China on Tuesday brought out its big guns and even bigger nuclear missiles to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the country under Communist rule in a massive military parade where President Xi Jinping said no “force can shake the status of this great nation”.
Xi, who is also the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) general secretary, was flanked by past party heads Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin as he delivered the speech from a rostrum over the Tiananmen Square.
He oversaw the military parade comprising 15,000 personnel drawn from across the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and a display of weapons, including the unveiling of the DF-41 intercontinental nuclear missile with a range of 12,000 km to 14,000 km, and hypersonic drones.
Besides the DF-41, China also unveiled a stealth attack drone, the latest bomber, H-6N with refueling capacity and the DF-17 ballistic missile, which is said to of hypersonic speed with high defence penetration capability.
“There is no force that can shake the foundation of this great nation,” Xi said, adding: “No force that can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation forging ahead”.
Xi, who delivered the speech from the same place where iconic leader Mao Zedong did in 1949, is considered the most powerful Chinese leader since iconic Mao.
Xi said China “must adhere” to the one country, two systems policy governing Hong Kong and “maintain the long-term prosperity and stability” of the city.
The Chinese leader called for the “peaceful development” of relations with Taiwan— the self-governed island that Beijing considers a breakaway province—but said China should “continue to fight for the full reunification of the country.”
“Long live the great Communist Party of China. And long live the great Chinese People!” Xi concluded his speech, which lasted for less than10 minutes.
In a separate speech delivered at the Great Hall of the People on Monday night, Xi said: “Unity is iron and steel; unity is a source of strength. It is what has enabled the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to move forward against all risks and challenges, from one victory to another”.
“The complete reunification of the motherland is an inevitable trend; it is what the greater national interests entail and what all Chinese people aspire for. No one and no force can ever stop it,” he added.
After delivering his speech at the parade on Tuesday, Xi boarded a black open-roof Red Flag limousine to review the PLA formations.
Amid music played by a military band, the Red Flag limo drove eastward along Chang’an Avenue, which was lined with 15 foot formations and 32 armament formations made up of about 15,000 service men and women as well as 580 pieces of armament.
Xi repeated salutes through microphone: “Salute to you, comrades!” and “Comrades, thanks for your hard work!” The soldiers replied: “Hail to you, Chairman!” and “Serve the people!”
“Follow the Party! Fight to win! Forge exemplary conduct!” the servicemen and women saluted Xi and exclaimed when the limo drove back to the Tiananmen rostrum.
The military parade was followed by the “…first section of a mass pageantry celebrating the 70th founding anniversary…(which) saluted the founding and construction of the PRC with five formations marching through Tiananmen Square on Tuesday morning.
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