Editor’s note:

The year 2012 was a year of change and drama for China. The most notable event was the successful leadership handover during the CPC National Congress, with new leader Xi Jinping vowing to crack down on corruption. Meanwhile, a string of government officials were ousted by virtue of whistleblowing on Weibo where every individual could raise his voice as a nationwide online anti-corruption campaign reached a new height. The China-Japan relationship slumped to the bottom due to the Diaoyu Islands dispute that triggered large-scale anti-Japan protests across China. The common man is becoming more aware of the quality of life following a spate of food safety scandals and their concerns were reflected in the answers to the question “Are you happy?” by a CCTV roadside survey. The year ended on a sour note when a knife attack at a primary school wounded 23 pupils, which coincided with a shooting rampage in an American school that killed 27. But it is the different manner of the Chinese authorities compared to their US counterparts in handling the issue that infuriated the Chinese. The followings are top ten China stories of 2012: