People's Republic of China

State · 1950–2026 CE · at its largest around 2000 CE

Mao's revolution promised a new China but brought the famine of the Great Leap Forward and the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Deng Xiaoping's market reforms then lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and made China the world's workshop, all under firm Communist Party rule.

On its lands while it lasted

Chiang Kai-shek (1887 CE – 1975 CE): Nationalist leader of the Republic of China who led it against Japan and, after 1949, ruled on Taiwan.
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 CE – 1964 CE): Leader in the independence movement and first prime minister of India, serving from 1947 until his death.
Ho Chi Minh (1890 CE – 1969 CE): Vietnamese revolutionary who led the Viet Minh independence movement, declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and led North Vietnam until his death.
Mao Zedong (1893 CE – 1976 CE): Communist revolutionary who founded the People's Republic of China and led it until his death.
Deng Xiaoping (1904 CE – 1997 CE): Paramount leader of China from 1978 who launched market reforms and opening to the world.
First Indochina War (1946–1954 CE): War between France and the Viet Minh for control of Vietnam, ending with the Geneva Accords that partitioned the country.
Korean War (1950–1953 CE): War between North Korea, backed by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by UN forces led by the United States.
Constitution of India (1950 CE): India's constitution, drafted by a committee chaired by B. R. Ambedkar, came into force on 26 January 1950, making India a republic.
First ascent of Mount Everest (1953 CE): Members of the British expedition, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, reached the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953, the first confirmed ascent.
Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954 CE): Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp besieged and captured the French garrison at Dien Biên Phu in May 1954, ending French rule in Indochina.
Great Leap Forward (1958–1962 CE): Mao's campaign to rapidly industrialise and collectivise China, which led to economic collapse.
Great Chinese Famine (1959–1961 CE): Famine caused largely by Great Leap Forward policies, with estimated deaths in the tens of millions.
Cultural Revolution (1966–1976 CE): Political campaign launched by Mao against perceived enemies within the party and society, bringing mass persecution and violence.
Reform and opening up (1978 CE): Programme of economic reform begun under Deng Xiaoping that introduced markets and foreign investment, driving rapid growth.
COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2023 CE): A pandemic of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, spread worldwide, causing millions of deaths and widespread lockdowns; WHO ended its global health emergency in May 2023.