U.S.–China Relations Timeline
Chronology of Events — 1945 to Present
1945 — The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is established by Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong after communists defeat the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, who, with his followers, flees to Taiwan (formerly Formosa). 1950 — The Soviet-backed North Korean People’s Army invades South Korea, marking the start of the Korean War. China supports the communist north. 1953 — U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, in response to the end of the Korean War, lifts the U.S. naval blockade of Taiwan. 1954 — Chiang Kai-shek authorizes the movement of troops to the nearby islands of Quemoy and Matsu. Mao orders the…
