BEIJING

China had hoped 2008 would be a year-long celebration, a time to bask in the spotlight of the upcoming Olympics, but the Year of the Rat has brought a wave of disasters that are putting a heavy strain on the communist leadership.

The earthquake that struck Sichuan province on Thursday is only the latest in a series of catastrophes this year.

In February, the worst winter storms in five decades hit the densely populated southern and central regions, leaving scores dead, knocking out power across cities, and stranding hundreds of thousands.

In March, anti-government riots erupted in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, sparking sympathy protests in Tibetan areas of western China. The subsequent crackdown brought sharp international criticism of Beijing's human rights record and its rule over Tibet.

The negative attention spilled over to the Olympic torch relay's world tour. Meant to be a feel-good event, the relay turned into chaos as pro-Tibet protesters demonstrated in London, Paris, and San Francisco.

The bad news kept coming. In May came China's worst train accident in a decade, leaving 72 dead and more than 400 injured in Shandong province.

This month also brought a sharp rise in reported cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, a normally mild viral illness which has killed 39 children this year and infected nearly 30,000 others.-AP