China parades military might in Beijing as country marks 70 years of Communist rule

No force can ever shake the status of China, President Xi Jinping says

A Chinese tank during the celebration to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing. AP Photo

Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square. Reuters

Military vehicles roll down Tiananmen Square. AP Photo

China's military has shown off a new hypersonic ballistic nuclear missile believed capable of breaching all existing anti-missile shields used by the US and its allies. AP Photo

Military vehicles carrying the DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missile roll past Tiananmen Square. EPA

A float with a giant portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping passes by Tiananmen Square. AFP

Chinese troops on tanks roll past Tiananmen Square. EPA

Chinese soldiers march in formation in Tiananmen Square. Getty

A huge screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering a speech at the start of a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. AP Photo

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves as he rides in an open-top limousine. EPA

Visitors with Chinese flags sing at the military parade next to Tiananmen Square. EPA

Helicopters fly the flags of China and Hong Kong over Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. Getty

A child waves a national flag in Beijing. AP

People wave Chinese flags before the military parade. Reuters

China's President Xi Jinping watches the parade with Communist Party leaders.

In Hong Kong, Matthew Cheung, Hong Kong's chief secretary, center, speaks during a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Bloomberg

Soldiers of People's Liberation Army march in formation. Reuters

A Chinese national flag is raised. AFP

Soldiers of People's Liberation Army are seen in front of a sign marking the 70th founding anniversary. Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping, second from left, with former presidents Jiang Zemin, center right, and Hu Jintao, left. AP

Chinese troops march. AFP

Chinese troops march. AFP

A pro-government supporter holds Chinese flags while crossing Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Bloomberg

Chinese solders march during the parade. AP

China celebrated seven decades of Communist Party rule on Tuesday with a massive display of military and economic power in central Beijing.

An honour guard carried the Chinese flag through Tiananmen Square, the country's symbolic political heart,  in front of thousands of flag-waving spectators . Artillery was used to fire a salute.

About 15,000 soldiers with tanks and high-tech weapons filed through the square for an event celebrating China's journey from a country broken by war and poverty to being the world's second-largest economy.

President Xi Jinping, dressed in a slate-grey Mao suit, promised peaceful development but said the armed forces would defend China's sovereignty. He took part in the proceedings with other Chinese leaders, including former presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin.

The parade is the country's most important event of the year as China tries to project an image of confidence in the face of mounting challenges, including nearly four months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong and an economy-sapping trade war with the United States.

'No force can ever shake the status of China'

Mr Xi said the country's military should resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly uphold world peace.

"No force can ever shake the status of China, or stop the Chinese people and nation from marching forward," Mr Xi said from the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China on this day in 1949.

China must maintain lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, promote the peaceful development of relations with self-ruled Taiwan and "continue to strive for the motherland's complete reunification", he added.

Mr Xi, whose military modernisation programme has rattled nerves around the region, then descended to the street and inspected row upon row of hardware and immaculately presented troops.

Riding past in a black limousine, Mr Xi bellowed; "Hello comrades, hard-working comrades!"

The massed ranks of soldiers shouted back: "Follow the Party! Fight to win! Forge exemplary conduct!"

Beijing lockdown

Mr Xi remains broadly popular in China for his aggressive campaign against corruption and for propelling what is now the world's second-biggest economy to the forefront of global politics.

But the Communist Party remains nervous about its grip on power and international standing.

The capital was locked down for the parade. Police told residents whose houses look on to the parade route not to look out their windows.

There will be a civilian parade too, of students, ethnic minorities and even a few foreigners, walking or travelling in floats celebrating China's achievements, officials said last week.

Once the show is over, 70,000 doves will be released to symbolise peace, according to state media.

In the evening, fireworks will light up Beijing.

Hong Kong protests

Mr Xi faces mounting challenges, notably in Hong Kong, where more large-scale protests were expected on Tuesday. Police said there was the threat of a "very serious, violent attack".

Hong Kong went into lockdown on Tuesday with barricades in the city centre, closed stores and a heavy riot-police presence. Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is in Beijing for the anniversary celebrations.

Another challenge is Chinese-claimed Taiwan, a free-wheeling democracy with little interest in being run by Beijing and which will hold a presidential election in January.

There are also restive minorities in Tibet and heavily Muslim Xinjiang, where China has faced international criticism for detaining up to one million ethnic Uighurs in what Beijing says is a de-radicalisation scheme.