It proved to be another year in which world peace was elusive, but amid the gloom there were a few positive glimmers. Here China Daily lists its top world news stories of 2017.

Grand idea with mankind at its center is enshrined

"A community of shared future for mankind" was enshrined by the United Nations Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, transforming the Chinese concept into an international consensus. After President Xi Jinping put the idea to the international community in a keynote speech at the UN Office in Geneva on Jan 18, the concept was incorporated into a resolution in the 55th UN Commission for Social Development on Feb 10.

Trump takes office, vows to 'put America first'

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Jan 20 after having pledged to "make America great again" by, among other things, putting US economic and foreign policy interests above those of anyone else, thus bringing a strong redirection of the country's foreign policy.

Trump said his country would pull out of the Paris agreement on climate change, which his predecessor Barack Obama had signed in 2015. The accord had given other countries an unfair advantage over US industry and destroyed American jobs, Trump said.

He also ended US involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and eight other Pacific nations.