The year 2021 marked the centennial of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). On July 1, a grand celebration took place in Beijing. President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, announced that China had achieved the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

A landmark resolution on the major achievements and historical experiences of the CPC's 100 years of endeavors was adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in Beijing, running from November 8 to 11.

2 New Blueprint 

A new blueprint to guide China's development over the next five years and beyond was approved at the Fourth Session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on March 11.

The document, titled Outline for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, lists increasing per-capita GDP to the level of moderately developed countries and making substantial progress in achieving common prosperity among the major goals to be attained in the next 15 years.

3 Three-Child Policy 

The new birth policy, which allows all couples to have three children, was announced at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on May 31. The decision is expected to help address population aging.

The results of the seventh national population census, released on May 11, showed China's population had maintained a trend of low-speed growth during the past 10 years, totaling a little more than 1.41 billion in 2020.

4 Hong Kong Electoral Amendment 

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) unveiled its new lawmaker lineup on December 20, after successfully holding its first legislative election under an improved electoral system. The Legislative Council now has 90 seats, up from 70.

Earlier on March 11, the National People's Congress adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the SAR, improving the way in which its chief executive and local lawmakers are elected to ensure Hong Kong is governed by Hong Kong patriots.

The election of the chief executive is scheduled for March 2022.

5 Biodiversity Conference 

The First Session of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) took place in Kunming, Yunnan Province, from October 11 to 15. In the Kunming Declaration adopted at the event, parties commit to reverse the current loss of biodiversity and ensure biodiversity is put on a path to recovery by 2030 at the latest.

The second session of the meeting, to be held in Kunming from April 25 to May 8, 2022, is expected to review and decide on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

6 Space Exploration 

The in-orbit construction of China's space station made steady progress, with Tianhe, the core module of the station, entering the orbit on April 29, followed by the docking of two cargo and two manned spaceships. Taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, sent to the station on October 16, will live there for six months, the longest single stay in the history of China's space program.

On May 15, the first Chinese Mars probe Tianwen-1 touched down on the red planet to begin scientific explorations.

7 Student Burden Cut 

The central authorities issued a document on July 24 to ease the burden of excessive homework and after-school tutoring on primary and junior middle school students.

It stipulates that no new institutions offering curriculum-based tutoring will be approved. Existing institutions must register as nonprofit organizations, and are banned from becoming publicly listed or receiving investments from listed companies. The new policy aims to promote well-rounded education that helps build young people's moral, intellectual, physical and mental grounding.

8 Record High COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage 

By the end of 2021, more than 1.2 billion people in China had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, representing a coverage ratio among the highest in the world, according to the National Health Commission. In addition to the vaccination drive, China eliminated waves of COVID-19 infections that occurred sporadically across the country in a timely manner over the past year.

A privacy awareness activity in Yuping Dong Autonomous County, Guizhou Province, on October 16 (XINHUA) 

9 Advancement of Legislation 

The Civil Code, the first Chinese law to carry the title "code" since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, took effect on January 1.

Other new laws entering into force included the Law on Countering Foreign Sanctions and the Personal Information Protection Law. The former, becoming effective on June 10, aims to counter the hegemonism and power politics of some Western countries, while the latter, coming into effect on November 1, contains detailed provisions to protect personal information, especially that of online platform users.

10 Disastrous Floods 

Record rainstorms inundated the central province of Henan in July. The provincial capital of Zhengzhou experienced more than 617 mm of rainfall over a three-day period, close to the city's average annual amount.

Henan initiated the highest-level emergency response to the floods, which affected 14.53 million people and resulted in at least 302 deaths.