BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao starts a three-day official visit to Britain on Sunday. Following are majorevents in Sino-British relations.

    In 1950, Britain recognized the People's Republic of China, which was founded on Oct. 1, 1949.

    On June 17, 1954, the two sides reached an agreement on the exchange of charges d'affaires.

    On March 13, 1972, the two sides signed the Joint Communique onthe Agreement on the Exchange of Ambassadors.

    In October 1979, Chinese Premier Hua Guofeng visited Britain.

    In September 1982, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher paid a visit to China.

    In December 1984, Thatcher made her second visit to China, during which the two governments signed The Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, thus ushering in a period of sound development in the two countries' relations.

    In June 1985, the then Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang visited Britain.

    In June 1986, Hu Yaobang, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, paid a visit to Britain.

    In October 1986, Queen Elizabeth II paid a state visit to China.

    In September 1991, British Prime Minister John Major visited China.

    On June 30, 1997, the ceremony for the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong was held in Hong Kong. The relations between China and Britain entered a new era of comprehensive development.

    In 1998, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and British Prime Minister Tony Blair exchanged visits, and the two countries issued a joint statement announcing the establishment of a comprehensive partnership.

    In September 1999, Lord Chancellor the Lord Irvine of Lairg andSpeaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd separately visitedChina.

    In October 1999, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to Britain, the first-ever by China's head of state in history.

    In August 2000, Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, met with Betty Boothroyd,speaker of the House of Commons of Britain, at the Millennium Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments in New York.

    In October 2001, Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao paid an official visit to Britain.

    In May 2002, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Li Ruihuan visited Britain.

    In September 2002, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji held a meeting with British Prime Minister Blair when attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa.

    In July 2003, British Prime Minister Blair visited China. Enditem