Milestones: 2005

-- The Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress approves a draft regulation to abolish agricultural taxes, making history of a levy system thousands of years old.

-- The Shenzhou VI spacecraft, China's second manned spacecraft, lands safely in north China's Inner Mongolian grasslands on Oct 17 after a five-day flight by astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng. The successful mission of Shenzhou VI represents significant progress in China's space exploration.

-- From April 26 to May 3, 2005, Lien Chan, chairman of Taiwan's Kuomintang, leads a delegation to the mainland. It is the first time he has set foot on the mainland since 1949. Relations between the two sides have improved steadily ever since.