On April 18, 1989, China and Bahrain established diplomatic relations. In May 2024, King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain paid a state visit to China, during which President Xi Jinping and he announced the establishment of the China-Bahrain comprehensive strategic partnership. In addition, in September 2013, President Xi Jinping held talks with King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa during his state visit to China, where he attended the opening ceremony of the first China-Arab States Expo. In December 2022, President Xi Jinping met with King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa on the sidelines of the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit.

In addition to the above high-level exchanges, in recent years, visits from the Chinese side to Bahrain mainly include: Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Yu Zhengsheng (November 2014), Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (March 2021), among others. Visits from the Bahraini side to China mainly include: Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa (July 2018), and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani (January 2022, May 2024), among others.

Bilateral practical cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results. China is Bahrain's third largest trading partner and largest source of imports. In 2024, the trade volume between China and Bahrain is USD 1,475 million, of which China's exports amounted to USD 1,349 million and imports totaled USD 127 million. China mainly exports mechanical and electrical products, high-tech innovative products, apparel and other products, and mainly imports organic chemicals, and iron ore, among others.

People-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries have been carried out smoothly. In April 2014, the Confucius Institute at the University of Bahrain was inaugurated and began offering classes. In March 2021, China and Bahrain signed an agreement to set up cultural centers in each other's country.

In 2013, Bahrain became an outbound tourist destination for Chinese citizens. In October 2023, China and Bahrain signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Bahrain. In November, package tours for Chinese citizens to Bahrain were officially launched.