2013: The Year in China (88 images)

A Chinese worker cuts branches off of a row of trees in Beijing on November 20, 2013. China unwrapped its boldest set of economic and social reforms in nearly three decades last week, hoping to put the world's second-largest economy on a more stable footing. UPI/Stephen Shaver

Chinese factory workers and engineers fabricate and assemble three-phase induction motors in the Jiamusi Electric Machine Company's headquarters in Jiamusi, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 1, 2013. Electric induction motors are primarily used in heavy industry and machine tools. China's industrial and manufacturing sectors, seen as key drivers of its economic growth, saw mixed fortunes in July, underlining concerns of a slowdown in its economy. Both international and domestic consumption of Chinese goods have slowed recently. UPI/Stephen Shaver

Tourists visit the National Wetlands Park of Fujin in Fujin, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 3, 2013. China is facing a serious shortage of water that it fears could derail its booming economic growth. Ponds and marshes are drying up as land is reclaimed for agriculture and industry, while reservoirs and dams disrupt the flow of rivers. With China's wetlands in trouble and under increasing threats, the government will establish 68 new pilot national wetland parks and step-up protection of the valuable natural resources. UPI/Stephen Shaver

Chinese employees work at a cashmere production factory in Yinchuan, the capital of China's northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on September 18, 2013. Despite China's slowing economy, textile production and exports have remained strong, with European and American markets being key importers of "Made in China" clothing. UPI/Stephen Shaver