China might have witnessed more major events in 2003 than in any other single year -- from the plague of SARS to its first manned space mission.

Xinhua writers collected 10 snapshots from the year to summarize the story of China in 2003:

No. 1 Shenzhou-5

China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, entered outer space aboardShenzhou-5, a China-made spacecraft, on Oct. 15, and landed safelyas planned in north China the next day, after orbiting the Earth 14 times in 21 hours.

The successful mission, lauded by President Hu Jintao as the "glory of our great nation," made China the third nation after Russia and the United States to put a human being into space.

No. 2 SARS

In spring, an epidemic that later became known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) swept China, infecting 5,327 people and claiming 349 lives.

The outbreak brought to light China's underdeveloped public health system. But central authorities' decision to build a transparent information releasing system exposed the political resolve of the Chinese government to realize coordinated social growth. Some 3.5 billion yuan (420 million US dollars) which was poured into disease-control centers nationwide constituted part ofthat promise.

No. 3 Six-party Talks

Mediated by Chinese diplomats, the six nations with the most concern about the Korean peninsula nuclear stalemate -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the U.S., the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia, Japan and China -- convened in a Beijing guesthouse in August to work to defuse the Korean nuclear crisis, a crucial step toward the final settlement.

Western mainstream media commented that China was becoming a more active and constructive player in regional and international affairs.

No. 4 Chemical Weapons Incident

One Chinese was killed and 43 others injured in last August by mustard gas leaks from a stockpile of chemical weapons abandoned by Japanese intruders during World War II.

Over the past half century, over 2,000 Chinese have been injured by chemical weapons left by the Japanese troops in China.

Moreover, Japanese prime ministers, ignoring the feelings of Chinese and other Asian people, repeatedly paid homage to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals.

"Taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future" is the Chinese understanding of history.

No. 5 RMB Exchange Rate

China was bravoed as a responsible player for stabilizing its currency value against the backdrop of Asian financial crisis in 1997. In 2003, the same China was lambasted by the developed worldfor doing the same thing.

It was claimed that the RMB was undervalued, and was thus the principal factor contributing to sluggish economy in developed countries.

However, an outspoken Western economist noted that the developed economies were looking for a scapegoat for their poor oreven negative growth rates, which had little to do with the RMB orany other currency.

Premier Wen Jiabao vowed to improve the exchange rate mechanismtoward the final target of complete convertibility, but did not give a specific timetable.

No. 6 Workplace Safety

In December 2003, a natural gas well blew out in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, leaving 243 people dead. One monthbefore, a blast in a state-owned coalmine in east China's Jiangxi province killed 49 miners.

According to statistics, a total of 2,500 people died in workplace accidents in 2003.

Inefficient economic development costs a waste of natural resources but also treasured human lives.

No. 7 Rejuvenating Industrial Belt

China's northeast region, which used to be a big industrial base, now has to deal with overexploitation of natural resources, sluggish state-owned enterprises and more than 2.2 million registered laid-off workers.

In 2003, the new leadership set forth the policy of rejuvenating the northeast region, and Premier Wen said it is a historic task to turn the region into a vital manufacturing and raw materials base for China and even the world at large.

The Chinese government has initiated 100 projects involving 61 billion yuan (7.35 billion US dollars) in the region.

In the new century, China is expected to focus on reviving the northeast region, as it did with Shenzhen in the 1980s and Shanghai in the 1990s.

No. 8 Sun Zhigang Case

Sun Zhigang, a 27-year-old college graduate working away from home in Guangzhou, was taken into custody on March 17, 2003 for failing to carry his temporary residence permit. Three days later,Sun was found beaten to death while in custody.

A public outcry heated up into an unprecedented debate: How cancitizens protect their constitutional rights? How can public institutions ensure the constitutional rights every citizen is entitled to?

Four months later, a revised administrative regulation allows any homeless person the right to refuse help from the government.

No. 9 Marriage Registration

A new regulation on marriage registration stirred a hot debate among the people across China in 2003. As of Oct. 1, people no longer need to get permission from their employers before going tomarriage registration offices, nor do they need to go through a compulsory physical check-up as a precondition for marriage, as before.

Respect for privacy gained the upper hand, and Chinese people have more dignity in managing their personal affairs.

No. 10 Miss World

Tourist revenues in the coastal resort of Sanya in China's southernmost Hainan province rose by 20 percent in November 2003, thanks to the 53rd Miss World Pageant.

Miss China Universe, Miss Hong Kong, Miss China, China World Model Contest ... beauty pageants mushroomed in China in 2003.

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