1970-1979 A Turning Point in History

From 1970 to 1979， China gradually realized a historic turn and opened up an import- ant stage for socialist development in the new era.

To clear political and ideological chaos caused by the “cultural revolution” （1966-1976） and end a long run of leftism， Chinese leaders of the era represented by Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese people made unremitting efforts. At the important historical juncture determining the future direction of China， the country held the Central Working Conference and the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China （CPC） at the end of 1978， correcting problematic leftism with guiding principles and seizing a turning point as significant as any since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949.

1970： First Satellite Launched

Chinas first artificial satellite Dongfanghong-1 was successfully launched into space on April 24， 1970. The launch made China become the fifth country in the world to send a domestically produced satellite into space with a homemade rocket after the Soviet Union， the United States， France and Japan. Due to the relatively high perigee of the Dongfanghong-1， the satellite is still in orbit today.

1971： Restoration of Chinas Lawful Seat in the UN

On October 25， 1971， the 26th Session of the United Nations （UN） General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority to restore the lawful seat of the Peoples Republic of China in the UN. The proposal to restore Chinas lawful seat in the UN was sponsored by 23 countries including Albania and Algeria and passed with 76 votes in favor， 35 votes against and 17 abstentions. On November 15， the delegation of the Peoples Republic of China attended the UN General Assembly for the first time and was warmly received.

1972： U.S. President Nixons Visit to China

From February 21 to 28， 1972， upon an invitation from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai， U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China. On February 28， the historic Shanghai Communiqué was released， announcing the normalization of relations between the two countries. The visit brought China-U.S. relations into a new era.

1973： Successful Trial of Chinas First Integrated Circuit Electronic Computer

On August 26， 1973， Chinas first integrated circuit electronic computer， capable of making one million calculations per second， ran a successful trial. Jointly developed by Peking University， Beijing Cable Plant and then Ministry of Fuel and Chemical Industries， the computer marked a major achievement in Chinas scientific and technological development and a milestone in the countrys computer development.

1974： Completion of Shengli Oilfield

On September 28， 1974， the construction of Shengli Oilfield， the second largest of its kind in China， was completed. Located in northern China， a region previously considered barren of oil， Shengli Oilfields construction was greatly significant in changing Chinas fuel landscape and the layout of its energy industry as well as promoting the countrys economic development.

1975： Popularization of Hybrid Rice

As the most populous country on the planet， China faces the problem of a huge population and relatively meager cultivated land. Under this context， Chinas hybrid rice was introduced. With strong support from the government， a research team led by Chinese scientist Yuan Longping developed indica hybrid rice seeds. In 1975， hybrid rice was approved for large-scale promotion across the country after tests. From 1976 to 1987， Chinas hybrid rice production increased by more than 100 million tons， which contributed greatly to the countrys grain production. Hybrid rice solved food problems for China， where 22 percent of the worlds population live on less than 10 percent of the worlds cultivated land.

1976： Mao Zedongs Passing

Chairman Mao Zedong， the main founder and leader of New China， passed away on September 9， 1976. The whole country fell into profound mourning. In the 10 days after his death， a total of 123 governments and heads of state sent telegrams of condolences or letters of condolences to the Chinese government. Leaders of 105 countries or their representatives went to Chinese embassies to mourn， and 53 countries dropped their national flags to half-mast. Memorial activities were held at many international organizations and conferences. On September 18， a memorial ceremony was held at Tiananmen Square in downtown Beijing. Millions of people from all walks of life came to participate.

1977： Resumption of College Entrance Examination

In 1977， the gaokao， Chinas college entrance examination， resumed after 10 years of disruption during the “cultural revolution” （1966-1976）. That winter， 5.7 million people of different ages participated in the examination. The scale of that years examination not only set a participation record in China， but also in the world. Destinies of many people were changed due to the resumption of the gaokao after a 10-year hiatus. It marked the dawn of a new era of respect for knowledge and professional competency.

1978： Implementation of Reform and Opening Up

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee held in December 1978 in Beijing is of great significance to the country. The session passed the historic decision to shift the focus of the Party and countrys work from “class struggle” to economic development. It marked the start of Chinas reform and opening up and socialist modernization. Rural reform made breakthroughs， urban reform began， the opening up proceeded smoothly， and order was created out of chaos. The country was reinvigorated and revitalized.

1979： Special Economic Zones

Chinas special economic zones were born in 1979， marking further development of the countrys reform and opening up. Any social change requires a breakthrough， and Chinas reform， opening up and modernization were no exceptions. Soon after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee， the Chinese government decided to establish special economic zones in Guangdong Provinces Shenzhen， Zhuhai and Shantou cities and Xiamen in Fujian Province， leveraging the provinces advantages of being adjacent to Hong Kong， Macao and Taiwan and boasting abundant overseas Chinese. Pictured is the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone under construction.