Thursday, October 1, 2009

China marks 60th anniversary of communist rule with show of military might

China celebrated the 60th anniversary of communist rule with a display of it's military strength. Eight thousand marching soldiers, tanks, and Dongfeng 31 missiles were displayed in the parade. Washington Times

BEIJING (Reuters) - China celebrated its ascendance with a show of goose-stepping troops, gaudy floats and nuclear-capable missiles in the nation's capital on Thursday, 60 years after Mao Zedong proclaimed its embrace of communism.[...]

Troops marked the start of celebrations in the morning by firing cannons and raising the red national flag, watched by President Hu Jintao, standing in a slate grey traditional "Mao" suit on the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" over the Square.[...]

The soldiers goose-stepping past Tiananmen Square at exactly 116 steps a minute carried the message that this Party knows how to run a show -- and a huge, restive country.

MILITARY MUSCLE

The parade was also a chance for Beijing to flex its military muscle, with a flyover and show of weapons, including rows of what state TV said were Dongfeng 31 missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads over 10,000 km (5,400 miles).

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