3-6 The First China-ASEAN Expo is held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The event represents a concrete move of the Chinese Government to deepen the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity between China and ASEAN and speed up bilateral negotiations and actions to establish a free trade area.

5 The Information Office of the State Council announces that China's new rural cooperative medical service has benefited more than 95 million people, including 68.99 million farmers, since it was implemented. The coverage of the system reached 72.6 percent.

10 The People's Bank of China issues the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Deposit Reserve of Financial Institutions. The provisions unify the foreign exchange deposit reserve ratio for overseas and domestic financial institutions at 3 percent, effective as of January 15, 2005.

11-23 President Hu Jintao pays a state visit to Brazil, Argentine, Chile and Cuba. He also attended the 12th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Santiago on November 20-21.

18 China sends its Shiyan 2 experimental satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, aboard a Long March 2C carrier rocket. Experts hailed the launch marks the new progress China has made in research of mini-satellites.

28-30 Premier Wen Jiabao makes an official visit to Laos and attends the Eighth Summit of the ASEAN Plus China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (10+3), the Eighth China-ASEAN Summit and the Sixth Summit of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea held in Vientiane. The China-ASEAN Summit adopted the China-ASEAN Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. ASEAN declared recognition of China as a full market economy.