BEIJING, Dec. 30  -- The following are the top 10 world news events in the year of 2021 selected by Xinhua in a chronological order:

Capitol riot breaks fantasy of "American-style democracy"

On Jan. 6, supporters of then U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. and clashed with police, leaving five people dead and many others injured. The riot against an orderly transition of presidential power is seen as one of the most far-reaching domestic extreme events in U.S. history.

Bloodshed and violence at the landmark of American politics stunned the world, exposing huge social disparities and breaking the fantasy of the "American-style democracy," which has long been used as an instrument by U.S. politicians to manipulate public opinion and maximize their own interests.

Supporters of Donald Trump gather in front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 6, 2021. Xinhua's top 10 world news events in 2021 Capitol riot breaks fantasy of "American-style democracy" On Jan. 6, supporters of then U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. and clashed with police, leaving five people dead and many others injured. The riot against an orderly transition of presidential power is seen as one of the most far-reaching domestic extreme events in U.S. history. Bloodshed and violence at the landmark of American politics stunned the world, exposing huge social disparities and breaking the fantasy of the "American-style democracy," which has long been used as an instrument by U.S. politicians to manipulate public opinion and maximize their own interests. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)