January 2

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening Rural Reform and Accelerating Agricultural Modernization.

January 21

The State Council promulgated the National Integrated Circuit Industry Development & Promotion Outline, proposing to upgrade China’s integrated circuit industry to the international advanced level by 2030.

February 7

The State Council issued the Reform Plan for the Registered Capital Registration System. From March 2014 to June 2019, a total of 29.481 million new enterprises were established in China, with a daily average of 15,100 new start-ups. By the end of June 2019, the total number of market entities had reached the 116 million mark.

February 18

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said in a meeting with Lien Chan, honorary chairman of the Kuomintang, that both sides of the Taiwan Straits should uphold the idea of “kinship between people across the Straits” and jointly realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

February 21

The State Council issued the Opinions on Establishing a Unified Basic Pension System for Urban and Rural Residents.

February 27

At the first meeting of the central leading group for Internet security and informatization, Xi Jinping said that efforts should be made to build our country into a cyber power, and he stressed the importance of timely, appropriate and effective guidance of online public opinion to ensure a clear and lively cyberspace.

On the same day, the 7th Session of the 12th NPC Standing Committee adopted the Decision on Determining the Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, designating September 3 as the Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The Session also adopted the Decision on Establishing a National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims, setting aside December 13 as a Chinese National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims.

March 4

Xi Jinping, in his instructions given in the report on the development of rural highways, called for better construction, management, protection and operation of rural highways.

March 9

At the panel discussion with the NPC deputies from Anhui Province during the 2nd Session of the 12th NPC, Xi Jinping stressed that leading officials at all levels should establish and carry forward a good style of work. He urged officials to meet the “strict” and “earnest” requirements: to be strict with oneself in practising self-cultivation, using power, and exercising self-discipline; and to be earnest in one’s thinking, work and behavior (known as the “Three Stricts and Three Earnests”). On April 10, 2015, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the Plan for the “Three Stricts and Three Earnests” Special Education Campaign for Leading Officials at or above the County Level.

March 19

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Deepening the Reform in the Judicial and Social Systems. The focus of the reform was to improve the classified management system of judicial personnel and the judicial responsibility system, to strengthen the job security system for judicial personnel, and to promote the unified management of personnel and financial resources of courts and procuratorates at and below the provincial level.

March 24

Xi Jinping attended the 3rd Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague, the Netherlands, and delivered a speech, proposing a “rational, coordinated and balanced” nuclear security strategy of China.

March 28

The remains of 437 martyrs of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army in Korea were returned to China. By April 2019, China and Korea had handed over the remains of volunteer soldiers in Korea on six occasions.

April 10

The Central Military Commission issued the Opinions on Establishing and Improving Relevant Working Mechanisms for Implementing the Chairman Responsibility System in the Central Military Commission. On November 2, 2017, the Commission issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening the Implementation of the Chairman Responsibility System in the Central Military Commission.

April 15

In a speech at the 1st Session of the Central National Security Commission, Xi Jinping pointed out that China must pursue a holistic approach to national security, take protecting our people’s security as our mission, guaranteeing political security as the fundamental task, maintaining economic security as the basis, ensuring military, cultural and social security as the safeguard, and promoting international security as the support, thereby blazing a national security path with Chinese characteristics.

May 28

At the second central conference on the work of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xi Jinping pointed out that, with the overall goal of social stability and lasting peace, Xinjiang should be governed in accordance with the law, stabilized through united efforts and develop through long-term efforts. Efforts must also be given to building a socialist Xinjiang that was united, harmonious, prosperous, civilized and progressive, where people could live and work in peace and contentment.

May 30

An executive meeting of the State Council decided to conduct the first comprehensive supervisory inspection on the implementation of the already adopted policies and measures. Since then, the State Council has carried out a major inspection every year. On April 22, 2019, the State Council’s “Internet plus supervision” platform was officially put into operation.

July 15

The 6th BRICS Summit held in Brazil decided to establish the New Development Bank (NDB) and make Shanghai its headquarters, and to establish an emergency reserve arrangement for BRICS countries.

July 24

The State Council issued the Opinions on Further Promoting the Reform of the Household Registration System.

August 31

The 10th Session of the 12th NPC Standing Committee adopted the Decision on Establishing the Martyrs’ Day, which designated September 30 as the Martyrs’ Day.

September 5

At the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the NPC, Xi Jinping pointed out that to strengthen confidence in the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, it was imperative to first strengthen confidence in the political system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strengthen the confidence in and determination to follow the path of political development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

September 21

At the meeting to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the CPPCC, Xi Jinping said that socialist consultative democracy was a unique form and a distinctive strength of China’s socialist democracy. Politically, it was an important embodiment of the Party’s mass line. Under China’s socialist system, consultations would be held should problems crop up, matters involving many people were to be discussed by all those involved, and consensus should be reached on the wishes and needs of the whole society, and these were the essence of people’s democracy.

October 15

Xi Jinping presided over a symposium on the work of literature and art, stressing that literature and art would emit the greatest positive energy when the Marxist view of literature and art was firmly held and a people-centered approach was taken.

October 23

The 4th Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee adopted the Decision on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Advancing Law-Based Governance. The Decision pointed out that the overall goal of comprehensively advancing law-based governance was to establish a system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and build a country of socialist rule of law.

October 30–November 2

A PLA political work conference was held in Gutian, Fujian Province. In his speech on October 31, Xi Jinping expounded on the major issues concerning the Party’s ideological and political building of the armed forces under the new historical conditions. On December 30, the CPC Central Committee issued the Decision on Issues Relating to the Military Political Work in the New Era.

November 1

The 11th Session of the 12th NPC Standing Committee adopted the Decision on Establishing the National Constitution Day, setting December 4 as the National Constitution Day.

November 6

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Guiding the Orderly Transfers of Management Rights of Rural Land and Promoting the Moderate Scale Management. On October 22, 2016, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Improving the Separation of the Ownership Rights, Contract Rights, and Management Rights for Rural Land.

On the same day, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, China’s first specialized IP court, was inaugurated, followed by the Intellectual Property Courts in Guangzhou and Shanghai.

November 8

Xi Jinping presided over a dialogue on strengthening connectivity partnership in Beijing and delivered a speech. He stressed that the connectivity we build should be a three-in-one combination of infrastructures, institutions and people-to-people exchanges and deliver progress in the five sectors of policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, trade link, capital flow, and understanding among peoples. Xi Jinping also announced that China had decided to establish a Silk Road Fund.

November 11

The 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held in Beijing. Xi Jinping presided over the meeting and delivered a speech, advocating the jointly building of the Asia-Pacific Partnership featuring mutual trust,

inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results. The meeting decided to start the process of creating the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP)

November 17

The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, a cross-boundary mechanism that connects the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, was launched, followed by the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Bond Connect and Shanghai-London Stock Connect launched in December 2016, July 2017 and June 2019 respectively.

November 19–21

The 1st World Internet Conference was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, identifying Wuzhen as the permanent site of the World Internet Conference. Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2nd World Internet Conference on December 16, 2015, stressing that cyberspace was the common space of activities for mankind and calling for joint building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

December 5

The CPC Central Committee decided to expel Zhou Yongkang from the Party. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee had been committed to fight corruption with no place out of bounds, no ground left unturned, and no tolerance

shown. It had taken firm actions to “take out tigers,” “swat flies” and “hunt down foxes,” so that the Party officials didn’t dare to, were unable to and had no desire to commit acts of corruption. The 18th CPC Central Committee approved the investigation of 440 Party members in leadership positions at and above the provincial and military commander level and other central management officials, investigated and prosecuted serious discipline and law violations committed by Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Sun Zhengcai, Ling Jihua and others. From the closing of the 19th CPC National Congress to the end of 2018, 77 central management officials were investigated. The anti-corruption campaign won an overwhelming victory.

December 13–14

During an inspection tour to Jiangsu Province, Xi Jinping pointed out that China should take the initiative to grasp and adapt to the new normal of economic development, and ensure coordinated implementation of the four-pronged comprehensive strategy—to comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society, comprehensively deepen reform, comprehensively advance the law-based governance of China, and comprehensively strengthen Party self-discipline.

December 18

The China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR)—China’s first sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor achieved full power operation over 72 hours, marking China’s full mastering of the Generation IV nuclear power technology, including core technologies for design, construction, commissioning, operation and so on of fast reactors.

December 31

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the Opinions on Strengthening the Establishment of the Accredited Institutions of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. On November 20, 2015, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the Plan for the Comprehensive Implementation of Assigning Discipline Inspection Organs of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to Party and State Organs at the Central Level, realizing the full coverage of the assignment of discipline inspection organs to Party and state organs at the central level. On October 21, 2018, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Accredited Institutions of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission.

From: Chronicle of the People's Republic of China(October 1949—September 2019),edited by The Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, PP.244-256.