Early Monday, China added another achievement to its list for the outgoing 2002 with the successful launch of its fourth unmanned spacecraft "Shenzhou IV," a move that could soon lead to a manned space flight.
On the same day, the National Bureau of Statistics announced the country had reached economic growth of 8 percent in 2002 and 10.2 trillion yuan (US$1.23 trillion) in gross domestic product (GDP).
China had a number of other successes in the year, including harnessing the mighty Yangtze River by stemming the river's free flow at the Three Gorges, winning the bid to stage a world expo in Shanghai in 2010 and launching a mega project to divert water from the Yangtze River to thirsty northern regions.
On Nov. 8, the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing. In addition to outlining a development blueprint for building a generally well-off society in the next 20 years, the congress elected a new central CPC leadership. It also incorporated the "Three Representatives" important thought, together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and the Deng Xiaoping Theory, in the Constitution of the CPC.
China's domestic market continued to be brisk in 2002, with telecommunication services, automobiles and housing all setting sales records. Retail sales of consumer commodities exceeded 4 trillion yuan (US$481.93 billion).
China's total foreign trade for 2002 will top US$600 billion, and actual foreign direct investment (FDI) will exceed US$50 billion in 2002, according to Zhu Zhixin, director of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Along with fast economic growth, China saw improvement in democracy and legal reform in 2002. In March, 360,000 people across the country took part in China's first national judicial exam designed as an essential prerequisite to qualify as a judge, procurator or lawyer in the future.
The interests of the broad masses of Chinese people were given unprecedented attention during the year. Thirty-three delegates representing passengers, railway employees, government officials and academics were invited to a public hearing in mid-January to voice opinions on railway ticket price-setting during the peak passenger time around the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Greater efforts were made in 2002 to improve a social security system guaranteeing a basic living for workers laid off from state-owned enterprises and the unemployed, and a minimum living for urban dwellers, and progress was reported in the country's efforts to expand its old-age pension and medical insurance systems.
A national meeting on re-employment held in September worked out a range of measures to promote employment and set goals.
The 16th CPC National Congress even elevated the issue of employment from the prime source of people's livelihoods to a new height of state strategy.
Coupled with large-scale reviews of workplace safety, the Law on Workplace Safety of the People's Republic of China came into effect on Nov. 1 to protect the safety of lives and people's property.
China turned a new page by opening up further to the outside world in 2002. The country has experienced various challenges since it entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) one year ago and has come through soundly.
As a responsible government, China has fully carried out its commitments on joining the WTO. The country has advanced to fifth place from sixth in terms of foreign trade and ranks first in the world regarding the foreign direct investment (FDI) it receives.
The world's attention is turning to China with its stable politics, fast economic growth and bright prospects for future development.
The culmination of 2002 was Shanghai's success in winning the right on Dec. 3 to host the world expo in 2010. A chance for all -- Shanghai, China and the world -- to shine.
(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2003)
