Beijing (AsiaNews) – A sixty-gun salute greeted the start of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China on a Tiananmen square full of soldiers and guests, but empty of people. Hu Jintao reiterated that socialism is the way "to save China."
In a massive display of military force and colours, from the terrace of the Forbidden City, the leader of the Party watched the parade that lasted for hours, showing the armed forces of land, sea and sky, tanks and missiles with nuclear capabilities.
President Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Party and head of the Military Commission, dressed in a dark gray suit traditional of Mao, inspected the platoons and military tanks positioned along the Avenue of Eternal Peace (Changan Dajie), from a limousine. "Comrades, hello!" he was answered with the call: "Our leader, hello." Returning to the podium overlooking the square, Hu addressed his speech to the crowd. "The development and progress of the new China in these 60 years - he said – proves in full that only socialism can save China and only reform and opening can ensure the development of China, socialism and Marxism." And he concluded, shouting: "Long live the great People's Republic of China! Long live the great Chinese Communist Party! Long live the great Chinese people. "
Hu pledged that China will continue to grow by seeking peace, but at the same time he praised the growth of "military force of the army." And he stressed that Beijing will tend to a "complete reunification of the fatherland" (see Taiwan) in a peaceful manner.
Immediately after the military parade began with the various bodies of the army, navy and air force, followed by tanks, missile tanks with ramps, aerial performance, followed by floats depicting the generations of leaders and the various conquests of China from science to space.
About 30 thousand people were invited to attend the show. The entire population was instead "invited" to stay home and watch the event on television. Nearly 2 million people were employed for security; the international airport was closed during the parade and all the way to the third city zone (4-5 km from the centre) were closed or under control.
A great fireworks display is scheduled for later this evening.
