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SCMP Reporters

The People’s Republic of China will celebrate its 70th anniversary today with a massive military parade in Tiananmen Square.
In all, 15,000 troops, more than 160 aircraft and 580 active weapon systems will be on show in an event designed to showcase the country’s cutting-edge defence technology.
But the parade will be about more than projecting China’s military might – it will promote an image of national unity and President Xi Jinping’s achievements in modernising the People’s Liberation Army.
The event is expected to begin with Xi delivering a speech to the nation before inspecting the troops. 
Among the guests will be 10 Hong Kong police officers involved in suppressing anti-government protests in the city, which will hold a much more muted celebration as it confronts its biggest political crisis since its return to China in 1997.
Follow our live coverage from inside Tiananmen Square and beyond. Reporting by Simon Song, Nectar Gan, Sarah Zheng, Minnie Chan, Jun Mai, Liu Zhen, Stephen Chen, Amanda Lee, Daniel Ren, He Huifeng, Phoebe Zhang, Lawrence Chung, Simone McCarthy, Kristin Huang, Laura Zhou, Wendy Wu and Zhou Xin.



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People’s Republic of China at 70

China’s National Day parade, as it happened

Photo: AFP

Xi Jinping to outline his vision of a strong China in grand National Day celebration

President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 30, 2019. Photo: AFP

(091001) -- BEIJING, Oct. 1, 2009 (Xinhua) -- A giant portrait of Chinese President Hu Jintao is paraded during the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Chang'an Street in central Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan)(gj)

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China

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People & Culture

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National Day parade through the heart of the capital expected to be the biggest yet in terms of weapons on show
Mass display comes as the country grapples with myriad challenges, including slowing economic growth and a trade war

 


Parade through the heart of the capital expected to be the biggest yet in terms of weapons on show.


Live


Beijing woke to a hazy but “fine” morning on Tuesday, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, according to official air quality reports.
As usual, the US embassy in the Chinese capital put air pollution levels higher at unhealthy for vulnerable groups.
Roads are blocked throughout the city, some street lamps are decked in celebratory banners and vehicles are stationed at some intersections on the main thoroughfare, Changan Avenue.
Amid tight security, troops taking part in today’s massive military parade rehearsed their movements for the last time in Tiananmen Square.


Photos: Simon Song


Final preparations

Members of the media covering the parade were shuttled into Tiananmen Square at around 5.30am on buses and through two security checks.
Each person was given a food pack with water, bread, sausages, Sichuan pickles and tissues. The packages had to remain closed until the media arrived at their destination.

 


Media security

Tightened security

A group of more than 240 people from Hong Kong led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor begins arriving at Tiananmen Square for the celebrations.
 


Hong Kong delegation arrives

Guangzhou in southern China is festooned in Chinese flags and many people were up before dawn to watch the flag-raising ceremony in Haizhu Square.
Local tea houses are full with breakfast crowds and there are no signs of a dramatic increase in security.
In Shenzhen, neighbouring Hong Kong, parks are closed and police are patrolling the streets in preparation for fireworks from 8pm.

But several groups of dancers organised by community offices were up early in Lianhuashan Park.

Photos: Phoebe Zhang


Morning in southern China

People in Shenzhen dancing at Lianhuashan, where Xi visits every time he comes to Shenzhen to pay tribute to the Deng Xiaoping statue #PRC70YearsOn pic.twitter.com/4pY1ODCtlq
— Natalie Koh (@NatalieOnLoop) October 1, 2019


Dancing in Shenzhen

The main headlines from People's Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece:
President Xi Jinping meets the Chinese women's volleyball team
President Xi jinping holds banquet for guests attending the 70th anniversary
Leaders pay tribute to the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square
Leaders visit Chairman Mao's tomb
 


Making headlines

In Beijing, convenience stores are closed, with nowhere to buy breakfast.
Red banners with 70th anniversary slogans, such as “People are the solid foundation of the republic”, “Keep deepening the reform, keep widening the opening” hang on some street lamps. 
Aside from that, life remains as usual. People are jogging, doing tai chi, walking dogs.
Beijing is nearly ready to start its 70th Anniversary National Day parade, with everything tightly choreographed except the smog, as the AQI reading edges to an unhealthy 154, according to the US Embassy's Beijing reading @SCMPNews
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019
Air quality is “fine” according to the government with AQI in the downtown area slightly over 80 and PM 2.5 around 60.
The US embassy had a reading of AQI 147, unhealthy for sensitive groups, at 7am. It later went up to AQI 154 at 8am.

Closed 7-Eleven store on Guanghua Road in Beijing. Photo: Stephen Chen


Life in town

Some of the thousands of guests attending today's celebrations have begun arriving in Tiananmen Square.



Photos: Simon Song


Guests take their places 

The Hong Kong government held a reception at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, with acting chief executive Matthew Cheung Kin-chung saying China has made great strides in the past 70 years.
“Our country had overcome a lot of challenges and the glorious achievements are for all to see,” he said.
Acknowledging the weeks of protests that have rocked the city, Cheung says the government will hold dialogues with the public to find a solution.
"To solve this present dilemma, the government has shown the highest sincerity, including setting up a dialogue office to talk to the public," he said.
This morning, three MTR stations - Prince Edward, Admiralty and Wan Chai - were closed in anticipation of disruptions. The MTR later announced that eight more stations will also close from 11am.
There were no major protests when the official celebrations started. Only a small crowd gathered outside the HKCEC where the celebrations were held.


Low-key festivities in Hong Kong

Religious leaders assemble on the rostrum overlooking Tiananmen Square. Gyaincain Norbu, the Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama and the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, is seventh from left.

Photo: Simon Song


On the rostrum

President Xi Jinping, dressed in a Mao suit, ascends the rostrum of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, flanked by his two predecessors - former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao - and his colleagues on the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s supreme ruling body.
Vice-President Wang Qishan, a close ally of Xi’s who frequently appears alongside the seven PBSC members, is also standing among the top leaders.
This is one of the few public appearances by Hu since he retired from his official positions.
Former premier Wen Jiabao is also present but predecessor Zhu Rongji is absent.

President Xi Jinping (left) and former president Jiang Zemin. 


Hu and Jiang join Xi

The celebrations start with a 70-gun salute from 56 cannons, representing the 56 ethnic groups of China.

Photo: Xinhua
Xi Jinping begins his address saying that all "sons and daughters" of China are in a celebratory mood, filled with pride for their country.
Glancing periodically from prepared notes, Xi invokes the "century of humiliation" that China faced and praises the achievements of the Chinese people, adding there is no force that can stop the country from forging ahead.
Xi addresses crowds from the Gate of Heavenly Peace, calling for a united Party and country to fulfill the "China dream" while the PLA will safeguard sovereignty, security, and development interests of the country as China expands its military footprint. Photo: SCMP/Simon Song pic.twitter.com/SFL9etksEn
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019


Celebrations under way

On Hong Kong, Xi says the central government will uphold "one country, two systems". He says the central government will protect the long-term stability of Hong Kong and Macau. The central government will also promote the cross-strait relationship.
Xi repeats a line that was in Hu Jintao's speech at the 60th anniversary 10 years ago, stressing the need to realise "peaceful reunification".


One country, two systems

Xi said "no force can shake the status of our great country, no force can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation from marching forward”.
"The People's Liberation Army will serve its purpose in safeguarding the sovereignty, security, and development interests of the country, and world peace," he said at a time when Beijing has expanded its military footprint globally, including with its first overseas military base in Djibouti.
Xi called on the Communist Party and the country to unite and continue to fight for the realisation of the “China dream” - the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
"Long live the great People's Republic of China, long live the great Communist Party of China, long live the great Chinese people," he said.
Xi's speech lasted eight minutes.


'No force can shake China'

The military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China is under way.
Today’s event is the 15th National Day parade to be held over the past seven decades and the biggest in terms of the amount of weapons systems on show. Even more significant is the fact that almost all of them have been developed in China.
President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the Central Military Commission, will inspect 15,000 troops from 59 units - 47 on the ground and a dozen airborne squadrons.
For President Xi, this is his fifth time to review a massive parade since he took the helm of the People’s Liberation Army in late 2012.
In April this year, Xi inspected a naval parade in Qingdao, Shandong province, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese navy.
In today’s parade, each ground unit is led by two generals.
Unlike previous national military parades, soldiers chanted "Greetings, chairman!", instead of "Greetings, commander!" as President Xi Jinping inspected troops, SCMP reporter @Junmai1103 observes. Photo: CCTV #PRC70YearsOn @SCMPNews pic.twitter.com/WnQVnTcVMR
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019


Inspecting the troops

The man in charge of activities on the ground is parade commander-in-chief General Yi Xiaoguang.
The air force general is the first non-ground force officer to be awarded the honour of leading a National Day parade. He was given the job because the event had largely been organised by the Beijing-based military command, an insider told the South China Morning Post.

Several other leaders of the Beijing Military Command have presided over National Day parades.
In 2009, when Hu Jintao was president, the honour fell to former general Fang Fenghui. Although he was later promoted to chief of joint staff of the PLA, Feng became embroiled in a corruption scandal and in February of this year was sentenced to life imprisonment.


In command on the ground

Xi inspects the PLA ground forces, some equipped with Type-19 assault rifles. The Type-19 stands for the year 2019 and may be the army’s main weapon in the next 20 years. 

Photo: CCTV


Type-19 rifle

The DF-17 is making its first appearance in public. This new weapon is believed to use a hypersonic glide vehicle to carry the warhead, making it more efficient at evading missile defence systems. It is the first missile in service to use such technology.

Photo: CCTV


DF-17 debut

China has unveiled a new hypersonic missile, the DF-100. A military insider says the weapon is now in active service. It has a range of about 2000-3000km and is mainly designed for big targets at sea.


New hypersonic missile

Of the 47 ground squads in the parade, 15 are from the People’s Liberation Army’s five theatre commands and other branches of the armed forces. They include honour guards, servicewomen, civilian personnel, reserve forces, militia and peacekeepers.
The remaining 32 are armament squads from land combat, maritime combat, and air and missile defence units that will present a combined 580 active weapon systems.


Photos: CCTV


In formation

About 170 military aircraft in a dozen squadrons will take part in this year’s fly-past. They include some of China’s most advanced warplanes, including helicopters, fighters, bombers and training jets.
The first squadron to fly over Tiananmen Square is a helicopter grouping led by a Z-8 multi-role model and a Z-10 attack aircraft, carrying a national flag, the party flag and the military flag.
They are followed by a further eight Z-10s and 12 Type Z-19 reconnaissance helicopters, which together have formed the figure “70” to mark the day.
The 20 Z-19s are the biggest group assembled. They followed by a group of Z-18s.
 



Chopper squads

Four electricians working behind the scenes at the 70th anniversary celebrations in Beijing watch the parade on their phones inside their van, complaining of the poor Wi-Fi service and sluggish rendering. #PRC70YearsOn @SCMPNews Credit: Qin Chen pic.twitter.com/2IJ9W00G13
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019


Behind the scenes

General Cheng Xiaojian, China’s first woman pilot commander, and General Tang Bing, chief officer of a new combat force, lead a group of servicewomen in various roles in the military, from missile operators to warship commanders and anti-terrorist soldiers.
The average age of the troops in the servicewomen squad is 24.
During rehearsals for the parade, the soldiers practised standing still for more than two hours at a time, marching with paces of exactly 75cm and not blinking for 40 seconds.
 



Photos: CCTV


Women in the military

This is the first time a peacekeeper force has featured in a National Day parade.
China contributes the biggest number of troops to the United Nations' peacekeeping missions.
Beijing has touted its UN peacekeepers forces as evidence that it is a responsible global stakeholder seeking international peace and stability
The squad is being led by two senior commanders, one of whom is Major General Xu Youze.
The 55-year-old told state media that since taking part in the rehearsals for the event he has lost 7kg in weight.

 


Keeping the peace

About 40 per cent of the military equipment on show in the parade is being seen publicly for the first time.


First glimpses

For this parade, many of the PLA tanks and armoured vehicles are painted in desert camouflage, suggesting more operations in arid environments such as the Middle East.



Photos: CCTV


New missions?

On Chinese social media like Weibo, many Internet users complain about the air pollution affecting the view on their screens as they watch the National Day parade #PRC70yearson pic.twitter.com/rU6Yl2AtkK
— Natalie Koh (@NatalieOnLoop) October 1, 2019


Pollution mars views

Air-defence squads, including the, HQ, or Red Flag, missile defence systems, make an appearance.
The HQ-17 uses a phased-array, sector-scan radar with a range of 175km and can track up to 16 targets simultaneously.



Air defences

The Sharp Sword unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a series of attack drones.
It has a unique fly-wing shape making it harder to detect by radar.
It is also capable of carrying several missiles or laser-guided bombs.



Sharp Sword drone

Ordinary #Beijing citizens are out on the streets near Chang’an avenue - blocked off as the main thoroughfare outside Tiananmen Square-  for aircraft watching. Many are watching the National Day military parade live on their phones while waiting for planes to fly by. @SCMPNews pic.twitter.com/uTtiAuOy9K
— Kinling Lo 盧建靈 (@kinlinglo) October 1, 2019


Aircraft watching


Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam attends the celebration to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China under communist rule in Beijing. Photo: AP


Carrie Lam at the parade

The parade is the first time the public has seen various DF series missiles, including the DF-17, DF-100 and DF-41.
The DF-17 missiles have the capacity to strike the US mainland.
Defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian said ahead of the parade that the grand show of military troops and weaponry was not intended as a show of muscle.
But the choreographed pageantry comes as the strategic rivalry between China and the United States has intensified, with a trade war, technology dispute and competing interests across the Indo-Pacific.




Striking range

China’s heavyweight H-6 bombers make their fly-past, with the H-6K, H-6N and the HU-6 refuelling aircraft all on show.
The H-6 was designed as a medium-range bomber, but in the latest incarnation - the H-6K - the bomb bay was removed to allow for greater fuel storage and a longer range. Instead, the bomber carries cruise missiles, each with a range of more than 2,000km, under its wings.
That range means it could attack Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam or even Moscow without having to leave its air defence zone on the Chinese mainland. Since late 2017, the H-6K has been deployed to the Taiwan Strait to conduct “island encirclement” exercises around Taiwan.




Strategic bombers

Residents in Shilipu, Beijing leave shops and flock to the streets for a sight of the military parade helicopters passing overheard. Credit/Keegan Elmer @SCMPNews #PRC70YearsOn pic.twitter.com/kyBRP0VsGT
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019


Taking a pause

The military parade - the biggest since the founding of the People's Republic - has just ended after about 80 minutes. It will be followed by a 100,000-strong civilian parade, featuring 70 floats.
Civilian parades in China are often weighted with political messages, and today’s parade is no exception.
The procession will be divided into three parts representing three eras in the history of the People's Republic: the nation’s founding under late chairman Mao Zedong, the reform and opening up under late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, and the “great rejuvenation” under Xi Jinping.
This narrative of modern Chinese history was rolled out by the Communist Party in the lead-up to Xi’s second term in power, placing him on a par with Mao and Deng in terms of party status.


Military parade ends

The J-20A also featured in the military fly-past. This is the PLA Air Force’s first stealth fighter jet to rival the United States’ F-22.
The five J-20As on display today are still equipped with Russian engines.
Military insiders say China’s aircraft engineers have been developing a shorter version of the J-20 for use on aircraft carriers, replacing the J-15.



Stealth appearance

Traffic is stopped on a Beijing highway as cars pull over to watch the aerial portion of China's largest ever military parade. Credit: SCMP/Laura Zhou @SCMPNews #PRC70YearsOn pic.twitter.com/vrgi2hKDjI
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019

The rainbow tails represent the seven decades of the People's Republic of China. Credit: CCTV pic.twitter.com/FYhU7wjVLb
— Simone McCarthy (@simonelmc) October 1, 2019

Rainbow planes flew overhead #Beijing pic.twitter.com/Z81XAPKJ4m
— Kinling Lo 盧建靈 (@kinlinglo) October 1, 2019


Plane formations

Independent political scientist Chen Daoyin says Xi's speech this morning was concise and comprehensive. The tone was less confrontational, especially compared to his speech in early September where he emphasised the need for “struggle”.
Chen says this is mainly because the parade is considered an event for celebration and Xi is trying to send a message of unity. But it doesn’t necessarily mean policies will be softened.
Deng Yuwen, an independent political scientist and former deputy editor of the Study Times, says that unlike speeches by his predecessors at previous military parades, Xi only paid tribute to Mao Zedong as a founding father of the People's Republic. He did not mention Deng Xiaoping, father of China’s economic reforms, among others.
“Xi only mentioned Mao’s founding of the People's Republic, and skipped the history between, before mentioning the present time,” Deng Yuwen said.
“That serves the theme of ‘remain true to our original aspiration’, and also puts Xi on a par with Mao."


'Less confrontational'

Today's parade pays tribute to the late revolutionaries of the Communist Party.
It includes one contingent with a giant portrait of Mao Zedong followed by another with a portrait of Deng Xiaoping.


 

 
 


Portraits of the past

Local police trying to disperse the crowd after the aircraft parade is over: “Come on, go home, go back and watch television. Time for lunch, I need to eat lunch even if you don’t.” pic.twitter.com/S4Txo0GC9m
— Kinling Lo 盧建靈 (@kinlinglo) October 1, 2019


Aircraft show's over

The “one country, two systems" contingent is also appearing for the first time in a National Day parade.
Marchers carried placards forming the words: “Hong Kong's tomorrow will be better”.


Sergeant Lau Chak-kei, the Hong Kong police officer who pointed a shotgun at anti-government protesters in the city, appeared in close-up in the state broadcast of the parade.



'Hong Kong's tomorrow will be better'

A huge portrait of Xi showed up in the "great rejuvenation" segment of the parade.
Xi waves at his own portrait and a sign that says "Carry out Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era".



Xi waves at his portrait

Taiwan has sternly rejected Xi Jinping’s call for cross-strait unification under the “one country, two systems” model, saying the self-ruled island finds his proposal unacceptable.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in response to Xi’s National Day address, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council urged Beijing to realise that the self-ruled island had never been a part of the People’s Republic of China and that Taipei would never approve of the one country, two systems model proposed by Beijing.
“For the past 108 years, the Republic of China has remained a sovereign state that has practised democracy and developed economic prosperity," the council said, using the island's formal name.
"The Chinese communist authorities must accept the international reality that Taiwan has not been a part of the People’s Republic of China since its formation.
“[Beijing’s] proposal of the one country, two systems model as an option to manage cross-strait relations is not applicable in Taiwan and will never be accepted by Taiwan.”


Unacceptable proposal

Drenched weather did little to dampen locals’ enthusiasm as some of them took to the streets to get a taste of festive mood.
However, about 10 senior residents lodged complaints towards Huangpu district government’s inertia as the outdoor big screens on Nanjing Road E pedestrian street did not show the live broadcast of the military parade in Beijing.
A man jokingly described the decision to not screen the parade as an effort to “save electricity.”

Photo: Daniel Ren


Over in Shanghai 

The state broadcast of the parade show Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a US public intellectual and investment banker, watching on.
Kuhn is the author of a biography of former president Jiang Zemin.



Watching on

A series of colourful parade floats feature each of China's provinces and regions, beginning with the capital Beijing.
Northern province Hebei prominently featured Xiongan New Area, which was established by Xi to help integrate Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
The float for Liaoning, in China's northeast, was particularly eye-catching with a winged metallic robot at its helm.
Sichuan, in the country's southwestern region, naturally featured giant pandas.
Xinjiang, which has been criticised for its mass internment camps of its ethnic Uighurs, stressed unity among its ethnic minority groups.





Photos: CCTV


Panda and robot parade floats

Hong Kong and Macau were also featured with their own floats, displaying a boat with rainbow streaks and blue waves and red lanterns respectively.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, was in the audience and smiled as the boats floated by.



Photos: CCTV


Hong Kong and Macau floats

People are gathering at wukesong in Beijing to have a glimpse of the vehicles as they exit the parade. Credit: @zhuangph pic.twitter.com/XZJtMmFasi
— Natalie Koh (@NatalieOnLoop) October 1, 2019


More people gather

Leaders from Vietnam, including President Nguyễn Phú Trọng, have congratulated China on its 70th anniversary, adding that they hope the two countries will resolve their tensions.
Vietnam said it hoped the two countries would "control and satisfactorily settle existing issues on the basis of respect for each other’s legitimate interests and in line with international law".
Vietnam and China have conflicting claims over the South China Sea and tensions there have risen recently, with China erecting an oil rig in the area.
At the United Nations General Assembly over the weekend, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh warned of escalation in the South China Sea, a veiled reference to tensions with China.


Congratulations from Vietnam

Congratulating China on its anniversary, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country would "stand by" its neighbour.
"Our party, government and people fully support the Chinese [Communist] Party, government and people in their struggle to defend the stability and the core interests of the country and achieve sustained development," Kim was quoted by state-run Korean Central News Agency as saying.
"We will always stand by them on the path of defending and glorifying socialism."
This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two neighbours.


North Korea will 'stand by' its neighbour

The last parade float features a flower basket emblazoned with the words "Long live the motherland".
On the float are the members of the World Cup-winning Chinese women's volleyball team.
Hundreds of pigeons and balloons are released, bringing the parade to an end.
Read our key takeaways from the parade here.

Photo: CCTV


China’s National Day parade, as it happened

National Day parade through the heart of the capital expected to be the biggest yet in terms of weapons on show Mass display comes as the country grapples with myriad challenges, including slowing economic growth and a trade war

National Day parade through the heart of the capital expected to be the biggest yet in terms of weapons on show

Mass display comes as the country grapples with myriad challenges, including slowing economic growth and a trade war