In May 2015, the Wilson Center launched the Chinese Foreign Policy Database, which I developed. The Database contains nearly 1,500 declassified documents on the international relations of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1949. They include diplomatic cables, high level correspondence, meeting minutes, and other internal documents retrieved from dozens of archives around the world. Over 600 records from the now-closed Chinese Foreign Ministry Archives in Beijing are included.
The Chinese Foreign Policy Database presents a wealth of new information, including a compelling timeline of major events in China’s foreign relations, and more than 25 curated collections focusing on topics such as China’s alliance with North Korea, the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, and the rise and fall of communist solidarity between China and the Soviet Union.
The Database is an ongoing project that will grow as more valuable historical materials and resources on contemporary Chinese history become available.