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 By Laurent THOMET, with Yan ZHAO in Hong Kong Beijing (AFP) Oct 1, 2019
President Xi Jinping declared Tuesday that "no force" can shake China as he oversaw a huge military parade to celebrate 70 years of Communist Party rule, shadowed by protests in seething Hong Kong that threatened to steal the spotlight. Some 15,000 troops along with tanks, missiles and high-tech drones paraded down the Avenue of Eternal Peace as Xi and other Communist Party leaders watched from a rostrum overlooking Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The event was meant to extol China's journey from a poor nation broken by war to being the world's second largest economy, but Xi faces a clutch of challenges from a US trade war to months of unrest in Hong Kong. Xi, who wore the distinctive "Mao suit", delivered a speech invoking the "Chinese dream" of national rejuvenation -- his grand vision of restoring the country to perceived past glory. "There is no force that can shake the foundation of this great nation," Xi said from the Tiananmen rostrum where Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. "No force that can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation forging ahead," the country's most powerful leader since Mao said before reviewing troops in an open-roof car. Helicopters flew in a "70" formation over the city as troops goosestepped across Tiananmen Square in what state media described as the country's biggest ever military parade. The People's Liberation Army brought out its newest pieces of hardware, including the DF-41, a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile with range enough to reach the entire United States, and the DF-17, a launcher for a hypersonic glider. Warplanes soared through the smog-choked skies, and a high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance drone made a public appearance for the first time, Xinhua reported. "The party hopes that this occasion will add to its legitimacy and rally support at a time of internal and external challenges," Adam Ni, China researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, told AFP. US trade war negotiations have dragged on, and African swine fever has raced through the country's pig supply, sending pork prices soaring. But the major headache is Hong Kong, where pro-democracy protesters hit the streets early in a bid to grab the spotlight from Beijing, with a series of rallies against what they see as the erosion of their special freedoms. Hong Kong police said they were expecting violence across the city, warning it could be "very, very dangerous", while masked protesters said that "in the face of tyranny, we can only fight as if our last battle". Officers fanned out across the territory and small pockets of demonstrators marched through the streets for what they dubbed a "Day of Grief". The semi-autonomous city has been embroiled for months in the worst unrest since Britain returned it to China in 1997, with police and hardcore protesters trading tear gas and petrol bombs. In his speech, Xi said China "must adhere" to the one country, two systems policy governing Hong Kong and "maintain the long-term prosperity and stability" of the city. He also called for the "peaceful development" of relations with Taiwan -- the self-governed island that Beijing considers a renegade province -- but said China should "continue to fight for the full reunification of the country." - 'Protect its interests' - The festivities were held under tight security, with road closures and even a ban on flying kites. Access to the Beijing parade was restricted with police turning away crowds lining up with flags in the hope of catching a glimpse of the military procession. Movie theatres organised screenings of the celebrations. The military show of force was followed by a pageant involving 100,000 civilians and 70 floats depicting China's greatest achievements. Organisers will release 70,000 doves and 70,000 balloons before an evening performance and fireworks in Tiananmen. "Beijing wants to highlight its military modernisation, political unity, and determination to protect its interests," Ni said. - Party adapts - The Communist Party has repeatedly defied the odds to remain in power for seven decades. Under Mao, tens of millions of people died during the disastrous Great Leap Forward, and the country was plunged into violent chaos during the decade-long Cultural Revolution. After Mao's death in 1976, the party launched the reform and opening-up policy under paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, starting decades of breakneck growth and development. But the party retained a stranglehold on power, sending troops to end the biggest challenge to its rule in 1989 when pro-democracy protesters occupied Tiananmen Square. Xi has made clear that he believes only the Communist Party can make the country realise its dream -- with him at the helm. "The Communist Party will continue to ensure that it remains the sole political authority in China," said Drew Thompson, visiting senior research fellow at Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. "It will continue to adapt to do that and it will continue to seek to provide social goods and economic goods for its people, and as long as it continues to deliver those public goods, then it will likely stay in power, but the manner by which it does I think will change over time."
One party: How communists rule in China As the People's Republic of China celebrates its anniversary on Tuesday, here is a look at how the party has evolved over the years. - Turbulent decades - For almost three decades, China had its own style of rule: Maoism. Under the regime of PRC founder Mao Zedong, the state took over industries and farmers were organised into collectives. The Great Leap Forward in 1958 -- a mass mobilisation of labour to boost agricultural and industrial production -- ended with the deaths of tens of millions of people in famine. Mao launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966, a movement to demolish his political rivals that also turned into a disaster, with youthful Red Guards wreaking havoc across the country. - Opening up - Two years after Mao's death, the Party abandoned Maoism and launched its "reform and opening up" policy under new paramount leader Deng Xiaoping in 1978. The economy thrived following a series of market-oriented policies that allowed private capital and foreign investments. The Party has had a "certain pragmatic recognition that regime survival depends upon economic performance, and economic performance requires interaction with the world economy", said Sam Crane, a professor specialising in Chinese politics at Williams College in the US. Millions of people have been pulled out of poverty while the country now boasts hundreds of billionaires and major homegrown companies such as internet giants Alibaba and Tencent. - Tight control - Under this "socialism with Chinese characteristics", Ferraris roar down the streets of major cities where people can shop at luxury stores like Gucci. But one thing has not changed -- the Communist Party (CPC) holds tight to the reins of the economy. Xi made clear in remarks last week that the country's historic achievements "fully demonstrate that only the CPC can lead China", according to state media. Party "cells" are present in private companies and state-owned firms remain major players in the economy. Even Alibaba's billionaire founder, Jack Ma, is among the party's 90.6 million members. What if Karl Marx travelled through time to see today's China? "If Marx came back I think he would say that it is not 'socialist'. That is, it is not moving in the historical direction of 'communism' but has settled into a rather rigid 'state capitalism' with strong authoritarian elements," Crane said. - Mao and Xi 'Thought' - Another break from Mao was the end of one-man rule. Deng backed a system of "collective" leadership and orderly succession following his death in 1997. Jiang Zemin served two five-year terms as president, and his successor Hu Jintao complied with the new tradition. But Xi has turned back the clock to become the most powerful leader since Mao. Like the "Great Helmsman" before him, Xi has benefited from a state media-crafted cult of personality. The country's founder had "Mao Zedong Thought". The current leader enshrined "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" in the constitution. Mao had the "Little Red Book". Xi has his 21st-century version -- an app dubbed "Study Xi", featuring his teachings. Xi has overseen a crackdown on graft that has punished more than 1.5 million party officials -- a popular move among ordinary citizens but seen by observers as a chance to purge rivals. Xi could be here to stay with the removal of presidential term limits. - Crackdown party - The opening of the economy has not been accompanied by political reforms. China marked another anniversary this year, one that the party made sure was not commemorated -- the 30th anniversary of the brutal repression of pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square. The government has even tightened its grip on society under Xi, detaining activists, stepping up internet censorship, and refusing to free dissident and Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo even while he was dying of cancer. Authorities are increasingly using China's development of technology such as facial recognition to monitor citizens. In the northwest region of Xinjiang, the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic group has learned the hard way what it means to run afoul of the government. More than one million people there are said to have been placed in internment camps in the name of combating terrorism.
China plans triumphant 70th anniversary despite headwinds Beijing (AFP) Sept 25, 2019 China marks 70 years of Communist rule next week, with a massive military parade in Beijing anchoring celebrations of its emergence as a global superpower, despite a damaging year of trade tensions with the US and pro-democracy unrest in Hong Kong. The anniversary is meant to showcase China's extraordinary rise from the ravages of war and famine to a modern, powerful nation state whose economic and military muscle is viewed by many with increasing concern. This stunning transformation radically ... read more
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