China established diplomatic relations with the former Czechoslovakia on October 6, 1949. On January 1, 1993, the independent Czech Republic was founded, and China immediately recognized it and established diplomatic relations with it at the ambassadorial level. The two sides agreed to use October 6, 1949 as the date for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. On March 29, 2016, the two countries signed the Joint Statement on Establishing Strategic Partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Czech Republic.
In December 2005, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council visited the Czech Republic. In May 2009, Premier Wen Jiabao attended the 11th China-EU Summit in Prague. In March 2016, President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to the Czech Republic. President Xi Jinping held talks with President Miloš Zeman, met with President of the Senate of the Parliament Milan Štech, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament Jan Hamáček and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka respectively. In July 2017, Liu Yunshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, paid an official goodwill visit to the Czech Republic. The President, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited China multiple times. In February 2021, President Xi Jinping chaired the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Summit via video link. President Miloš Zeman of the Czech Republic attended the Summit.
The Czech Republic is China’s second largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. According to China's General Administration of Customs, the bilateral trade volume reached US$23.2 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year increase of 8%. In November 2016, the two countries signed Cooperation Plan on Jointly Promoting the Construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In November 2019, the Czech Republic participated as one of the guest-of-honor countries at the second China International Import Expo (CIIE). In November 2024, the 12th meeting of the China-Czech Joint Ministerial Economic Committee was held in Beijing.
In April 2019, the Ministry of Culture of the two countries signed Protocol on Cultural Cooperation 2019-2022. In November 2015, the two sides signed Joint Statement on Tourism Exchange and Cooperation. In October 2016, the Ministry of Education of the two countries signed Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications and Academic Degrees in Higher Education. In June 2019, the 43th Session of China-Czech Science and Technology Cooperation Committee was held in Beijing.