2008 year-end review

2008 was by all means an extraordinary year.

The country celebrated 30 years of reform and opening up. It also staged a spectacular Beijing Olympic Games.

But China also experienced one of the country's most devastating earthquakes.

2008 was also the backdrop for the worst global financial crisis in half a century.

Although China's economic engine slowed down during the second half of 2008 -- its economy still managed to forge ahead -- thanks to a number of government policies.