November 1991★★★★★
China and Vietnam normalise relations
Vietnam and China normalise relations after more than a decade of hostility.
PoliticsTreaty· Vietnam, China
Timeline
158 events20th century
- March 23, 1996★★★★★
Taiwan's first direct presidential election
Voters in Taiwan directly elect their president for the first time, choosing Lee Teng-hui.
Politics· Taiwan - July 1, 1997★★★★★
Handover of Hong Kong
Britain transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to China under the 'one country, two systems' principle.
PoliticsTreaty· Hong Kong, China, United Kingdom - December 20, 1999★★★★★
Handover of Macau
Portugal transfers sovereignty over Macau to China, ending more than four centuries of Portuguese presence.
Politics· Macau, China, Portugal - June 13, 2000 – June 15, 2000★★★★★
First inter-Korean summit
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.
Politics· South Korea, North Korea
21st century
- October 9, 2006★★★★★
North Korea's first nuclear test
North Korea conducts its first underground nuclear test, drawing UN Security Council condemnation and sanctions.
TechnologyWar· North Korea - August 8, 2008 – August 24, 2008★★★★★
2008 Beijing Olympics
Beijing hosts the Summer Olympic Games for the first time, opening on 8 August 2008.
Culture· China - March 11, 2011★★★★★
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan kill nearly 20,000 people and trigger the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Disaster· Japan