Britain Recognizes People's Republic of China - HISTORY

On January 6, 1950, the British government under Prime Minister Clement Attlee followed the USSR and several other nations in recognizing the new communist government of China. A news report provides details.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

In 1963, a scandal gripped British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government when it was alleged that his secretary of war, John Profumo, engaged in an affair with 19-year-old Christine Keeler, who was also having an affair with an attache at the Soviet Embassy. A news report describes the outcome following the release of the official report on the scandal.

In April 1971, China unexpectedly invited the American ping-pong team to compete in Beijing. The invitation to the Americans, the first since the communist takeover in 1949, signaled the possibility of improved U.S.-China relations. NBC News reports on the outcome of the match and the upcoming travels in China awaiting the American athletes.

After returning from his historic trip to China, President Richard Nixon meets with a group of Congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room on February 29, 1972, and in a recorded conversation discusses the importance of opening the lines of communication with the communist nation.

On September 7, 1940, 300 German bombers raided London in what would be the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. This "blitzkrieg" would continue until May 1941.

On May 12, 2008, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook eastern Sichuan, China, killing thousands. It was the country’s worst natural disaster in three decades. A report from the National Earthquake Information Center moments after the quake describes the situation as preliminary news rolls in. The quake, originally thought to be a 7.8, was later upgraded.

Peter Weller visits the Great Wall of China.