Chronicle of the 100-year-old Communist Party of China

SHINE

July 1921

On July 23, 1921, delegates representing over 50 CPC members nationwide convened the First National Congress in Shanghai, and then moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, following harassment by local police. The congress adopted the Party's program and proclaimed the founding of the CPC. 

The CPC is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. The original aspiration and the mission of the CPC is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.

May 30, 1925

In 1925, the May 30th Movement took place in Shanghai, and then quickly spread across the country, involving the participation of about 17 million people from all social strata. The movement marked the beginning of a nationwide revolutionary upsurge.

August 1, 1927

The Nanchang Uprising was in response to anti-Communist purges by the Kuomintang. Considered the "first shot" in the armed resistance against the Kuomintang by the CPC, it lifted the curtain for the CPC to lead the armed struggle and create a revolutionary army. It is remembered as the PLA's founding day.

September 1927

In September 1927, the CPC launched the Autumn Harvest Uprising in the Hunan-Jiangxi border area. Although the uprising failed, it led the Party to embark on a new revolutionary path, using rural areas to encircle the cities. This laid the foundation for the development of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and subsequent large-scale development of revolutionary bases in rural areas.

December 28-29, 1929

In March 1929, the Fourth Army of the Red Army, led by Mao Zedong, marched to Fujian in an attempt to establish a new revolutionary base. To ensure the success of the Party and the army, Mao and the other leaders presided over the Ninth Party Conference of the Fourth Army in Gutian. That is now known as the Gutian Meeting. Mao and the other leaders agreed that the army must be led by the Party, and it was the people's army as it came from the people and was also for the people.

September 18, 1931

The September 18 Incident in 1931 marked the start of imperial Japan's invasion of China. It was meticulously devised and executed by Japan in northeast China, in preparation for a war of aggression. The CPC was the first to hold up the banner of armed resistance against Japanese enemy. It called on people of the entire country to fight the Japanese invaders.

November 7-20, 1931

The First Congress of the Soviet Republic of China was held in Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, on November 7, 1931. A total of 610 deputies attended the event. The congress declared the establishment of a temporary central government and elected 63 members to the executive committee. The executive committee of the central government held its first meeting on November 27, electing Mao Zedong as chairman of the executive committee of the central government of the Soviet Republic of China.

October 1934-October 1936

From October 1934 to October 1936, the CPC led the main forces of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army on a march of 25,000 li (12,500km) from bases in south China to the Party's enclave in northern Shaanxi Province. This Long March started a new great march toward national independence and liberation.

Xinhua

January 15-17, 1935

The Zunyi Conference, held during the Long March, is an important event in the history of the Communist Party of China. From January 15 to 17 in 1935, the CPC Central Committee held the Extended Conference of the Political Bureau in the city of Zunyi, Guizhou Province. It was on this occasion that Mao Zedong was elected as a standing committee member of the CPC. The meeting saved the Red Army and the CPC from being dragged further into leftism, brought the Long March to a triumphant conclusion and opened up new vistas for the Chinese revolution. 

December 17-25, 1935

Chaired by Mao Zedong, the Wayaobu Conference held on December 17-25, 1935 in Wayaobu in northern Shaanxi Province discussed the issues concerning a national united front, a national defense government and a united army to fight against Japanese aggression. It outlined the major tasks of the CPC, namely mobilizing, uniting and organizing all revolutionary forces nationwide in the fight against Japanese invasion.

December 12, 1936

The Xi'an Incident initiated by Generals Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng on December 12, 1936 and its peaceful settlement played a crucial historical role in bringing about renewed cooperation between the Kuomintang and the CPC and in achieving national unity for resistance against Japanese aggression.

July 7, 1937

Also known as the Lugouqiao (Marco Polo Bridge) Incident, it refers to the attacks by Japanese troops on the bridge in Wanping County in the suburbs of Beiping (now Beijing) on July 7, 1937. In the ensuing eight years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the CPC held high the banner of national unity and armed resistance against Japanese enemy, and stood in the forefront of the struggle for national liberation from beginning to end.

August 25, 1937

On August 25, 1937, the Red Army in the north was redesignated as the Eighth Route Army, with Zhu De being general commander, Peng Dehuai deputy general commander, Ye Jianying chief of staff and Ren Bishi director of the Political Department. Later, according to an agreement between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, the Red Army and guerrilla forces in the eight southern provinces were reorganized into the New Fourth Army. Ye Ting was appointed commander of the army, Xiang Ying, deputy commander and Zhang Yunyi, chief of staff. 

Under the leadership of the Party, the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army and other anti-Japanese armed forces penetrated deep behind enemy lines to mobilize the masses, peasants in particular, to launch guerrilla war. Yan'an, headquarters of the Party Central Committee and capital of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border region, became a command center of the anti-Japanese war and a sacred place of revolution for all Chinese patriots.

September 25, 1937

The major forces of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army successfully ambushed Japanese troops at Pingxingguan, a gate of the Great Wall in Shanxi Province, achieving a morale-boosting victory against Japanese forces once viewed by some as invincible. About 1,000 Japanese troops were annihilated.

April 23-June 11, 1945

Shortly before the victory of the anti-Japanese war, the Party convened its 7th National Congress, during which the CPC set the political line of defeating the aggressors and building a new China. The congress officially established Mao Zedong Thought as the Party's guiding ideology. On the basis of Mao Zedong Thought, the entire Party reached a high level of unity.

August 9, 1945

On August 9, 1945, Mao Zedong, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, issued a statement saying that "the time has come to inflict final defeat on the Japanese aggressors and all their lackeys," calling on people and the army to vigorously expand the liberated areas, be on guard to avert the danger of civil war, and promote the formation of a coalition government. On August 10, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De in Yan'an ordered anti-Japanese forces in liberated areas to quickly launch a big offensive to recover the lost territories, and ordered the Japanese and puppet troops to surrender unconditionally within a stated time.

August 15, 1945

Japan announced unconditional surrender. The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression ended in victory for the Chinese. The anti-Japanese war, just as Mao Zedong pointed out, was "a wonder in the history of warfare, a heroic undertaking of the Chinese nation and a great earth-shaking cause."

June 26, 1946

With the support of and aid from the United States, the ruling clique of the Kuomintang outrageously launched an all-out civil war on June 26, 1946. Under the leadership of the Party, the People's Liberation Army, in a war of self-defense, defeated the military attacks of the Kuomintang forces and eventually switched from the defensive to strategic offensive.

September 12, 1948-January 31, 1949

The Party led the PLA troops in three major military campaigns – the Liaoshen (September 12-November 2, 1948), Huaihai (November 6, 1948-January 10, 1949) and Pingjin campaigns (November 29, 1948-January 31, 1949). This wiped out the main military force of the Kuomintang. As the war progressed, the Second Plenary Session of the 7th CPC Central Committee was held to make political and ideological preparations for a nationwide victory and the establishment of New China. 

March 5-13, 1949

The Second Plenary Session of the 7th CPC Central Committee was held in Xibaipo Town of Pingshan County in the city of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, from March 5 to 13, 1949. Mao Zedong chaired the conference and delivered an important speech. It decided that the focus of the Party's work was to shift from rural to urban areas; set out the actions to promote the rapid victory of the revolution across the country; defined the basic political, economic and foreign policies the Party should adopt after victory; and called on the whole Party to remain modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in work style and to preserve the style of plain living and hard work.

Xinhua

October 1, 1949

The People's Republic of China was founded. Mao Zedong solemnly proclaimed to the world: "The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China has now been founded." People of various nationalities hailed the founding of New China, which brought complete independence to the Chinese nation. 

October 1950-July 1953

The Chinese People's Volunteers Army, together with the people and army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, won the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

May 23, 1951

The CPC Central Committee set the policy of liberating Tibet in a peaceful way. On May 23, 1951, the Agreement on Methods for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet was signed in Beijing. On October 26, 1951, the People's Liberation Army entered Lhasa, capital of Tibet. By then, the Chinese mainland had been completely unified.

April 5, 1952 to 1978

Completion of a number of water conservancy projects starting with the first phase of the Jingjiang flood-diversion project inaugurated on April 5, 1952, and China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project that started on October 30, 1952. 

China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project is the largest of its kind in the world. The project diverts water from the Yangtze River, the country's longest river, through eastern, middle and western routes to feed dry areas in the north, including the capital city Beijing.

December 25, 1954

On December 25, 1954, the Qinghai-Tibet and Kangding (now Sichuan)-Tibet highways were officially put into service, ending Tibet's reliance on men, horses and ropes to transport goods. The opening of the two highways has played an important role in Tibetan economic development.

September 15-27, 1956

In September 1956, the Eighth National Congress of the CPC was held, which pointed out that the socialist transformation had been basically completed. During this period, the Communist Party of China led the people of various nationalities to gradually realize the transition from new democratic revolution to socialism.

March 28, 1959

The CPC led the people in Tibet to launch democratic reforms, abolishing the system of feudal serfdom under theocracy. In 2009, the regional legislature announced March 28 as the day to commemorate the emancipation of the 1 million serfs.

October 15, 1959

Baotou Steel held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its No. 1 blast furnace. On that day, Premier Zhou Enlai inaugurated the facility, marking Baotou Steel as one of the first iron and steel enterprises established after 1949. While its construction began in 1954, the steelworks began operation five years later.

October 16, 1964

China successfully detonated its first atomic bomb. On the same day, the Chinese government made a solemn promise to the world that its development of nuclear weapons was only for the purpose of self-defense and safeguarding national security. China would never at any time or under any circumstances be the first to use nuclear weapons.

June 17, 1967

China successfully exploded its first hydrogen bomb.

October 1, 1969

The Phase I of the subway system in Beijing, the first of its kind in China, went into operation.

April 24, 1970

China successfully launched the first man-made satellite.

October 1971

The 26th Session of the UN General Assembly passed Resolution No. 2758, restoring all the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

February 21-28, 1972

From February 21 to 28, 1972, former US President Richard Nixon visited China; at that time China and the US had not yet established diplomatic relations. Mao Zedong held historic and significant talks with Nixon. On February 28, China and the US issued their first joint communiqué – also known as the "Shanghai Communiqué" – in which both nations pledged to work toward the full normalization of diplomatic relations.

March 18-31, 1978

The National Science Conference was held in Beijing from March 18 to 31, 1978. Then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping stressed in his opening remarks that science and technology were productive forces, and that the modernization of science and technology would be the foundation of the "four modernizations."

December 18-22, 1978

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee was held. The Party rid itself of "left" errors and reaffirmed the ideological, political and organizational line of Marxism. The session decided to shift the emphasis of the Party's work to economic development and launched reform and opening-up.

August 26, 1980

China's opening-up and reform entered a fast lane after the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, approved the establishment of special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong and Xiamen in Fujian Province.

January 11, 1982

The policy "one country, two systems" was put forward by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in January 1982. It is a fundamental state policy of the Chinese government to accomplish peaceful national reunification. 

December 19, 1984

The Chinese and British governments signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration and three relevant annexes on the issue of Hong Kong. The declaration stipulated that China would assume sovereignty over Hong Kong from Britain on July 1, 1997.

February 15, 1985

China's first Antarctic research station, the Great Wall Station, opened in west Antarctica.

April 13, 1988

With the approval of the 7th National People's Congress, Hainan, formerly a part of Guangdong Province, was declared the nation's newest province.

January 18-February 21, 1992

Deng Xiaoping took an inspection tour of south China, visiting Wuchang, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shanghai between January 18 and February 21, 1992. During the tour, Deng gave several important talks, collectively known as the "south tour talks," providing timely answers to the questions of "what is socialism and how do we build socialism." The talks inspired the second round of China's reform and opening-up. They effectively freed Chinese people's minds, and reaffirmed their faith in socialism.

February 1994

Dayawan nuclear power plant, located on the Daya Bay in the south China city of Shenzhen, is China's first large-scale commercial nuclear power plant. Its No. 1 unit started commercial operation in February of 1994.

May 6, 1995

The Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council kicked off the National Conference on Science and Technology, unveiling the Strategy for invigorating China through science and education.

July 1, 1997

Hong Kong officially returned to the motherland on July 1, 1997, ending more than 150 years of British rule.

December 20, 1999

Macau returns to China on December 20, 1999.

December 11, 2001

China joined the World Trade Organization, a new stage of reform and opening-up.

October 15-16, 2003

Astronaut Yang Liwei became China's first man in space. Yang rode Shenzhou V into orbit on October 15 and returned after 21 hours and 23 minutes.

May 20, 2006

China completed construction of the world's largest dam in the Three Gorges area in central China's Hubei Province.

June 3, 2007

In compliance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, China prepared its National Climate Change Program. Issued on June 3, 2007 by the National Development and Reform Commission, the program was China's first global warming policy initiative.

Imaginechina

August 8-24, 2008

At 8pm on August 8, 2008, the Olympic flag was raised in China for the first time at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

May 1-October 31, 2010

The six-month World Expo 2010 was held in Shanghai, with the theme of "Better City, Better Life." 

August 2010

China was confirmed to have overtaken Japan as the world's second-largest economy, trailing only the United States.

June 16, 2012

China launched its Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft at 6:37pm on June 16, 2012, sending the country's first female astronaut into space.

November 29, 2012

The Chinese Dream, with the goal of achieving the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," was proposed by President Xi Jinping. It is concerned with building a strong and prosperous country, rejuvenating the nation and realizing the well-being of the people. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a visit to "The Road Toward Rejuvenation" exhibition on November 29, 2012. 

September 7, 2013

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by China in 2013, has grown into one of the most promising platforms for international cooperation, forging a new pathway toward inclusive globalization that delivers shared benefits. The Belt, or Silk Road Economic Belt, was officially announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. The Road is short for the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, inaugurated during Xi's speech at the Indonesian Parliament on October 3 of the same year, to promote maritime cooperation. The BRI serves as a way for China to participate in global opening-up and cooperation, improve global economic governance, promote common development and prosperity, and build a community with a shared future for humanity.

December 2, 2013

China launched the Chang'e-3 lunar probe with its first moon rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit) on December 2, 2013, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. This was the first time China had sent a spacecraft to make a soft landing on the surface of an extraterrestrial body.

April 30, 2015

The Guidelines for Coordinated Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region was approved by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with the ultimate goal of creating a world-class regional city cluster.

May 5, 2017

China's first domestic narrow-body airliner, the C919, made its maiden flight from Shanghai, marking a great improvement of the country's innovative capability and technological advancement in the aviation and aerospace industry.

November 5-10, 2018

The first China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's first import-themed expo, kicked off in Shanghai. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, saying the CIIE is "a major policy for China to push for a new round of high-level opening-up, and a major measure for China to take the initiative to open its market to the world." 

February 18, 2019

The outline development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area was unveiled, aiming to develop the region into "a role model of high-quality development."

May 15-22, 2019

The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations was held in Beijing on May 15-22, 2019, aiming to carry forward the brilliant achievements of civilizations in Asia and the world, build a platform for mutual learning and mutual development, enhance the confidence of Asian culture, and promote cooperation and mutual trust in Asia. It also called for further cooperation among different countries in the fields of culture, tourism, education, media, think tanks, health and nongovernmental exchanges.

June 23, 2020

China completes deployment of the BeiDou navigation system. The 55th and final BeiDou satellite was launched on June 23, 2020, marking the completion of China's nearly 30-year deployment of its satellite navigation network.

July 23, 2020

China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020. 

November 28, 2020

China's manned submersible sets a national deep-sea diving record. The submersible Fendouzhe, or Striver, descended 10,909 meters below sea level for six hours of data collection and scientific research in the Mariana Trench. 

End of 2020

At the end of 2020, China eliminated absolute poverty as scheduled. All 99 million rural poor living below the poverty line were raised from poverty.

May 15, 2021

China's first Mars rover Zhurong touched down in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a vast plain on the northern hemisphere of Mars, becoming the second country after the United States to land and operate a rover on Mars.

May 31, 2021

China further relaxed its two-child policy by announcing it will support couples who wish to have a third child to tackle the aging population and optimize the population structure.

June 17, 2021

Three Chinese astronauts onboard the Shenzhou-12 spaceship were sent into space and entered space station core module Tianhe for a three-month mission and have since carried out a number of tasks as planned.

June 25, 2021

Deep Sea No. 1, China's first self-operated 1,500-meter deep-water gas field, started production.

July 1, 2021

The Communist Party of China celebrated its centenary.