Top 10 China news stories of 2022

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- As 2022 is coming to an end, Xinhua News Agency has picked 10 news stories that captured some of the most important events in China over the year. Let's go over the eventual 2022 with the top 10 China news as follows:

1. Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Paralympics inspire world

Fireworks light up the sky during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zijian)

Between Feb. 4 and 20 and March 4 and 13, China successfully hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. Overcoming various difficulties and challenges, China presented a simple, safe and splendid event to the world. Beijing became the world's first "dual-Olympic city" and Chinese athletes achieved the country's best-ever Winter Games results.

On April 8, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaking at the ceremony honoring those who made outstanding contributions to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, hailed the spirit of bearing the big picture in mind, being confident and open, rising to challenges, pursuing excellence, and creating a better future together.

2. China holds grand celebration marking 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland

Helicopters carrying China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region fly over Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

On July 1, the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was held in Hong Kong.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important address. He said that over the past 25 years, the success of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong had won recognition throughout the world. He said "one country, two systems" had been tested repeatedly in practice and that it served the fundamental interests of not only Hong Kong and Macao, but also the whole country and the nation, noting that it must be adhered to in the long run.

3. China shows determination to crush Taiwan separatist attempts

Warplanes of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army conduct operations during joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island, Aug. 7, 2022. (Photo by Wang Xinchao/Xinhua)

China showed its determination to crush any attempts by separatists or external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" in the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region in early August.

While reiterating its consistent stance on the Taiwan question, China conducted a series of joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island. China also imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members and punitive measures on die-hard "Taiwan independence" secessionists.

4. CPC convenes its 20th national congress

The 20th CPC National Congress opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2022. Xi Jinping delivered a report to the 20th CPC National Congress on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Oct. 16. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in Beijing from Oct. 16 to 22.

The meeting produced a blueprint for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and named chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission at the first plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee on Oct. 23.

5. China achieves historic breakthrough in construction of its space station

This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 3, 2022 shows China's space station lab module Mengtian after completing in-orbit transposition. (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)

China's space station lab module Mengtian successfully docked with the core module Tianhe on Nov. 1, and later completed its in-orbit transposition, forming the space station's basic T-shape configuration together with Tianhe and the Wentian lab module.

On Nov. 30, the Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 crews participated in a historic gathering in space, and later conducted the handover of the space station's control, completing the first in-orbit crew rotation in China's space history. As a national space laboratory, China's space station is capable of conducting larger-scale space research experiments and new technology tests.

6. Head-of-state diplomacy inspires broad strides in China's major-country diplomacy

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks to the venue of the 17th summit of the Group of 20 (G20) in Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2022. Xi delivered a speech titled "Working Together to Meet the Challenges of Our Times and Build a Better Future" at the summit. The G20 summit kicked off on Nov. 15. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

From Nov. 14 to 19, Xi attended the 17th Group of 20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, and the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok, and paid a visit to Thailand. In Bali, Xi met with U.S. President Joe Biden, the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of the two countries during the past three years.

These were only part of a series of head-of-state diplomatic actions throughout the year of 2022, starting from the Beijing Winter Olympics in February to Xi's Mideast trip in December.

Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, China's major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics kept moving forward in broad strides in 2022. By holding dear humanity's shared values, implementing the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and boosting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, China supplied certainty and positive energy to the world.

7. China improves people's livelihood, brings benefits to every household

The State Council Information Office holds a briefing on private pension schemes in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2022. (Photo by Liu Jian/Xinhua)

Faced with epidemic resurgences and economic pressure this year, China put ensuring and improving people's livelihood in a more prominent position, and took a raft of concrete measures to achieve this principle.

On Nov. 25, China launched private pension schemes in 36 cities and regions across the country.

China also increased basic pension for retirees, the subsidies for people in difficulty, as well as subsidies for basic public health services.

The country maintained overall stability in employment and prices. It also advanced rural revitalization after attaining victory in the battle against poverty, creating jobs for over 32 million people who had been lifted out of poverty.

8. Jiang Zemin passes away

A memorial meeting for Jiang Zemin is held by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

On Nov. 30, Jiang Zemin passed away in Shanghai at the age of 96.

Jiang was hailed as an outstanding leader, enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He was the core of the Party's third generation of central collective leadership and the principal founder of the Theory of Three Represents.

A memorial meeting for Jiang was held on Dec. 6 in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

9. China makes economic stability a top priority and pursues steady progress

Workers assemble vehicles in a smart factory of the Changan Auto in Chongqing, southwest China, June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

China maintained overall economic and social stability in 2022. Its gross domestic product grew 3 percent year on year in the first three quarters, and the economic aggregate for the whole year is expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan (about 17 trillion U.S. dollars).

At the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in mid-December, the country highlighted pursuing steady progress while ensuring economic stability, pledging moves to achieve an overall improvement in its economic performance next year.

10. China adjusts COVID-19 response policies in science-based, targeted manner

This photo taken on Dec. 27, 2022 shows a press conference held by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Putting people's lives and health first, China has been optimizing its COVID-19 response policies in a dynamic manner in the face of a constantly mutating novel coronavirus.

On Nov. 10, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting, which discussed and arranged 20 measures to further optimize epidemic prevention and control work.

On Dec. 7, China further adjusted its virus prevention and control policies with 10 new measures, shifting the policy focus from infection prevention to severe cases prevention.

On Dec. 26, China renamed novel coronavirus pneumonia as novel coronavirus infection and decided to downgrade its level of COVID-19 management from the current Class A to a less strict Class B, starting from Jan. 8, 2023.