Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China

[Joe McCarthy]

With China on the rise as a global power, it's useful to investigate just when certain states granted them diplomatic recognition. For a very long time the PRC was seen as even more of a pariah state than it is now, and efforts were made, particularly by Washington, to keep them as isolated as possible.

Here is the whole list:

Selected dates:

Britain - 1950. Britain was concerned about Hong Kong, and endured snubs from Mao over past UK-China relations in the process of granting him diplomatic recognition.

India - 1950.

Sweden - 1950.

Denmark - 1950.

Switzerland - 1950.

Finland - 1950.

France - 1964. This occurred during the Vietnam War, and it was a deliberate attempt by de Gaulle to undermine the US war effort in Vietnam.

Italy - 1970.

Austria - 1971.

Turkey - 1971.

To its credit, West Germany did not establish diplomatic relations with the PRC until after the Communists took their seat on the UN Security Council. Franco's Spain recognized them even later in 1973. Israel did not grant diplomatic recognition to China until 1992 - thirteen years after the United States finally did.

[The Lawspeaker]

The Netherlands in 1972. But then again we only recognized the U.S.S.R in 1942 (at least the government-in-exile did. While Dutch "volunteers" - or better said traitors to the nation were fighting in Russia alongside the Germans.

[Joe McCarthy]

The Netherlands in 1972. But then again we only recognized the U.S.S.R in 1942 (at least the government-in-exile did. While Dutch "volunteers" - or better said traitors to the nation were fighting in Russia alongside the Germans.

You might look at the notes:

^ a b c On January 6, 1950, the United Kingdom recognized the People's Republic of China and requested the exchange of ambassadors, but this was refused. The UK and The Netherlands established diplomatic relations at chargé d'affaires level with the PRC on June 17, 1954 and November 19, 1954 respectively. The PRC government does not regard the semi-diplomatic relations at chargé d'affaires level as formal diplomatic ties. The UK does. The PRC consented to the exchange of ambassadors with the UK on March 13, 1972 and with The Netherlands on May 18, 1972. See Sino-British relations for further details.

[The Lawspeaker]

November 19, 1954

I wonder what business we had in China at the time. I can understand the British though because of Hong Kong.

[Joe McCarthy]

Notice that South Africa did not grant diplomatic recognition until 1998. Apartheid South Africa was a staunch ally of Taiwan.

[Joe McCarthy]

With the exception of Korea, this relationship post-1949 for the most part can perhaps best be dubbed appeasement on one side and insult on the other...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Br..._.281950_-_.29

20 April 1949 - The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst travelling to the British Embassy in Nanjing and forces a successful British rescue mission. Since the Communist Party of China does not recognize the UK or the Unequal Treaties, they argue the ship has no right to be on the Yangtse.
6 January 1950 - HMG recognises the PRC as the government of China and posts a chargé d'affaires ad interim in Beijing (Peking). The British expect a rapid exchange of Ambassadors.[7] However, the PRC demands concessions on the Chinese seat at the UN and the foreign assets of the Republic of China, perhaps designed to humiliate the author of the Unequal Treaties.
c.1950 - British companies seeking trade with the PRC form the Group of 48 (now China-Britain Business Council).
17 June 1954 - Following talks at the Geneva Conference, the PRC agrees to station a chargé d'affaires in London. The same talks resulted in an agreement to re-open a British office in Shanghai, and the grant of exit visas to several British businessmen confined to the mainland since 1951.[11]
1950 - British Commonwealth Forces in Korea successfully defend Hill 282 against Chinese and North Korean forces in the Battle of Pakchon, part of the Korean War.
1950 - The Chinese People's Volunteer Army defeat the British at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, part of the Korean War
1951 - The Chinese defeat the British at the Battle of the Imjin River after numerous casualties in a pyrrhic victory, in the Korean War.
1951 - Chinese forces attacking outnumbered British Commonwealth forces are held back in the Battle of Kapyong.
1951 - British Commonwealth forces successfully capture Hill 317 from Chinese forces in the Battle of Maryang San.
1953 - Outnumbered British forces successfully defend Yong Dong against Chinese forces in the Battle of the Hook.
1954 - The Sino-British Trade Committee formed as semi-official trade body (later merged with the Group of 48).
1961 - The UK begins to vote in the General Assembly for PRC membership of the United Nations. It has abstained on votes since 1950.
June 1967 - Red Guards break into the British Legation in Beijing and assault three diplomats and a secretary. The PRC authorities refuse to condemn the action. British officials in Shanghai were attacked in a separate incident, as the PRC authorities attempted to close the office there. [12]
June-August 1967 - Hong Kong 1967 riots. The commander of the Guangzhou Military Region, Huang Yongsheng, secretly suggests invading Hong Kong, but his plan is vetoed by Zhou Enlai.[13]
July 1967 - Hong Kong 1967 riots - Chinese People's Liberation Army troops fire on British Hong Kong Police, killing 5 of them.
23 July 1967-25 September 1969 - Anthony Grey, a young Reuters journalist, is kept under house arrest in Beijing, in retaliation for the imprisonment of Communist journalists in Hong Kong.[14]
23 August 1967 - A Red Guard mob sacks the British Legation in Beijing, slightly injuring the chargé d'affaires and other staff, in response to British arrests of Communist agents in Hong Kong. A Reuters correspondent, Anthony Grey, was also imprisoned by the PRC authorities.[15]
29 August 1967 - Armed Chinese diplomats attack British police guarding the Chinese Legation in London.[16]
13 March 1972 - PRC accords full recognition to HMG, permitting the exchange of ambassadors. HMG acknowledges the PRC's position on Taiwan without accepting it.[17]
1982 - During negotiations with Margaret Thatcher about the return of Hong Kong, Deng Xiaoping tells her that China can simply invade Hong Kong. It was revealed later (2007) that such plans indeed existed.[13]
1984 - Sino-British Joint Declaration.
30 June-1 July 1997 - Return of Hong Kong to China.
29 October 2008 - HMG recognizes Tibet as an integral part of the PRC. It had previously only recognized Chinese "suzerainty" (supremacy over the local ruler) over the region.[18]
29 December 2009 - Sino-British relations strain after the execution of Akmal Shaikh, a British national who was said to have a mental illness,[19] for drug smuggling.[20]
26 June 2010 - President Hu Jintao invites British PM for talks in Beijing at the start of what looks like a fresh start for the two nations.
8 November 2010 - A pledge was made at talks between Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who will attend the third China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing.
25 November 2010 - senior military officials met in Beijing to discuss military cooperation, including the deputy chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army, and the chief of the general staff of the British army.[21]