Events in the year 1999 in China. Incumbents Party General Secretary – Jiang Zemin President – Jiang Zemin Premier – Zhu Rongji Vice President – Hu Jintao Vice Premier – Li Lanqing Congress Chairman – Li Peng Conference Chairman – Li Ruihuan Governors Governor of Anhui Province – Wang Taihua Governor of Fujian Province – He Guoqiang then Xi Jinping Governor of Gansu Province – Song Zhaosu Governor of Guangdong Province – Lu Ruihua Governor of Guizhou Province – Qian Yunlu Governor of Hainan Province – Wang Xiaofeng Governor of Hebei Province – Yue Qifeng Governor of Heilongjiang Province – Tian Fengshan Governor of Henan Province – Li Keqiang Governor of Hubei Province – Jiang Zhuping Governor of Hunan Province – Chu Bo Governor of Jiangsu Province – Ji Yunshi Governor of Jiangxi Province – Shu Shengyou Governor of Jilin Province – Hong Hu Governor of Liaoning Province – Zhang Guoguang Governor of Qinghai Province – Bai Enpei then Zhao Leji Governor of Shaanxi Province – Cheng Andong Governor of Shandong Province – Li Chunting Governor of Shanxi Province – Sun Wensheng then Liu Zhenhua Governor of Sichuan Province – Song Baorui then Zhang Zhongwei Governor of Yunnan Province – Li Jiating Governor of Zhejiang Province – Chai Songyue Events January January 4 – A pedestrian bridge in Qijiang, Chongqing collapsed and caused 40 people to die and 14 to be injured. February February 24 – China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509 crashed on approach to Wenzhou Airport, killing 61 people. April April 4 – Alibaba Group founded in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. April 15 – Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316 crashed in Xinzhuang, Shanghai after takeoff from Hongqiao Airport due to pilot's confusion between two units of measurement (feet and metres). May May 8 – U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade led to a series of anti-American protests in China. July July 22 – The Ministry of Civil Affairs declared Falun Gong as an illegal organization. October October 1 – 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic Parade and Speech by paramount leader Jiang Zemin. November November 19 – Shenzhou 1 spacecraft launched. December December 5 – Shenyang Haishi won Chongqing Longxin by 2-1 in the Chinese Jia-A League, which later led to a match-fixing controversy. December 19 and 20 – China assumed formal sovereignty over Macau from Portugal. Full date unknown GRG Banking is founded in