2012: The Year in China (74 images)

A Chinese woman walks her dogs near the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on April 28, 2012. Chen Guangcheng, a blind legal activist and inspirational figure in China's human rights movement, fled house arrest that he has lived under for over four years, and made it to a safe house in Beijing on Friday, setting off a frantic police search for him and those who helped him. Why activists assisted Chen to China's capital was not immediately known. It is rumored that Beijing, China's most policed city and home to foreign embassies, is where Chen could seek asylum. UPI/Stephen Shaver

Toyota displays its new personal transportation vehicles the Whee (L and R) and the i-Real (C) during a pre-Opening day show at the world's biggest automobile show being held in Beijing on April 25, 2012. China is the world's largest automobile and parts market, with international car makers setting up massive plants and dealerships across the country in hopes of gaining a share of the fast growing domestic market. UPI/Stephen Shaver

A Chinese model poses next to Smart Car's special edition for the Chinese market, the Dragon, on display at the world's biggest automobile show, Auto China 2012, during a pre-opening day show in Beijing on April 23, 2012. China is the world's largest automobile market, with international car makers setting up massive plants and dealerships across the country in hopes of gaining a share of the fast growing domestic market. UPI/Stephen Shaver

A Chinese electrician sorts through a maze of wiring in Beijing April 13, 2012. China's rapid economic growth has seen its cities struggle with both modernizing and maintaining infrastructure projects, such as electricity lines, phone lines, sewage treatment and roads. UPI/Stephen Shaver