, China was 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.

2023: Infant mortality rate

As of 2023, the infant mortality rate in China is 5 per thousand.

2023: Renminbi as a Traded Currency

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

2023: Asian Games in Hangzhou

China hosted the Asian Games in 2023 (Hangzhou).

2023: Outward Foreign Direct Investment

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

2023: Largest education system in the world

In 2023, China had the largest education system in the world, with approximately 287 million students and 18.85 million full-time teachers in over 470,300 schools.

2023: Economic Complexity Index Ranking

In 2023, Harvard University's Economic Complexity Index ranked complexity of China's exports 16th in the world.

2023: Water Quality Assessment

In 2023, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment found that only 89.4% of China's national surface water was graded suitable for human consumption.

March 2024: Billionaires and Millionaires

In March 2024, China ranked second in the world, after the U.S., in the total number of billionaires and the total number of millionaires, with 473 Chinese billionaires and 6.2 million millionaires.

March 2024: 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.

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: Global Financial Centres Index Ranking

According to the 2024 Global Financial Centres Index, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen are among the world's ten most competitive financial centers.

2024: Diplomatic Network Size

As of 2024, China has one of the largest diplomatic networks of any country in the world.

2024: China's Higher Education System

As of 2024, China has over 3,167 universities with over 47.6 million students enrolled, making it the largest higher education system in the world. Also in 2024, China trails only the United States and the United Kingdom in terms of representation on lists of the top 200 universities.

2024: Improvements in life expectancy and stunting rates

As of 2024, the life expectancy at birth in China exceeds 79 years, and rates of stunting have declined from 33.1% in 1990 to 4.5% in 2024.

2024: China's Equity and Futures Markets

As of at least 2024, China has the world's second-largest equity markets and futures markets, as well as the third-largest bond market.

2024: R&D Spending

China officially spent around 2.7% of its GDP on R&D in 2024, totaling to around $496 billion.

2024: Military Budget

China's official military budget for 2024 totalled US$229 billion (1.67 trillion Yuan), the second-largest in the world.

2024: Electricity Sources

In 2024, 58.2% of China's electricity came from coal, 13.5% from hydroelectric power, 9.8% from wind, 8.3% from solar energy, 4.4% from nuclear energy, 3% from natural gas, and 2.1% from bioenergy.

2024: Democracy Index Ranking

In 2024, China was ranked 145th out of 167 countries as an "authoritarian regime" by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.

2024: Structure of PLA

Since 2024, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) consists of four services and four independent arms.

2025: Highest number of top universities

As of 2025, China had the world's highest number of top universities.

2025: Ne Zha 2

As of 2025, Ne Zha 2 was the highest-grossing film in China.

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2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2025, China was ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index.

2025: Projected Peak in GHG Emissions

With current policies, the GHG emissions of China will probably peak in 2025.

2030: Projected Return to 2022 GHG Levels

By 2030, China's GHG emissions are projected to return to 2022 levels.

2030: Peak emissions 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.

2045: Coal Electricity Phase-Out Target

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.