¡¡March

In March 1998 the leaders of a new term office of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were elected. Jiang Zemin was elected state president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC, Zhu Rongji, premier of the State Council, and Li Ruihuan, chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC.

June

In summer, extremely serious floods attacked the valleys of the Yangtze, Nenjiang and Songhua rivers. Soldiers and officers of the People's Liberation Army and armed forces, and local people, totaling 180,000, combated the floods and went to the rescue. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians heroically block a burst on the embankment of the Jiujiang section along the Yangtze River in Jiangxi Province.

The water of the Wuhan section along the Yangtze River reached the second highest level ever recorded. After repeated trials of strength with several flood peaks, the local people finally triumphed without damage to the embankments.

Shenzhen, as a window leading the country in opening to the outside world and an experimental city of the socialist market economy, has achieved world-renowned achievements and summed up many beneficial experiences. Today, it still symbolizes China's reform and opening to the outside world.

Beijing University, a comprehensive university which enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad, celebrated its 100th birthday. This university represents the highest level of China's higher education. Students who have just received their master's and doctoral degrees have their pictures taken on the campus. ¡¡

June 27

On June 27, President Jiang Zemin held a ceremony outside the eastern gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome US President Bill Clinton.