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 You are in: Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs: Office of the Historian > More Publications > Historical Background Papers 
Chronology
Office of the Historian
Washington, DC

United States Relations with China Timeline: Separation and Reopening (1950-2001)

1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-2001

1950-1959

  • 1950: Korean War
  • 1951: General MacArthur Recalled
  • 1954: First Taiwan Strait Crisis
  • 1954: The Geneva Conference
  • 1954: Ambassadorial Talks Began
  • 1955: Formosa Resolution Passed
  • 1956: Beginnings of the Sino-Soviet Split
  • 1957: U.S. Students Visited PRC
  • 1958: The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
  • 1958: The Great Leap Forward

    1960-1969

  • 1960: Eisenhower Visited Taiwan
  • 1960-61: Completion of the Sino-Soviet Split
  • 1963: Kennedy Administration Considered Opening Ties with PRC
  • 1964: The Vietnam War
  • 1964: PRC Exploded Nuclear Weapon
  • 1965: Immigration and Naturalization Act Passed
  • 1965: United States Halted Aid to Taiwan
  • 1966: The Cultural Revolution
  • 1968: Tet Offensive
  • 1969: Conflict on the China-Soviet Border
  • 1969: Nixon Doctrine Announced

    1970-1979

  • 1970: Ambassadorial Talks Restarted
  • 1971: Ping-Pong Diplomacy
  • 1971: Kissinger’s Visits to China
  • 1971: PRC Joined the United Nations
  • 1972: Nixon’s Visit to China and the Shanghai Communiqué
  • 1973: Liaison Offices Established
  • 1974: Changes in Leadership
  • 1975: Ford’s Visit to China
  • 1976: Deaths of Zhou and Mao
  • 1977: Deng and Carter Took Charge
  • 1978: Agreement Reached on Normalization
  • 1979: Deng’s Visit to the United States
  • 1979: Taiwan Relations Act Signed

    1980-1989

  • 1980: Deng Launched Economic Reform and Opening
  • 1982: Third Communiqué Issued
  • 1984: Reagan’s Visit to China
  • 1986: China Joined Multilateral Institutions
  • 1988: Peace Corps to Enter China
  • 1989: Temporary Hiatus in U.S.-China Relations

    1990-2001

  • 1991: China Joined NPT, APEC
  • 1992: Warming in U.S.-China Relations
  • 1993: Linkage of MFN to Human Rights
  • 1995: Taiwan President Visited United States
  • 1995: China Hosted International Women’s Conference
  • 1996: Difficulties in the Taiwan Strait
  • 1997: Jiang Zemin’s Visit to the United States
  • 1998: Clinton’s Visit to China
  • 1999: Bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade
  • 2000: Permanent Normal Trade Status Granted
  • 2001: China Entered the WTO



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