How the friendship has evolved throughout the 45 years

1950 The United Kingdom recognized the People's Republic of China on Jan 6. It was the first major Western country to do so.

1954 China and the UK established diplomatic relations at the level of charge d'affaires on June 17.

1972 China and the UK established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level on March 13.

1984 China and the UK signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, affirming that the government of the People's Republic of China would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from July 1, 1997.

1986 s Queen Elizabeth II visited China, becoming the first British monarch ever to do so. She also met with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

1997 s The Hong Kong Handover Ceremony was held on the night of June 30. The ceremony marked the restoration of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China.

1998 Premier Zhu Rongji and Prime Minister Tony Blair exchanged visits. China and the UK established the comprehensive partnership.

1999 President Jiang Zemin visited the UK.

2004 Premier Wen Jiabao visited the UK. China and the UK established the comprehensive strategic partnership.

2005 Prime Minister Tony Blair made a visit to China in September, during which the two countries decided to establish a strategic dialogue mechanism. In November, President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to the UK at the invitation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

2008 Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid his first official visit to China in January. In August of the same year, Brown attended the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

2009 The British Government issued its first China strategy paper in January－The UK and China: A Framework for Engagement, which listed China as "a major priority" in the UK's future foreign policy.

2010 Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband in London in January.

2014 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the UK in June and met Prime Minister David Cameron and Queen Elizabeth.

2015 s Prince William visited China and met with President Xi Jinping in March. Prince William was the most senior British royal to visit China since the Queen's tour of the country in 1986.

2015 s President Xi Jinping made a state visit to the UK in October. President Xi and then-prime minister David Cameron jointly established the China-UK global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century and jointly opened up an enduring, open and win-win "golden era".

2016 Prince Andrew visited China and met with President Xi Jinping in April.

2016 Prime Minister Theresa May attended the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou and met with President Xi Jinping.