7. 13th Five Year Plan proposal adopted

The proposal for China's 13th Five Year Plan (guidelines for the country's development over the next five years) was adopted at the fifth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which concluded in Beijing on Oct. 29.

The plan set the goal to build a well-off society by 2020, and also outlined development concepts for innovation, coordination, the environment and opening up.

8. Meeting between Xi and Ma

Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou, the leader across the Taiwan Strait, met for first time in 66 years in Singapore on Nov. 7, opening up a historic chapter in cross-Strait relations.

Xi and Ma acknowledged several breakthroughs from the peaceful development of cross-strait relations since 2008 and agreed to continue down the current path on the basis of the 1992 Consensus.

9. China launches military reform

A new round of national defense and military reform was announced by China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) in November to enhance the unity of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Besides the 300,000-person cut in personnel announced in September, the commission promised a variety of other measures, such as reorganizing the current military administration structure and military command system.

10. China allows two children for all couples

China passed a new regulation on Dec. 27 allowing couples to have two children, ending the country’s decades-long one child policy.

The decision, which was made in an effort to balance population development and address the challenge of an aging population, will come into effect on the first day of 2016.

China's family planning policy was first introduced in the late 1970s to rein in the surging population.