2009:

-- From March 3 to 12, the Second Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, convened.

-- From March 5 to 13, the second session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) was held. Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a government work report, putting forward that in 2009, the government should focus on tackling the international financial crisis and promoting steady and relatively fast economic growth.

-- On March 17, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a guideline on deepening healthcare reform.

-- On May 26, President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, met with Wu Poh-hsiung, Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) chairman at the time, in Beijing, offering suggestions on advancing cross-Strait relations from a new starting line.

-- On April 10, the conference on deepening healthcare reform was convened and Vice Premier Li Keqiang called for providing a basic healthcare system to the people as a public product.

-- On July 5, severe violence broke out in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in which rock-flinging and knife-wielding thugs looted shops, torched vehicles and killed nearly 200 people. The CPC Central Committee and the government took decisive measures, handled the incident in accordance with the law and maintained social stability.

-- On July 27 and 28, the first round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue was held in Washington, D.C.

-- On Aug. 27, the 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th NPC passed a resolution on tackling climate change.

-- From Sept. 15 to 18, the fourth plenary session of the 17th CPC Central Committee was held, adopting the committee's decisions on major issues concerning "strengthening and improving Party building under the new situation".

-- On Oct. 1, a grand celebration was held to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China. President Hu delivered a speech reviewing the great achievements made during the previous six decades, concluding on the good practices in the course of development and progress and looking into the future. About 200,000 soldiers and civilians participated in the military parade and mass pageant. President Hu reviewed the parade.

-- From Nov. 15 to 18, U.S. President Obama paid a state visit to China and held talks with President Hu. China and the U.S. reiterated in the China-U.S. Joint Statement that both sides were committed to building a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the 21st century" and promised to take concrete action to build a partnership to jointly cope with common challenges.

-- From Dec. 5 to 7, the Central Economic Work Conference was held. It was stressed at the conference that China would continue to adopt the proactive fiscal policy and moderately easing monetary policy in the following year and endeavor to improve the quality of economic growth.

It was also stressed at the conference that more efforts would be made to promote the transformation of the economic development pattern and structural adjustments and to enhance the focus and flexibility of economic policy in the following year in line with new situations. More efforts would also be laid on furthering reform and opening up, making innovations, enhancing the vigor and momentum of economic growth, improving people's livelihood and maintaining social harmony and stability in order to realize steady and relatively fast economic growth.

-- On Dec. 17 and 18, Premier Wen delivered a speech titled "Build Consensus and Strengthen Cooperation to Advance the Historical Process of Combating Climate Change" at the opening session of the leaders' meeting of the UN Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

-- On Dec. 20, President Hu attended a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.