President Xi Oversees Parade

China commemorated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 2019. President Xi Jinping of China, flanked by Premier Li Keqiang and former Chinese Presidents, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, oversaw a civilian and military march pass at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, attended by guests from Africa and the rest of the world.  Dressed in grey Mao suit, described by a reporter as a display of Communist Party unity, President Xi gave an address from the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the same spot where Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The parades started with marching troops, a military band and artillery gun salute, and went solemn as President Xi descended to the street of the square and on to his fast-moving open-topped black limousine car, from where he shouted “Hello comrades” as he passed
by each group of 15,000 troops, along with parked armoured vehicles, rows of missiles, and other arrayed weapons. Attended by 100,000 participants, the event witnessed a colourful parade showcasing China’s economic growth and technological innovations, highlight...