Moments, meetings and milestones

China and Britain have regularly played host to each other's leaders and dignitaries. Following are the key exchanges.

January 1950: Britain officially recognized the People's Republic of China.

March 1972: China and Britain signed the Joint Communique on the Agreement on an Exchange of Ambassadors.

September 1982: Margaret Thatcher became the first serving British prime minister to visit China and met top Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

1 December 1984: Margaret Thatcher made her second visit, during which the British and Chinese governments signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong.

June 1985: Hu Yaobang, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited Britain.

2 October 1986: Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to make a state visit to China, meeting President Li Xiannian.

September 1991: Prime Minister John Major visited China.

3 June 30, 1997: The Chinese and British governments held a ceremony to return sovereignty of Hong Kong to China. During the ceremony, President Jiang Zemin met the Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

1998: Premier Zhu Rongji and his British counterpart Tony Blair exchanged successful visits and the countries issued a joint statement announcing plans to establish a comprehensive partnership.

October 1999: President Jiang Zemin became the first Chinese president to make a state visit to Britain and met Queen Elizabeth II.

May 2004: Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Britain and a joint statement said the countries had agreed to an annual meeting between the premier and prime minister and to identify priority areas for cooperation.

November 2005: President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to Britain

September 2006: Premier Wen Jiabao paid a working visit to Britain.

2008: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid his first official visit to China in January and returned in August for the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

January 2009: Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Britain and the governments issued a joint statement on strengthening cooperation and dealing with the global financial crisis.

June 2011: Premier Wen Jiabao. attended the annual China-UK Prime Ministers' Meeting in London with Prime Minister David Cameron. The two sides announced they would set up a high-level cultural exchange mechanism.

4 June 2014: Premier Li Keqiang paid an official visit to Britain and met Prime Minister David Cameron.

5 March 2015: Duke of Cambridge Prince William visited China and forwarded an invitation letter from Queen Elizabeth II to President Xi Jinping.