- 1914: Simla Conference results in McMahon Line as the boundary between British India and Tibet. China refuses to ratify the agreement.
- 1947: India gains independence from Britain.
- 1948: Indian ambassador to China, K.M. Panikkar, asks Delhi to strengthen its claim over areas below McMahon Line.
- 1949: Communists take control of China and establish the People's Republic of China.
- 1950: China sends troops to "liberate" Tibet.
- 1951: India sends a political officer to establish authority over Tawang, where Tibetans owing allegiance to Lhasa protest the effort.
- 1954: India signs an agreement with Beijing; agrees to Tibet being "a region of China".
- 1956: Khampa rebellion erupts in Tibet. Some Tibetan leaders flee and take refuge in Kalimpong.
- 1958: India raises the issue of the road built by China through Aksai Chin for access to Tibet.
- 1959: Large-scale uprising breaks out in Tibet, forcing the Dalai Lama and many of his followers to flee Lhasa for India. India raises the boundary issue, formally, with China.
- 1960: The Nehru-Zhou summit fails to break impasse on the boundary issue.
- 1962: India, China go to war after Chinese troops move into India territory.
- 1963: China withdraws unilaterally from much of Indian territory but retains some areas like Aksai Chin in Ladakh.
- 1979: Indian foreign minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visits China to break long hiatus in ties and renews dialogue.
- 1988: Rajiv Gandhi undertakes his historic visit to China, brings about a serious thaw in relations.
- 1996: India and China agree on confidence-building-measures to keep borders tranquil and peaceful.
- 1998: Renewed tensions in Sino-India ties after Delhi conducts nuclear test and cites China as the main security threat to justify them.
- 2003: PM Vajpayee travels to China, agrees to the appointment of special representatives for resolving the boundary issue.
- 2005: Premier Wen Jiabao visits Delhi; India and China enter into a strategic partnership. The leaders agree on the framework for a settlement of the boundary issue on the basis of the "political parameters and guiding principles”; “interests of the settled populations" to be considered before a final agreement. China also shows a new map with Sikkim as part of India.
- 2006: President Hu Jintao visits India and announces 10 points to further strengthen bilateral ties.
- 2007: Sonia Gandhi and Rahul visit China and hold wide-ranging talks with leaders in Beijing.
- 2008: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh travels to Beijing and reaffirms India’s commitment for strong ties with China. Later in the year, China tries to block nsg
waiver for India.