Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) is awarded with Abdulaziz Medal by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud after their talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 19.

The five-day Middle East visit of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, produced a broad consensus and a slew of cooperation agreements to deepen constructive engagement with the crisis-bound region.

It adds depth to Xi's global footprint and more links in China's westward opening strategy and desire for partners in the Middle East.  [More]

President Xi Jinping (L) inspects Guoyuan Port in the Liangjiang New Area of southwest China's Chongqing on January 4, his first workday of the New Year.

Premier Li Keqiang talks to miners before entering the 300-meter-deep Guandi Coal Mine in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. He praised their hard work, saying the miners are "not only the backbone of Shanxi, but also the backbone of China."

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, and Premier Li Keqiang have paid their first inspection visits in 2016 to Chongqing Municipality from January 4-6 and Shanxi Province from January 4-5 respectively. New Year inspection tours by senior leaders are routine in China, usually setting the tone for the rest of the year.  [More]

China's economy expanded by 6.9 percent in 2015, down from the 7.3 percent in 2014 and recording the slowest annual growth in 25 years, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Jan. 19.

Growth in the fourth quarter stood at 6.8 percent year-on-year, the lowest quarterly rate since the global financial crisis in 2008.

However, the NBS believes that the economy still "ran within a reasonable range" in 2015, with its structure further optimized, upgrading accelerated, new growth drivers strengthened and people's lives improved. The government had previously set the official growth target at 7 percent for the year. [More]

Zhang Xia (L) harvests grapes with local farmers in Zhongfang County of Huaihua City, Hunan Province during an inspection tour in 2012.

"When you grow one mu (666 square meters) of grapes, you will shake off poverty. When you grow two mu (1,333.33 square meters) of grapes, you will lead an affluent life." This is a popular saying in Zhongfang County, central China's Hunan Province. Thanks to the policies made by the county committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), local people have achieved success in poverty reduction and economic development.

Zhang Xia, a member of the Dong ethnic group who was born in 1973, served as the county's Party chief between 2011 and 2015. It was by her suggestion that local people engage in large-scale grape cultivation, and Zhang was nicknamed the "grape Party chief."  [More]

"Understanding the CPC" series, published by the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is a collection of books to be released in May 2016.

"Foreigners generally do not understand the Communist Party of China, particularly its historic transformation from a "revolutionary Party" seeking power to a "ruling Party" exercising power," wrote Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an international corporate strategist and political/economics commentator, in his introduction to the book series.

"These books offer the CPC explaining the CPC. These are not dispassionate, academic critiques, but real-life expositions of how the CPC interprets itself, presenting reflexively what the CPC wants the world to know," said Kuhn. [More]

China's int'l responsibilities and obligations:

As a major developing country, China has its share of responsibilities and roles in int'l affairs. (More>> )

Basic line of CPC:

The basic line of the CPC in the primary stage of socialism is to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted, self-reliant and pioneering effort to turn China into a modern socialist country. (More>> )

Jan.7:  Premier Li calls for nuclear energy cooperation with UK

Premier Li met with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in Beijing. He said China is willing to maintain a high level of exchanges with the UK.

Jan. 11: China reshuffles military headquarters

China has reorganized its four military headquarters -- staff, politics, logistics and armaments -- into 15 new agencies under the Central Military Commission.

Jan. 16: AIIB opening ceremony held in Beijing

The opening ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was launched in Beijing.

Jan. 22: China, Germany pledge better ties, cooperation on Syria

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on further strengthening bilateral ties and seeking solutions to the ongoing Syrian crisis.

Jan. 25: 54,000 officials probed for graft, negligence in 2015

More than 54,000 Chinese officials were investigated by prosecutors for bribery, dereliction of duty and other duty-related crimes in 2015.

Jan. 27: Chinese FM, US Secretary of State hold talks

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks in Beijing. Kerry paid a two-day visit to Beijing.