10, Premier Wen Jiabao presides over an executive meeting of the State Council, studying the issue of reinvigorating the old industrial bases in northeast China. The meeting put forward the guidelines and principles of the northeastern rejuvenation strategy, as well as major tasks and measures.

11, President Hu Jintao holds talks with visiting German President Johannes Rau. Hu made a four-point proposal on furthering Sino-German ties: Continuing the exchanges of high-level visits between the two countries and enhancing bilateral political consultation and cooperation; promoting the in-depth expansion of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and strengthening economic and technological cooperation, including that between small and medium-sized enterprises; expanding communication and cooperation in various fields apart from economic cooperation and tightening non-governmental exchanges between the two countries; and, properly handling each other's concerns to safeguard the healthy and sustained development of Sino-German relations.

16, China's first four-stage, solid propellant carrier rocket, Kaituozhe 1, successfully blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China. With this achievement, China becomes the third country in the world to possess the technology.