The 1950s

1950, Oct.: Chinese People's Volunteer Army invades Korean Peninsula to support their North Korean allies agains the USA.

1950, Nov.: The People's Republic of China takes control of Tibet.

1959, March: Tibetan population revolts against Chinese occupation is suppressed with "iron fist".

The 1960s

1962: Border conflict with India over areas in the Himalaya.

1964, Oct.: Test of first nuclear bomb in China.

1967, June: Test of first nuclear fusion device in China

1969, March: Clash with Soviet troops at Damanskii Island (Zhen Bao) of the Ussuri river (Wusuli Jiang).

The 1970s

1970: In the mid-1970s China's relations with Vietnam begin to deteriorate. Violent incidents along the Sino-Vietnamese border.

1974, June: China has a force of about 130 nuclear delivery vehicles - half missles and half bombers.

1979, Feb.: China invades Vietnam (for 29 days) after Vietnamese troups had ousted the pro-Beijing Pol-Pot regime in Cambodia.

The 1980s

1980: Stop of the surface test program of nuclear bombs near Lop Nor in Xinjiang province after 23 tests.

The 1990s

1990: Modernization of the People's Liberation Army begins.

1992: China ratifies the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

1996: China acquires missile technology from two American companies: Hughes and Loral.

1996: Stop of the sub-terrain nuclear weapons test program.

1999: China develops the neutron bomb, which can be used for tactical purposes.

1999: The U.S. Cox-Dicks Committee accuses China of using espionage to steal neutron bomb and technology.

The 2000s

2000: China lounches Chinasat-22 (Zhongxing-22) communication satellite.

2000, Oct.: The GPS satellete Beidou 1A is launched into orbit.

2002: China intensifies modernization of the People's Liberation Army.

2003, May: China launches the third (of three) Beidou-1 navigation satellites.

2004, Sept.: Government deploys heavily armed troops to protect Three Gorges Dam against terrorist attacks.

2005, July: State-owned Galileo Industries begins cooperation with EU's Galileo satellite navigation system.

2005, Aug.: Joint military maneuvers of China and Russia to "strengthen friendship".

2007, Jan.: China shoots down old weather satellite, demonstrating capability of destroying hostile spy satellites.

2007, May: China's military budget increases by 17.8% in 2007.

2008, March: China plans to increase its military budget by nearly 18%.