2010 to 2019:Realizing National Rejuvenation

by China Pictorial

For China， the decade from 2010 to 2019 will be remembered for grand endeavors and historic achievements. During this period， the nation achieved a tremendous transformation in becoming rich and strong.

Over the past 10 years， Chinas stable economic development and technological innovation have served as the central driver of global economic growth. The countrys poverty alleviation efforts have yielded remarkable results， making outstanding contributions to global poverty reduction. China has actively participated in global governance and provided Chinese wisdom to promote healthier global development.

2010： Shanghai World Expo 2010

From May 1 to October 31， 2010， the 41st World Expo was hosted by Shanghai， China， and welcomed a total of nearly 73 million visitors. About 40 countries and international organizations built pavilions， the largest number in expo history. The Shanghai World Expo brought China closer to the world and showcased an opener， more inclusive and more civilized China.

2011： Tiangong-1

On September 29， 2011， Chinas first independently developed space lab， Tiangong-1， was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. On November 1， 2011， the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft was successfully launched and later docked with Tiangong-1. China became the third country in the world to independently master space docking technology after the United States and Russia. The mission marked the realization of key pieces of the second step of Chinas three-step manned space program： launch manned spacecraft， build and launch a space laboratory， and build a space station. It also laid the foundation for larger-scale manned spaceflight.

2012： Poverty Relief Efforts

Chinas 14 contiguous poverty-stricken areas represent most of the poverty-stricken regions and were home to the most people trapped in extreme poverty. In those areas， regular economic growth had been ineffective in promoting local development， and conventional poverty reduction strategies were not working. The poverty alleviation mission seemed exceptionally daunting. In 2012， Chinas plans for regional development and poverty alleviation of contiguous poverty-stricken areas were launched. Pictured is a cooperative member cleaning bitter gourds in an eco-agricultural tourism poverty alleviation demonstration park in Sansui County， Guizhou Province.

Since 2012， China has made major achievements in poverty alleviation. More than 82 million people have been lifted out of poverty， and poverty incidence has dropped from 10.2 percent to 1.7 percent. The countrys contribution to global poverty reduction has exceeded 70 percent. China has lifted the largest number of people out of poverty in the world and achieved the UN Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule.

2013： Belt and Road Initiative

In a speech titled “Promote People-to-People Friendship and Create a Better Future” delivered at Kazakhstans Nazarbayev University on September 7， 2013， Chinese President Xi Jinping first proposed jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt. In October of the same year， President Xi proposed construction of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.

As Chinas comprehensive opening-up initiative， the Belt and Road Initiative has been innovating theories on economic development， regional cooperation， and globalization through concepts such as the economic corridor theory， economic belt theory， and the theory of international cooperation in the 21st century. The Belt and Road Initiative has remained committed to promoting cooperation and dialogue among participating countries， establishing a more equal and balanced new global partnership and consolidating a foundation for long-term stable development of the world economy.

2014： Advancing the Rule of Law

On December 4， 2014， a national flag raising ceremony and judge swearing ceremony was held at the Shenzhen Intermediate Peoples Court in Guangdong Province， to mark the first National Constitution Day in China.

On October 23， 2014， the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee outlined the general goal， major tasks and more than 180 important reform measures to comprehensively advance law-based governance， covering various aspects of national governance. It was the first decision specially designated to strengthen law-based governance since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China， drawing a roadmap for advancing the rule of law in the country. On November 1 of the same year， the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress， Chinas top legislature， passed a decision to designate December 4 as the National Constitution Day.

2015： Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou

On December 10， 2015， Tu Youyou （left）， a Chinese scientist and pharmacologist in her eighties， received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall.

With her team， Tu managed to creatively extract a substance from Artemisia annua， or sweet wormwood， which has been proven effective in reducing mortality rates of patients infected with malaria. It was the first time a Chinese scientist won the Nobel Prize for research carried out solely on Chinese soil. It was the highest award ever won by the Chinese medical community and the highest honor for traditional Chinese medicine.

2016： Chinas “Heavenly Eye”

Chinas independently developed Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope （FAST）， also called the “Heavenly Eye，” is known as the worlds largest and most sensitive radio telescope. It can help humans obtain information on how the universe came into existence through capturing data on pulsars， neutral hydrogen， and black holes as well as signs of extraterrestrial life， providing important opportunities for new discoveries in astronomy.

FAST is expected to lead its peers around the world for at least 20 to 30 years. It has attracted top domestic and international professionals and cutting-edge scientific research projects and become an international academic exchange hub for astronomy.

2017： Chinas Homegrown Passenger Jet C919

On May 5， 2017， Chinas homegrown large passenger plane， the C919， took off for its successful debut in Shanghai. Chinas first medium to short-range commercial trunk-liner produced in accordance with international standards， the C919s successful maiden flight made China one of the worlds few jumbo jet manufacturers.

2018： Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is a bridge-plus-tunnel project connecting Hong Kong， Zhuhai and Macao in China. Construction started on December 15， 2009. The main stretch of the project was completed on July 7， 2017 and passed quality inspection on February 6， 2018. The bridge opened to traffic at 9 a.m. on October 24， 2018.

The bridge is world-famous for its huge construction scale， unprecedented construction difficulty and state-of-the-art construction technology. Dubbed one of the “seven wonders of the modern world，” it is the worlds longest cross-sea bridge and also required the most complicated technologies and most demanding construction standards in Chinas transportation engineering history.

2019： Garbage Classification

On July 1， 2019， Shanghai began to implement domestic waste management regulations in the form of an ambitious garbage separation and recycling program. By the end of 2025， a garbage classification and processing system will be established in each Chinese city at the prefectural level or above.

China is an active promotor and practitioner of green living. Since the 18th CPC National Congress， China has been promoting ecological and environmental protection with great determination and efforts， yielding unprecedented achievements. Pollution prevention and control campaigns covering air， water and soil have achieved remarkable results. China will continue to play an important role as a participant， contributor and leader in the construction of a global ecological civilization and contribute to the improvement of the worlds environment.