January

   The National Forestry Planning Conference declared that, starting from 1998, China would begin to implement a conservation project for natural forests in state-owned forest areas mostly by reducing timber output, protecting resources, diverting personnel and improving efficiency. In October 2000, China implemented the conservation project for natural forest resources in an all-round way.

March 3–14

   The 1st Session of the 9th CPPCC National Committee was held, and Li Ruihuan was elected chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

March 5–19 

   The 1st Session of the 9th NPC was held, where Jiang Zemin was elected president of the PRC and chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission, and Li Peng, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee; Zhu Rongji was appointed as premier of the State Council. It passed the plan for reforming the departments of the State Council, and decided to adjust and reduce the specialized economic departments and strengthen the functions of the departments charged with macro regulation and law enforcement supervision.

June 9

   The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Circular on Ensuring Basic Living Security and Re-employment of Laid-off Workers in State-owned Enterprises, which put forward the approach of independent employment, employment through market regulation and government facilitation of employment under the guidance of national policies. 

Mid-June–Early September 

   The Yangtze River in southern China and the Nenjiang River and Songhua River in northern China experienced the worst flooding in the recorded history. Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, the whole Party, the army and people of all ethnic groups acted in unison and achieved a full victory in the fight against floods.

June 26 

   The 3rd Session of the Standing Committee of the 9th NPC adopted the Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the People’s Republic of China.

July 

   The CPC Central Committee decided that the army, the armed police force and the political and legal organs would completely cease all commercial activities.

October 14

   The 3rd Plenary Session of the 15th CPC Central Committee adopted the Decision on Certain Major Issues in the Agriculture and Rural Work, and proposed the goal of building a new socialist countryside with Chinese characteristics by 2010.

November 21 

   The CPC Central Committee released the Opinions on Fully Developing the Party Spirit and Conduct Education of “Stresses on Study, Politics and Integrity” among Party and Government Leading Bodies and Leading Officials above the County Level. The “three stresses” education had basically concluded by the end of 2000.

December 7

   Jiang Zemin addressed the Central Economic Work Conference, proposing to expand domestic demand and promote economic development by mainly relying on the domestic market.

December 14

   The State Council issued the Decision on Establishing a Basic Medical Insurance System for Urban Employees.

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.170-173.