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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Sixty gun salutes fired marking China’s 60th anniversary

BEIJING, — A solemn flag-raising ceremony and 60-gun salutes kicked off a grand celebration in central Beijing Thursday morning to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders joined about 200,000 paraders, soldiers, students and dignitaries for the big day of New China on Tian’anmen Square. The 440,000-square-meter square, overlooked by a huge south-facing portrait of late Chairman Mao Zedong on Tian’anmen Rostrum, was packed with flower-holding youngsters, solemn guards, performers dressed in colorful clothes, and numerous police to safeguard a tight security.A total of 56 red columns were erected on the east and west sides of the square, which represented the 56 ethnic groups in China. Sixty huge lantern-shaped balloons over the square were also in red color, which symbolize auspice and happiness according to Chinese tradition.Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), announced the start of the grand rally. Amid 60 gun salutes, a squad of 200 armed police in olive green uniforms walked down the platform of the Monument to the People’s Heroes in the center of the square, carrying a furled flag and marching northward on a red carpet toward the national flag post.The guards walked a total of 169 steps, which symbolized 169 years since 1840, a watershed in China’s history when the country lost the Opium War with Britain. That eventually led to the scramble of Western power in China.The founding of the People’s Republic ended China’s history of being humiliated by outside forces. The country now is emerging asa major political and economic power in the international stage.President Hu, flanked by former president Jiang Zemin, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders and invited guests, stood in the balcony of Tian’anmen Rostrum overlooking the packed square.On Oct. 1, 1949, Chairman Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, after the Kuomintang government lost a civil war and retreated to Taiwan.Following decades of socialist construction, political upheavals and economic ups and downs, particularly as a result of transition to market economy since the late 1970s, China now emerges as the world’s third largest economy in terms of gross domestic product.People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tanks rumble pass Tiananmen Square in a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009. (Reuters)Participated by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF), military reserves and militia, the military parade will be a debut of China’ s new weaponry and enhanced defense strength.Some of China-made sophisticated weaponry, including cruise missiles, early warning aircraft and new battle tanks, will be the centerpiece of the parade, the 14th of this kind since 1949. More than 150 jet-fighters, bombers, helicopters and other aircraft are to fly over Tian’anmen Square. (Xinhua)source: www.armybase.us

China kicks off National Day extravaganza

BEIJING: China on Thursday celebrated 60 years of communist rule with a military parade and lavish ceremonies on Beijing's Tiananmen Square showcasing the nation's revival as a global power. Thousands of troops marched in tight formations, fighter jets overflew the city and the world's largest military unveiled its most sophisticated weaponry including new intercontinental ballistic missiles in a patriotic show of force. President Hu Jintao extolled the Communist Party-led rebirth in a speech to the invitation-only crowd from Tiananmen gate, where Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic on October 1, 1949. "The development and progress of the new China over the past 60 years fully proved that only socialism can save China, and only reform and opening up can ensure the development of China, socialism and Marxism," Hu told the crowd. China typically holds grand celebrations every 10 years to commemorate Mao's announcement, but authorities promised that this year's festivities would top those staged in the past -- and outdo last year's Olympic opening ceremony. The government wants to send a clear message: that China, the world's third-largest economy, has re-emerged as a proud and undeniable global force. Hu, in a high-collared Mao-style tunic, underlined this confidence in his speech before a Tiananmen Square festooned in the nation's red and yellow. "Today a socialist China that faces the future is standing tall and firm in the East," he declared. Hu also reiterated China's pledge to pursue peace in the world. On Taiwan, Hu pledged to "push forward the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait", amid a historic thaw between the two sides, which split at the end of a bloody civil war won by Mao's Communist forces in 1949. "We will continue to strive for the complete reunification of our motherland, which is the common aspiration of the Chinese nation." After six decades as Cold War adversaries, tensions between China and Taiwan have eased significantly following the election of a more China-friendly government on the self-ruled island in 2008. An estimated 200,000 people took part in the lavish morning festivities, which unfolded under clear blue skies. Flexing its growing muscle, China paraded long-range nuclear missiles capable of striking the heart of the United States and other homegrown weaponry signalling that a nation once bullied by foreign powers is a pushover no more. The military show was followed by a colourful parade, with tens of thousands of people marching and singing in unison in a display of China's ability to harness its vast manpower on a massive scale. Besides goose-stepping troops, squads of pink-clad women "volunteers" dubbed the "iron roses" marched in go-go boots, while thousands of other participants marched while waving flowing fans, pom-poms and bouquets of flowers. National sports heroes such as hurdler Liu Xiang and former Olympic gymnastics champion Li Ning rode on one of dozens of brightly decorated floats. Giant portraits of China's leaders from Mao to Hu were paraded past the square, which was filled with 80,000 children flipping hand-held cards spelling out messages such as "Socialism is Good" and "Long Live China." Despite the burst of pride, official insecurity also has been clearly on display - authorities have imposed draconian security in a bid to prevent an array of perceived threats from spoiling the party. These include seething tensions in ethnic minority regions such as Xinjiang and Tibet, and widespread social discontent over a widening wealth gap, official corruption and environmental degradation. As a result, most of Beijing's 17 million citizens were relegated to watching the pageant in their hometown on television like the rest of China. Lu Haishi, 23, travelled all the way from Shanghai to watch the festivities with friends - on TV. "I came to Beijing for the National Day from Shanghai for the atmosphere. We've rented a room to see the parade on television in a hotel near the route, to get the atmosphere," he said. Police have for weeks stepped up security checks, cleared out beggars and the homeless, and ordered residents along the parade route not to open windows during the parade. Even the city's airport shut for three hours during the parade and knife sales were banned in some stores after two recent stabbings near Tiananmen Square. The Mao-led 1949 communist takeover ended years of foreign domination and war, while three decades of economic reforms initiated by late leader Deng Xiaoping enriched China and propelled it back into the ranks of world powers. State media had said aircraft could release cloud-dispersal chemicals to prevent rain spoiling the festivities -- and skies were clear for the parade after light rain the night before. It was not immediately clear if the fine weather was man-made, but state media reported last year that authorities induced rain to wring out the clouds in the run-up to the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. source: channelnewsasia.com

The60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China

Female members of a Chinese militia march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.Female officers and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army march in a military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing October 1, 2009.Marine corps vehicles rumble pass Tiananmen Square in a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.Nuclear missiles are displayed during a military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in central Beijing October 1, 2009 in this photo distributed by China's official Xinhua News Agency.Air Force Cadets take part in a military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Tiananmen Square in Beijing October 1, 2009.Female members of a Chinese militia march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing October 1, 2009.Navy cadets march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009Helicopters fly over Tiananmen Square during celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in central Beijing October 1, 2009 in this photo distributed by China's official Xinhua News Agency.Female members of a Chinese militia march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.Chinese President Hu Jintao waves during a military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Tiananmen Gate in central Beijing October 1, 2009 in this photo distributed by China's official Xinhua News Agency.Air Force cadets take part in a military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing October 1, 2009.People's Liberation Army (PLA) tanks rumble pass Tiananmen Square in a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.Chinese president Hu Jintao inspects People's Liberation Army troops during a military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in central Beijing October 1, 2009 in this photo distributed by China's official Xinhua News Agency.A giant screen shows China's President Hu Jintao reviewing soldiers ahead of a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at Beijing's Tiananmen Square October 1, 2009.People's Liberation Army (PLA) tanks rumble pass Tiananmen Square in a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.credit photo: Reuters, Ap photo, Gettyimages

60th anniversary of China's National Day

Female members of a Chinese militia march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 29: The guards stand on the temporary reviewing stand covered with the rain-proof plastics for the upcoming National Day celebration on Tiananmen Square on September 29, 2009 in Beijing, China. The grand celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are set to include a military parade and mass pageant consisting of about 200,000 citizens in Tian'anmen Square on October 1.Students wave Chinese national flags during a celebration to commemorate the upcoming 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, at a school in Nanjing, Jiangsu province September 29, 2009. China will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding on October 1.BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 29: A Chinese man takes pictures with mobile phone before the upcoming National Day celebration in front of the Tiananmen Gate on September 29, 2009 in Beijing, China. The grand celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are set to include a military parade and mass pageant consisting of about 200,000 citizens in Tian'anmen Square on October 1.Soldiers hold pigeon patterns during a rehearsal for China's 60th anniversary celebration performance in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. A military parade and celebrations will be held in central Beijing on Oct. 1 to mark six decades since the founding of People's Republic of China. (AP Photo) ** CHINA OUT.A Chinese worker prepares decorations ahead of the Oct. 1, 60th National Day celebrations in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. The Chinese capital is gearing up for a grand celebration centered on a parade in front of Tiananmen GateBEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Elderly Beijing residents sit outside a shop at an old alleyway, or hutong, decorated with a portrait Mao Zedong, while he takes part in a voluntary program to monitor the neighborhood for safety ahead of tomorrow's National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: A worker hangs a red lantern onto the Tiananmen Gate in preparation for tomorrow's National Day celebration are seen at the Tiananmen Square on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: A Chinese security guard stands outside a closed shop at an old alleyway, or hutong, as he monitors the neighbourhood for safety ahead of tomorrow's National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of ChinaBEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: The Tiananmen Square sits closed in preparation for tomorrow's National Day celebration are seen at the Tiananmen Square on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 30: Military vehicles are transported by rail towards central Beijing ahead of a military parade for the upcoming National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. The grand celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are set to include a military parade and mass pageant consisting of about 200,000 citizens in Tian'anmen Square on October 1.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Elderly Beijing residents sit outside a shop at an old alleyway, or hutong, decorated with a portrait Mao Zedong, while he takes part in a voluntary program to monitor the neighborhood for safety ahead of tomorrow's National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Slogans prepared for tomorrow's National Day celebration sit inTiananmen Square on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: A Beijing resident sits outside a shop at an old alleyway, or hutong, decorated with a portrait Mao Zedong, while he takes part in a voluntary program to monitor the neighborhood for safety ahead of tomorrow's National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: A couple stand under a Chinese national flag in an old alleyway, or hutong, before tomorrow's National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: An elderly Beijing man sells souvenirs along a lake side as tourists enjoy a boat ride before tomorrow's National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 30: Military vehicles are transported by rail towards central Beijing ahead of a military parade for the upcoming National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. The grand celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are set to include a military parade and mass pageant consisting of about 200,000 citizens in Tian'anmen Square on October 1.SHENYANG, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Four high pressure sprinkler cars and sanitation workers clean a statue of Mao Zedong ahead of China's 60th National Day on September 30, 2009 in Shenyang, in northeast China's Liaoning province, China. China's 60th anniversary celebration will be held on October 1 in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 30: Military vehicles are transported by rail towards central Beijing ahead of a military parade for the upcoming National Day celebration on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. The grand celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are set to include a military parade and mass pageant consisting of about 200,000 citizens in Tian'anmen Square on October 1.BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Slogans prepared for tomorrow's National Day celebration sit inTiananmen Square on September 30, 2009 in Beijing, China. Chinese people are in preparation for the upcoming National Day on October 1, 2009 which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.SHANGHAI, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 28: National flags flutter at the main Landscape area to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on September 28, 2009 in Shanghai of China. China is now gearing up for the celebration for its National Day holidays, marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 25: Chinese villagers from Ansai County of northwest China's Shaanxi Province perform the folk waist-drum dance during their exercise for upcoming China's 60th anniversary celebration performance at a training camp on September 25, 2009 in Beijing, China. The grand celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are set to include a military parade and mass pageant consisting of about 200,000 citizens in Tian'anmen Square on October 1.Students wave Chinese national flags during a celebration to commemorate the upcoming 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, at a school in Nanjing, Jiangsu province September 29, 2009. China will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding on October 1.A Taoist joins the parade in the celebration for the upcoming 60th anniversary of China's National Day at the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. Wong Tai Sin is a Chinese deity popular in Hong Kong with the power of healing. His name literally translates to the "Great Immortal Wong".Thanks, pictures from Reuters, Gettyimages, AP photo

News Today

Viewing binoculars are seen on the Queensborough side of New York as the Empire State Building is seen lit red and yellow marking the 60th anniversary of Communist China in New York, September 30, 2009.Viewing binoculars are seen on the Queensborough side of New York as the Empire State Building is seen lit red and yellow marking the 60th anniversary of Communist China in New York, September 30, 2009.Paramilitary policemen stand still in front of a screen showing China's President Hu Jintao reviewing soldiers ahead of a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009.A Mexican Totonaca native plays an indigenous flute before performing the ritualistic dance of 'Los Voladores' (The Flyers) at Chapultepec forest, in Mexico City, on September 30, 2009. The Dance of 'Los Voladores' is a Mexican tradition that for some old indigenous cultures, such as the Olmeca and Totonaca, was a sacred ritual with great astronomical and religious significance. The dance consists of five people - representing the five elements of the indigenous world - four who descend from a pole tied to ropes while another one stays atop playing the flute. Each rope unwraps itself 13 times, to mark the 52 weeks of the year. The UNESCO declared the 'Los Voladores' a world cultural treasure.Williams Formula One driver Kazuki Nakajima of Japan arrives at Suzuka Circuit ahead of the Japanese F1 Grand Prix in Suzuka, central Japan, October 1, 2009.Renault Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain signs his autograph for a fan as he arrives at Suzuka Circuit ahead of the Japanese F1 Grand Prix in Suzuka, central Japan, October 1, 2009. Alonso will replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next season, the Italian team said on Wednesday, ending months of speculation surrounding the move. Alonso, world champion in 2005 and 2006, has signed a three-year deal and will partner Felipe Massa next year.Top Chinese leaders stand on Tiananmen Gate during the parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing October 1, 2009.The Empire State Building is seen lit red and yellow marking the 60th anniversary of Communist China in New York, September 30, 2009.GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Aston Merrygold of boy band JLS arrives at the MOBO Awards 2009 held at Glasgow's SECC on September 30, 2009 in Glasgow, Scotland.GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Aston Merrygold of boy band JLS arrives at the MOBO Awards 2009 held at Glasgow's SECC on September 30, 2009 in Glasgow, Scotland.A volunteer searches for tsunami victims and identification documents at a destroyed resort in Matavai on the southern coast of Western Samoa September 30, 2009. Relief workers in American Samoa and Samoa searched for survivors on Thursday after a series of tsunamis smashed into the tiny Pacific islands, killing possibly more than 100 people and flattening villages.A banquet is held marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing September 30, 2009. China will celebrate on October 1 the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Picture taken September 30, 2009LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 30: A woolly mammoth skeleton with 90 percent of its original bones is displayed at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino September 30, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields hope the 28-foot long fossil will fetch about USD 150,000-200,000 when it is auctioned off on October 3 at the Venetian as part of their Natural History auction. The centerpiece of the lot of 50 fossils being auctioned is a 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton dubbed 'Samson.' The 40-foot-long female dinosaur fossil, excavated in South Dakota in, contains about 170 bones and is said to be the third most complete T. rex skeleton ever unearthed. Bonhams & Butterfields is hoping Samson will fetch more than USD 6 million at the auction.Pro-democracy activists carrying a coffin at a demonstration are surrounded by police officers during the flag raising ceremony for 60th anniversary of the National Day of China in Hong Kong Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. The protesters are demanding the Beijing government apologize the military crackdown on protests in Tiananmen Square and to stop the one party ruling in China.Pro-democracy activists carrying the coffin at a demonstration during the flag raising ceremony for 60th anniversary of the National Day of China in Hong Kong Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. The protesters are demanding the Beijing government apologize the military crackdown on protests in Tiananmen Square and to stop the one party ruling in China.Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) and former president Jiang Zemin toast during a banquet marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing September 30, 2009. China will celebrate on October 1 the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Picture taken September 30, 2009Palestinian Bara'a Malkee, 15, center, talks with relatives after her release from an Israeli jail, at the family home in the West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun near Ramallah, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Bara'a is one of 20 Palestinian women Israel will release from prison this week in exchange for a videotape proving that Sgt. Gilad Schalit who is held by militants in the Gaza Strip is still alive, Israel and Hamas announced Wednesday, in the first tangible sign of movement in more than three years of talks over the captive soldier's fate. Schalit, a tank crewman seized by Hamas-linked militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006, has not been seen since his capture.BERLIN - SEPTEMBER 30: MDR television presenter Peter Escher holds his Goldene Henne Award at the Goldene Henne 2009 awards at Friedrichstadtpalast on September 30, 2009 in Berlin, Germany.GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: DJ Ironik arrives at the MOBO Awards 2009 held at Glasgow's SECC on September 30, 2009 in Glasgow, Scotland.Argentina's head coach Diego Maradona watches their friendly soccer match against Ghana in Cordoba September 30, 2009.Toronto Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas (L) and pitcher Roy Halladay congratulate each other at the end of their 12-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in their MLB American League baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts September 30, 2009.Universidad de Chile's Manuel Iturra (R) fights for the ball with Marcelo Cordeiro of Brazilian soccer club Internacional during their Copa Sudamericana soccer match in Santiago September 30, 2009.VfL Wolfsburg's German defender Alexander Madlung (L) and Manchester United's English forward Wayne Rooney compete for the ball during their UEFA Champions League Group B football at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England, on September 30, 2009.VfL Wolfsburg's Bosnia and Herzegovina forward Edin Dzeko (R) scores past Manchester United's Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak (2L) during their UEFA Champions League Group B football at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England, on September 30, 2009.credit photo: Reuters, Gettyimages