7 Days in Diplomacy; this Week in Chinese History

This day, 28 May, 1351, in the first of the Red Turban Rebellions that would lead to the downfall of the Yuan Dynasty and Zhu Yuanzhang’s founding of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Futong launched an uprising with a red...

This day, 27 May, in 1960, Chairman Mao Zedong met British Field Marshal Montgomery who asked, “What will happen when China becomes a powerful country with a population of more than 1 billion?”. Mao heard the hidden meaning, replying,...

This day, 26 May, in 2004, the Organisation of American States officially accepted China as its 60th permanent observer. Speaking of the move, Ambassador Yang Jiechi said, “This will be helpful in our joint efforts to further develop cooperation...

This day, 25 May, in 2009, with regard to another nuclear test conducted by North Korea, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, saying, “The Chinese government expresses firm opposition to this. It is the Chinese government’s...

This day, 24 May, in 1993, the movie “Farewell My Concubine” won the Golden Palm Award (Palme d'Or) at the 46th Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Chinese-language film to achieve the honour. It would later receive two Oscar...

This day, 23 May, in 1985, Chairman of the Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping announced that the People’s Liberation Army would reduce its military by one million. Deng said, “Our judgment on the international situation has changed and our...

This day, 22 May, in 1885, the great French writer Victor Hugo passed away. Of him, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing once said, “He loved his France, but he also strongly condemned the British and French coalition forces for...