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Mao dies of a heart attack, after having multiple other heart attacks. "Gang of Four", including Mao's widow, jockey for power but are arrested and convicted of crimes against the state.
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From 1977, Deng Xiaoping emerges as the dominant figure among pragmatists in the leadership. Under him, China undertakes far-reaching economic reforms.
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Diplomatic relations were established with the US as in January 1st 1979, the United States government formally recognized The People’s Republic of China (PRC). The government of United States did this by changing its diplomatic recognition of the Chinese government from Taipei to Beijing. Taipei was the capital of Formosa (current Taiwan) and Beijing was the capital of the PRC. By changing its diplomatic recognition to Beijing, US was no longer denying the existence of the PRC.
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Troops open fired on demonstrators who have camped for weeks in Tiananmen Square. These demonstrators demanded more freedom and preventing corruption in the party. The official death toll was 200 after the massacre.
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Jiang Zemin takes over as Chinese Communist Party general secretary from Zhao Ziyang, who refused to support martial law during the Tiananmen demonstrations.
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After the collapse of Soviet Union, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China declared that they were undergoing “constructive partnership”. This relationship progressed to a “strategic partnership” in 1996 and ultimately a “friendship and cooperation” treaty in 2001.
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Deng Xiaoping’s economic tactics were proved to be helpful when China’s economy was ranked by The International Monetary Fund (IMF) as third largest in the world after US and Japan.
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Deng Xiaoping dies in the aged 92 on 19 February 1997 due to lung infection and Parkinson's disease. Jiang Zemin takes over but keeps Deng Xiaoping’s political and economical ideas.
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Hong Kong was reverted to Chinese control on 30th June 1997 to 1st July. The handover ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai
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China carries out military exercises simulating an invasion of Taiwan, at the same time as the Tai wan armed forces test their capability to defend Taiwan against a missile attack from China.
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China and Hong Kong are hit by the pneumonia-like Sars virus, thought to have originated in Guangdong province in November 2002. Strict quarantine measures are enforced by the Hong Kong government to stop the disease spreading and about 774 deaths are reported which a majority came from Hong Kong.
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China launches their first manned spacecraft which Astronaut Yang Liwei is on. Yang Liwei was sent into space by Shenzhou 5 with the Long March 2F as the orbital carrier rocket.
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Reports say China had carried out a missile test in space, shooting down an old weather satellite. The US, Japan and others expressed concern at China's military build-up.
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A massive earthquake hits Sichuan province, killing tens of thousands.
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China and Russia sign a treaty ending 40-year-old border dispute which led to armed clashes during the Cold War.
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Xi Jinping takes over as president, completing the once-in-a-decade transfer of power to a new generation of leaders.
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China successfully lands the Yutu ("Jade Rabbit") robotic rover on the surface of the moon, the first soft landing there for 37 years.
