China Media Group (CMG) on Friday released its top 10 international news stories in 2022.

1. Foreign leaders send congratulatory messages on 20th CPC National Congress

Leaders of foreign political parties, government officials and international organizations worldwide congratulated the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and General Secretary Xi Jinping on the convening of the 20th CPC National Congress.

2. China's head-of-state diplomacy injects confidence, strength into world

Soon after the conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a busy month of head-of-state diplomacy. Within over a month, Xi had face-to-face meetings with nearly 30 foreign heads of state, government and international organizations.

Xi's packed diplomatic schedule demonstrates China's vigorous pursuit of deepening its engagement and cooperation with the world as the country embarks on a new journey.

3. Russia-Ukraine conflict breaks out

Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, a step Moscow said it was forced to take as its security concerns over NATO's eastward expansion were not addressed. The two sides have fought for months with key regions and cities having changed hands. Intense fighting is still ongoing in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region.

4.  World fights lingering COVID-19, multi-country monkeypox outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on October 19, 2022 that COVID-19 remains a global health emergency, nearly three years after it was first declared as one.

In addition to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic this year, the WHO officially declared on July 23 that the current multi-country monkeypox outbreak outside of the traditional endemic areas in Africa has already turned into a public health emergency of international concern.

5. U.S. Fed raises interest rates

The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates seven times this year with a total increase of 425 basis points, and signaled that it will continue to raise rates in early 2023, and will not begin to cut them until 2024. This is broadly perceived as a political calculation to take advantage of the dollar's dominance in the international monetary and trade system to pass domestic risks to the outside world and leave the United States unscathed.

6.  UK political chaos

The international community witnessed a series of shocking political moments in the UK this year. Rishi Sunak became Britain's third prime minister within 50 days, after Liz Truss and Boris Johnson were forced to resign. 

Amid the turmoil, Sunak inherited an economy on the brink of recession, with energy shortages, a cost-of-living crisis and runaway inflation that defy any easy fix.

7.  Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP15

A historic biodiversity agreement was reached at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Montreal, Canada on December 19, 2022.

The biodiversity agreement, titled the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, is designed to reverse biodiversity loss and set the world on a path of recovery. All parties have agreed on key issues, including goals and targets, resource mobilization and Digital Sequence Information, or DSI, under the framework.

8.  China holds 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games

Beijing successfully hosted the Olympic Winter Games from February 4 to 20 and the Paralympic Winter Games from March 4 to 13, becoming the first city in the world to hold both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

9. RECP comes into effect

Following eight years of negotiations, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) came into effect on January 1, 2022. The world's largest free trade deal covers 15 countries and accounts for about one-third of the world's GDP.

10. World population passes 8 billion

The number of people on Earth passed 8 billion on 15 November 2022, according to the United Nation's World Population Prospects 2022 report.