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1982:

-- On Jan. 21, Deng Xiaoping first proposed the concept of "one country, two systems" when he met with Li Yaozi, chairman of the National Association of Chinese-American. On June, 26, 1983, Deng raised the six policies on realizing the peaceful reunification of the mainland and Taiwan during his meeting with Yang Liyu, professor of the Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

-- On Aug. 17, the Chinese and U.S. governments issued a joint communique on solving the problem of U.S. arms selling to Taiwan step by step until a final thorough solution. It was the third important joint communique on Sino-U.S. relations after the Shanghai Communique in 1972 and the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations in 1979.

-- From Sept. 1 to 11, the 12th National Congress of the CPC was convened. Deng Xiaoping proposed in his opening speech to take the country's own path and build socialism with Chinese characteristics.

1984:

-- From July 28 to Aug. 12, the Chinese sports delegation won 15 gold medals at the 23rd Los Angeles Olympics in the U.S., the first time for China to win an Olympic gold medal.

-- On Sept. 26, the governments of China and the United Kingdom initiated a joint statement on Hong Kong and confirmed that China would resume sovereignty over Hong Kong from July 1, 1997. On Dec.19, the joint statement was officially signed in Beijing.

1986:

-- On Dec. 2, the Law of the PRC on Enterprise Bankruptcy (for trial implementation) was passed at the 18th meeting of the Sixth NPC Standing Committee. On Aug. 3, Shenyang Explosion-Proof Apparatus Factory announced bankruptcy. It was the first case of bankruptcy for state-owned enterprises since the reform and opening up.

-- On Dec. 5, the State Council issued a regulation on deepening reforms to vitalize enterprises. According to the regulation, state-owned small enterprises could lease or contract its operations. State-owned large and medium-sized enterprises should implement the management responsibility system in various forms and a few qualified enterprises could be selected to trial implement the share-holding system.

1987:

-- On March 26, the governments of China and Portugal initiated a joint statement on Macao and confirmed that China would resume sovereignty over Macao from Dec. 20, 1999. On April 13, the joint statement was officially signed in Beijing.

-- From Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, the 13th National Congress of the CPC was convened, at which Zhao Ziyang, on behalf of the 12th CPC Central Committee, delivered a report on moving ahead along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The meeting illustrated the primary stage theory of socialism, put forward the CPC's basic route of "one center, two basic points" in the primary stage of socialism, and laid down a three-step development strategy to achieve modernization by the middle of the 21st century. On Nov. 2, Zhao Ziyang was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Deng Xiaoping was decided to be chairman of the Central Military Commission.

1988:

-- From Sept. 14 to 27, the missile nuclear submarine designed and made by China successfully launched a rocket underwater in the East China Sea.

1989:

-- In spring-summer, a political storm occurred in Beijing and some other cities. The CPC and the government relied on the people, resolutely objected to unrest, and quieted down the anti-revolutionary riot in Beijing. The socialist state power was safeguarded; people's fundamental interests were defended; the reform and opening up and the modernization drive were continued.

-- On May 16, Deng Xiaoping met with Gorbachov, then general secretary of the Communist Party of Soviet Union, which normalized the Sino-Soviet relations.

-- From June 23 to 24, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee removed Zhao Ziyang from all CPC leading posts. Jiang Zemin was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. The meeting clearly declared that the routes and basic policies adopted since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee would never waver because of the political storm.

-- From Nov. 6 to 9, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee was convened, which approved the CPC Central Committee's decision to further regulate, readjust and deepen reforms. The meeting agreed to Deng Xiaoping's resignation as chairman of the Central Military Commission and decided to appoint Jiang Zemin to the post.