A tourist visits the Lujiazui financial area in Shanghai on December 9, the seventh day of consecutive hazy weather in the city (XINHUA)

Tackling Air Pollution

The State Council issued the Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17) on September 12, setting a goal for 2017 to have cut PM2.5 by at least 10 percent in major cities nationwide compared to the levels recorded in 2012. PM2.5 is all airborne particular matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter, making it small enough to pass into the gas exchange regions of the lung.

Under the plan, China will cut coal use, shut down polluting industries and promote cleaner production in a bid to clean up the environment. It aims to cut coal consumption to below 65 percent of total primary energy use by 2017.

The Chinese Government pledged to invest 1.7 trillion yuan ($277.32 billion) in the fight against air pollution over the next five years.

Former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai stands trial in Jinan, Shandong Province, on October 25. On that day, the Shandong Higher People's Court rejected Bo's appeal and upheld the original sentence of life imprisonment for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power (XIE HUANCHI)

Crackdown on Corruption

The Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee adopted an anti-corruption work plan for 2013-17 on August 27.

In 2013, at least 14 officials at a ministerial level or higher were put under investigation for corruption and other job-related crimes, with another four given prison sentences.

Zhang Gaoping (right) and his nephew Zhang Hui near their home in April. They were acquitted on March 26 after serving 10 years in jail for a wrongful charge of rape and murder resulting from forced confession (ZHANG DUAN)

Preventing Miscarriages of Justice

The Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of the CPC Central Committee issued China's first guideline for preventing incorrect judgments on its website on August 13.

The guideline reiterates legal principles that prevent punishments for people whose guilt cannot be confirmed absolutely. It also stipulates that judges, procurators and police officers will bear a "life-long responsibility" for their roles in wrongful judgments.