Chinese internet users have selected the top 10 domestic and international news events of 2008.

More than 1 million netizens voted in a competition organized by 39 news websites including www.people.com.cn and www.xinhuanet.com.

Domestic stories, in chronological order, are:

-- Winter storms in southern China. From late January until early February, the worst winter storms in decades hit large parts of southern and central China. They caused damage and paralyzed transport. The cost was estimated at 150 billion yuan (about US$19 billion).

-- State leaders selected at China's two sessions. The annual sessions of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top advisory body, were held in March in Beijing. Leaders of the state and CPPCC were selected and ministry restructuring decided upon.

-- March 14 riots in Lhasa. At least 18 innocent civilians were killed and there was extensive damage to property in the Tibetan capital. The unrest was organized by supporters of the Dalai Lama and "Tibetan independence" forces.

-- May 12 earthquake. A magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit Wenchuan County in southwest Sichuan Province on May 12. The quake, the most destructive natural disaster in China for decades, left more than 87,000 people dead or missing and millions homeless. The cost was put at more than 845 billion yuan. The country mobilized for disaster relief and reconstruction, which continues.

-- President Hu Jintao having first online conversation with internet users. Hu visited the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China, on June 20, delivered an important speech and talked with netizens through the newspaper's web forum.

-- Successful hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics. Beijing hosted the Games of the 29th Olympiad from August 8 to August 24. More than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries and regions competed in 302 events in 28 sports. Athletes from a record 87 National Olympic Committees won medals. The Games saw 43world records and 132 Olympic records set. From September 6 to September 17, more than 4,000 athletes from more than 140 countries took part in the Summer Paralympic Games.

-- Tainted milk scandal. China's tainted dairy scandal was exposed in September after babies who were fed milk powder produced by the Hebei Province-based Sanlu Group developed kidney stones. Other top dairy firms were also involved. The contamination killed six babies and more than 290,000 infants suffered from urinary problems such as kidney stones. The scandal led to the resignation of China's chief quality supervisor Li Changjiang. Several officials were sacked, arrests were made and the government continues to overhaul the country's dairy industry.

-- The successful flight of the Shenzhou VII manned spacecraft and China's first space walk. On September 27, taikonaut Zhai Zhigang, wearing a domestically made Feitian space suit, conducted a 20-minute space walk. China became the third nation to conduct a space walk, behind Russia and the United States.

-- Direct air and sea transport and postal services across the Taiwan Straits.

From November 3 to November 7, Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), headed a delegation to Taiwan, the first ARATS leader to visit the island. During their first meeting in Taipei, Chen and Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation, signed agreements on direct shipping and flights, as well as postal services.

On December 15, the two sides launched direct air and sea transports well as postal services between several mainland cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Fuzhou and Shenzhen, and Taiwan cities, such as Taipei, Kaohsiung and Keelung.

-- Grand gathering to celebrate the 30th anniversary of China's launch of reform and opening up.

The gathering was held on December 18 to mark the decision made at the third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC in 1978 to open up the once-isolated country and reform its moribund economy.

The landmark policy turned China from a poverty-stricken country into the world's fourth-largest economy in terms of gross domestic product.

During the gathering, President Hu Jintao addressed the nation and called on citizens further advance the great cause of reform and opening up while holding up the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Top 10 world events:

-- Chinese worldwide protecting torch relay of the Beijing Olympics

-- President Hu Jintao's "warm spring" trip to Japan in May

-- Dmitry Medvedev's election as Russian President, with Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister

-- International community actively offers aid to China after the May 12 earthquake.

-- Beijing Olympics and Paralympics

-- Eruption of the global financial crisis, China's 4 trillion yuan stimulus package

-- Obama winning US presidential election

-- Mumbai terrorist attack, which left 172 dead, including at least 28 foreigners, and 293 others injured

-- International community joining to fight pirates off Somalia

-- Sharp fluctuation in oil prices

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2009)