2008 has been an unusual year for China. In this year, the world has come to know China with the hitherto unprecedented scope, depth, and first-hand perception. In this year, we have had joys and tears, successes and depressions, progress and problems.

On May 12, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Southwest China, causing huge casualties and massive destruction. United as one and standing up to combat the disaster with prompt and effective rescue efforts, China won sympathy and respect from the world.

On August 8, the Beijing Olympic Games captivated some 2 billion spectators and TV audience worldwide with its splendid opening ceremony, enabling them to enjoy a charming night that epitomizes China’s 5,000-year civilization.

The Beijing Olympic Games drew a record number of 204 sports delegations that cover the widest ever geographical areas in the Games’ history, and was given heavy coverage by world media. This has enabled the world to see not only a “truly exceptional” Olympiad, but also a more open and colorful China.

Then China impressed the world again by launching the Shenzhou VII spacecraft into space and accomplishing its maiden space walk. The feat has made China the third country in the world to stage extra-vehicular activity and the only developing country capable of manned space exploration.

There was also bad news: the melamine event not only pushed the well-established enterprise Sanlu into bankruptcy, but also brought about great damages to the whole Chinese milk industry. Mengniu, Yili and some other famous China’s domestic-funded milk enterprises were deeply trapped in the trouble. The “trust crisis” has been haunting “Made in China” since the Toy Recall Event and melamine, unfortunately, made things worse. How to ensure the quality of the products and how to recover and maintain consumers’ confidence is a tough task with profound meaning.

In 2008, an unprecedented financial crisis swept the whole world. China, without exception, also suffered from this crisis. The drop of CPI and export growth rate, the decreasing foreign demand and inadequate domestic demand all exerted negative influence upon China’s economic growth. The government took many measures to enable China to weather this financial crisis. Some of them had been proven to be effective while the rest maybe have positive effect in the future. How to maintain the eight-percent economic growth rate is the primary economic task of China in 2009.

2008 is also the thirtieth year of China’s reform and opening up. Nobody can clarify the significant changes of China in these thirty years in a few words. The word “miraculous” may be a suitable adjective to describe it. The advertising slogan “impossible is nothing” is the right description of what happened in China in these 30 years.