The 1990s

1990: Tenthousands of blood plasma donors in rural areas are infected with HIV.

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

1990-2006: Waves of public protests, particularly in rural areas, are concerning the Chinese government.

1990-2004: The process of restructuring and / or closing of state-owned enterprises is accelerated.

1991: First McDonald's Restaurant opens in Beijing.

1992: China ratifies the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

1992: Deng Xiaoping accelerates market reforms to establish a "socialist market economy".

1992: Falun Gong religious movement was founded by Li Hongzhi from Changchun, Jilin province

1993: Production of the pesticide DDT is officially stopped (but illegally used for several subsequent years).

1993: Widespread concerns among environmentalists about the Three Gorges Dam project.

1994: The Chinese government launches its ambitious "8-7 Plan" for eliminating extreme poverty by the year 2000.

1994: China connected to NSFNET (Internet).

1995: Massive program to rebuild Buddhist temples is started in the mid-1990s.

1995: Educational legislation stipulates a 9-year compulsory education.

1994, Dec.: Start of the "Three Gorges Dam" project.

1995: Between 1978 and 2004 China reduced the population in severe poverty from 250 to some 26 million.

1995: In the late 1990s lifestyle magazines begin to proliferate, promoting a new image of educated, elegant career women.

1995: Overheating of the economy: 17% Inflation rate.

1995, Oct.: Earthquake in Yunnan (6.5 at Richter scale). 50 people die and 6,000 are injured. 170,000 people homless.

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

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

1997, Feb.: Death of Deng Xiaoping.

1997, July: China gets control over Hong Kong's sovereignty.

1997, Oct.: Certain environmental offenses are treated as crime and are included in the criminal code of China.

1998: The Microsoft and Intel corporations establish high-tech research facilities in Beijing.

1998: WHO reports that of the ten most polluted cities in the world, seven can be found in China.

1998: Worst flooding in years - 230 million people affected and 3,656 dead.

1998: Zhu Rongji follows Li Peng as China's Premier.

1998-1999: Slow-down of the Chinese economy - partly due to Asian Financial Crisis.

1998, Jan.: Government cuts down redundant and inefficient manpower in the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

1998, April: One of the most devastating sandstorm in decades is raging in Beijing for two days, blocking sunlight.

1998, Aug.: Chinese Government initiates "Project Yangtze" which provides special funds to leading researchers.

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.

1999: The Falun Gong movement is declared illegal in China and a threat to national security.

1999: Cooling of US-China relations after NATO bombs Chinese embassy in Belgrade, former Yugoslavia.

1999, Jan.: New university legislation becomes effective. Gives greater autonomy to universities.