Rotary has enjoyed a long partnership
with China. The first club was established in Shanghai
in 1919, and a Beijing Club was set up in 1924. Rotary
activities came to a stop during the years that
followed 1949. The club was re-introduced in 1996 as a
fellowship group for foreign Rotarians living in
Beijing. Rotarians in Shanghai also began to meet at a
regular basis in 1997.
In June 2001 the Rotary International Board granted the two clubs provisional status, and in November 2005 the Rotary International Board agreed that China should be opened for Rotary extension.