AS Guangdong reports another suspected SARS case, many of us have been praying that the epidemic that forced many to live in fear for half of 2003 will not return.

SARS had killed 813 people worldwide by July 11, including 348 on the Chinese mainland and two in Shanghai. The scare caused by the mysterious disease turned out to be worse than the plague itself. Its economic damage is still felt today in many areas, but miraculously the Chinese economy was still able to outshine the rest of the world in 2003, with 8.5 per cent estimated growth, the highest in recent years.

SARS was not just about health and economics. It also had widespread social and political repercussions. It led many people to think again about the poor public health system in the vast countryside, where 80 per cent of Chinese live. It also sparked a public and media outcry for more government transparency in disclosing information and defending the public right to know.

China paid no less attention to Iraq. The invasion of Iraq remains unjustified to most Chinese today. Iraq is in nightmarish chaos, more violent than before the war. People are dying and no one can predict when there will be an end, even after Saddam Hussein’s capture three weeks ago.

While Saddam Hussein may have been the most talked-about person on the world stage in 2003, Sun Zhigang seems to deserve more attention than anybody else in China. Sun, who died of brutality in a Guangdong detention centre, was brought into the national spotlight by the gutsy pursuit undertaken by some Chinese journalists.

Sun definitely deserves the Person of the Year award. His death has ended a long-established detention system and heralded a new era for millions of Chinese migrant workers, who used to be frequently cross-examined by police for lack of adequate ID.

The mushrooming street beggars also owe their greater freedom to Sun.

Another group that should celebrate more freedom in 2003 are people due to be relocated.

The case of Shanghai tycoon Zhou Zhengyi, involving property market speculation and corruption, along with cases in Jiangsu, Anhui and some other Chinese provinces concerning housing relocation, have pressed the government to set stricter rules for developers on compensating such families.

It has also driven the Shanghai government to review city planning ?or lack of planning ?of the past decade. Shanghai is already a concrete jungle and too much history has been wiped out in the past decade. It may already be too late for some rescue work, but late is better than never.

The revision of the Marriage Law in 2003 was another milestone that could change the fate of millions of Chinese. An employer’s letter of approval for divorce or marriage may sound ridiculous to anyone outside China, but it has ruled the country for decades, causing numerous human tragedies. In a sense, the freedom to marry and divorce today is another liberation for the Chinese people in their struggle to decide their own destiny.

The year 2003 also saw a new generation of Chinese leaders show their capability and charisma in leading the nation to greater freedom and prosperity. Shanghai itself also has a new group of high-flying leaders who have the task of presenting a fascinating city to the world for the 2010 World Expo.

Environmental pollution, traffic jams, the large number of laid-off workers, an ageing population, social security worries, steep property prices and concerns over the efficiency and honesty of government still pose severe threats to the city ?sufficient to keep the new leaders busy for years to come.

The year 2003 may not look auspicious, due to SARS and wars, but it certainly set several important milestones in China’s social development. May China and the world become a better place in the year 2004.