A decade of achievement

A special look at 10 years of phenomenal growth by Peng Yining, Hu Yongqi and Tang Yue.

The decade since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002 has been an extraordinary period of growth. The world is undergoing extensive and profound changes, and the country is also going through a wide-ranging and deep transformation.

China's economic strength has increased substantially, and major breakthroughs have been made in reform and opening-up. Both urban and rural incomes have risen considerably. Living standards are significantly higher, and China has increased its involvement and cooperation with other countries in a number of fields. It has also started to play a major role in international affairs.

However, while those achievements have brought opportunities, they have also prompted unprecedented challenges, including in environmental protection and social welfare.

We have brought together three personal stories, together with statistics from various fields, including macroeconomics, the development of science, and household consumption, to demonstrate the level of progress during the past 10 years.