The 1980s

1980: Special Economic Zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou (Guangdong), Xiamen (Fujian), and the entire province of Hainan.

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

1980: Early 1980s: Debates between "Reds" who favour ideological correctness and "Technocrats" who promote pragmatic reform.

1980 - 1990: Great improvement of China's food security. Significant reduction of rural poverty.

1980, June: Timothy Berners-Lee writes "Enquire" - a program that became the conceptual basis for the World Wide Web (www).

1980, August: First Special Economic Zones are established in Shenzhen.

1981, September: Successful launch of three satellites (SJ-2, SJ-2A, SJ-2b) on one rocket into orbit.

1982: China's population surpasses 1 billion people.

1982, December: The Fifth National People's Congress adopts a new constitution for China.

1984: 14 coastal cities are completely opened to foreign investment.

1984, January: China joins the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

1984, April: State Council authorizes Yangtze Valley Planning Office to draft feasibility report for Three Gorges Dam project.

1985: Free higher education is abolished and replaced by academic scholarships based on academic ability.

1985 - 1988: "Cultural Fever": Intellectuals identify China's "feudal" traditions as reason for backwardness.

1986: Legislation concerning compulsory education (usually 6 years).

1986: Thousands of students all over China are demonstrating for greater intellectual freedom.

1986: Foudation of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

1986: Deng Xiaoping boosts "Open-door" policy to encourage Foreign Direct Investments.

1986: The Sixth National People's Congress adpots new Civil Law of the People's Republic of China.

1986 - 1995: Addministrative regulations of 1986 and 1996 allow forced labor camps for re-education (laodong jiaoyang).

1987: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) comes to China. Introduction of Western-style fast-food to China.

1987, January: The too "liberal" General Secretary of China's Communist Party, Hu Yaobang, is forced to resign

1988: By mid-1988 the CCP annouces that its membership has increased to the all-time high of 47 million.

1988: Excessive economic growth with rampand corruption and out-of-control inflation of 18.5%.

1988 - 1993: Chinese movie directors win important international competitions.

1988, March: China successfully launches the DFH-2A fully operational communication satellite into earth's orbit.

1988, November: TV series "River Elegy" is criticized as "wholesale Westernization" and banned.

1989: France’s Hachette Filipacchi starts to publish a Chinese version of the fashion magazine "Elle".

1989: Revision of the environmental legislation from 1979.

1989: Jiang Zemin replaces Zhao Ziyang as CCP General Secretary.

1989, April: Hu Yaobang dies.

1989, June: Crack down of Tiananmen Square demonstrations with military power (official death toll: 200)

1989, June: In Madrid (Spain), the European Council of Ministers agrees to an EU-wide arms embargo against China.

1989, December: Stock markets are opened in Shanghai and Shenzhen.