The Chinese have one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations, spanning some five thousand years. China has long been ruled by dynasties. Some were formed by native Han (such as the Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644), and others were established after nomadic tribes from the north conquered China-proper (as did the Qing Dynasty, 1644–1911). Nomadic tribes were eventually absorbed into Chinese culture. A revolution inspired by Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1912, with the country fragmented by opposing warlords, Sun Yat-sen established the Kuomintang (KMT) party in an effort to unify China.

After Sun's death in 1925, Chiang Kai-shek took control (1927) and ousted the once-allied Communist Party. The Communists, led by Mao Zedong, struggled with the KMT for control of China while both groups fought Japan in World War II. After the Japanese were defeated (1945), the civil war ended with Mao's forces in control and Chiang's army fleeing to Taiwan to regroup. They never returned. Mao ruled from 1949 to 1976. China still considers Taiwan its 23rd province.

While the Chinese initially welcomed communism, the Great Leap Forward (1958–61) and the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) had disastrous effects on the country. More than 40 million people starved or were killed during Mao's rule. After Mao died in 1976, Deng Xiaoping came to power and gradually moved away from Maoism. His more moderate policies led to foreign tourism, a more liberal economy, private enterprise, growth, trade, and educational exchanges with other nations. The Tiananmen Square massacre in June 1989 and a subsequent government crackdown derailed these measures for a time.

By 1992, China was again focusing on economic reform and it quickly became home to one of the world's fastest-growing economies. However, Deng did not favor political liberalization. Since Deng's death in 1997, his successors have reiterated his policy of a socialist market economy with a strong central government. Hong Kong (a British colony) reverted to Chinese control in 1997, and China was admitted to the World Trade Organization in 2001. The nation also hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. These events helped bolster China's status as a world power, and the nation continues to rank among the world's leaders in gross domestic product, exports, and receipt of foreign investment.