Fireworks light up the sky above the West Lake in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 4, 2016. The 11th G20 summit opened here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)
BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua has selected the top ten news events happened in China in 2016. Following are the events in chronological order.
1. INTRA-PARTY CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SOCIALIST VALUES
On Feb. 28, 2016, the general office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee released a plan to launch an education campaign among all Party members to reinforce their study on the Party rules and values.
The campaign, which is "a major political task" according to the plan, focuses on the study of the Party Constitution and rules, as well as remarks made by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping.
The campaign also required the Party members to improve themselves, ensuring themselves to be qualified as members of the CPC, which includes thinking and acting in conformity with the CPC Central Committee's policies and guidelines, and working hard to serve the people and make contribution to social progress and economic development.
Following the plan, the campaign has been launched in local Party committees around China, with various study activities being held and a number of outstanding Party members being reported by media.
2. "STAY TRUE TO THE MISSION" CALL AT CPC'S 95TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY
On July 1, 2016, the 95th founding anniversary of the CPC, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, called on CPC members to "stay true to the mission" taken up by the CPC 95 years ago.
In his speech, which was made at a rally marking the anniversary, Xi summarized the major accomplishments of the CPC over, and called on his comrades to "uphold the fighting spirit" of the Party's founding members and their commitment to the people.
The phrase "stay true to the mission," which was stressed repeatedly in Xi's speech, soon became a catchphrase in China and has been widely used by media and public.
3. CHINA HOSTING G20 FOR FIRST TIME
From Sept. 4 to 5, China held the 11th summit of the Group of 20 (G20) in the eastern city of Hangzhou.
It was the first time for China to hold the G20 Summit. The summit is also one with the highest level, largest scale and greatest influence among all summits that China held in recent years.
Starting with the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," the summit has reached consensus on a wide range of important topics and ended with a string of outcomes, including the G20 Leaders' Communique of the Hangzhou Summit and the G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth.
4. PUNISHMENT ON LIAONING ELECTION FRAUD
On Sept. 13, a National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee session confirmed to disqualify 45 deputies from northeastern Liaoning Province for electoral fraud.
The 45 NPC deputies were elected from the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress with methods of vote buying and bribery during the election in 2013. A total of 523 deputies to the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress, who had either resigned or had their qualification as deputies terminated, were implicated in the case.
The case was the first of its kind to take place at provincial level since the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded. China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang said that zero-tolerance approach would be taken toward any offences in elections.
5. 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF LONG MARCH VICTORY
From October 1934 to October 1936, Chinese Red Army soldiers left their bases and marched through raging rivers, frigid mountains and arid grassland to break the siege of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) forces and continue to fight the Japanese aggressors. Some of them marched as far as 12,500 kilometers.
After 80 years, in 2016, activities have been held around China to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.
At a commemorating gathering, President Xi hailed the Long March as an "epic, human miracle," and called for efforts to realize the "two centenary goals" and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation in "a new Long March."
6. SIXTH PLENARY SESSION OF 18TH CPC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
From Oct. 24 to 27, the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was held in Beijing, approving new efforts to strengthen the Party governance.
The session approved two documents, which are the norms of political life within the Party under the new situation and a regulation on intra-Party supervision, aiming at stricter governance inside the Party.
Also according to a communique issued after the session, all CPC members are called on to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core," which confirmed the leading core in the Party.
7. INTERPRETATION TO BASIC LAW OF HONG KONG SAR
On Nov. 7, China's top legislature adopted an interpretation to Article 104 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), following some legislators-elect's behavior.
While Article 104 requires members of the legislative council to swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR of the PRC when assuming office, a handful of legislators-elect violated the stipulation by publicly advocating "Hong Kong Independence" and insulting the Chinese nation during swearing-in.
The interpretation of Article 104 stressed that oath taking is a legal prerequisite and required procedure for public officers elected to office, and that an oath taker must take the oath sincerely and solemnly.
The oath, which includes "will uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR of the PRC, bear allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR of the PRC," is required to be accurately, completely and solemnly read out, according to the interpretation.
According to a spokesman with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the interpretation demonstrates the central government's firm determination and will against "Hong Kong independence," and underscores the authority of the Basic Law and the rule of law in Hong Kong.
8. GUIDELINE ON BETTER PROTECTION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS
On Nov. 27, China released a guideline on better protection of property rights, the first time for China to issue a guideline of state level on protection of property rights.
Issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the guideline pledges to provide equal, comprehensive and law-based protection to all kinds of property rights.
The guideline, which also encourages the participation of the public in the process and requires to solve major problems concerning property rights and to build a long-term mechanism, is regarded as an effort to shore up social confidence and promote social justice.
9. WRONGLY EXECUTED MAN ACQUITTED 21 YEARS AFTER EXECUTION
On Dec. 2, Nie Shubin, a man convicted of raping and murdering a woman on the outskirts of Hebei provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, had his conviction overturned by the Supreme People's Court (SPC), 21 years after he was executed.
Nie was executed at the age of 21 in 1995, while in 2005 another man Wang Shujin, who was given the death sentence in unconnected rape and murder cases, admitted his guilt and said Nie was innocent.
In 2014, the SPC ordered reinvestigation on the case, and based on the investigation, the retrial in 2016 ended with the verdict that the previous conviction was based on insufficient evidence and unclear facts.
A number of wrongful convictions have been publicized and revoked in recent years, including the famous case that an 18-year-old man named Huugjilt was executed for rape and murder in 1996 but acquitted in 2014. The overturn of Nie's conviction is regarded to be of "major historical and realistic significance," and also an implementation of rule of law and a demonstration of social progress and judicial justice.
10. SEEKING PROGRESS WHILE MAINTAINING STABILITY
From Dec. 14 to 16, the Central Economic Work Conference was held in Beijing, confirming "seeking progress while maintaining stability" as the main theme for China's development in 2017.
As China's economy has entered the "new normal," the country has launched a series of new policies with a focus on the supply-side structural reform. While slowed from its previous double-digit growth, the Chinese economy expanded 6.7 percent steadily in the first three quarters and is ending 2016 on a firm footing.
