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China to Mark 70 Years of Communism with Massive Show of Force in Beijing

Reuters

   BEIJING - China will celebrate seven decades of communist rule on
   Tuesday with a display of power through central Beijing, showing off
   goose-stepping troops, new missiles and floats celebrating the
   country's technological prowess.

   The event is the country's most important of the year as China looks to
   project an image of confidence in the face of mounting challenges,
   including three months of anti-government protests in the territory of
   Hong Kong and a bitter trade war with the United States.

   President Xi Jinping will oversee a massed military parade, with 15,000
   troops marching through part of Tiananmen Square, as jet fighters
   scream overhead.

   Xi, whose military modernization program has rattled nerves around the
   region, will likely descend from a podium on the Gate of Heavenly Peace
   to inspect the ranks, though exact details have been kept under wraps
   ahead of time.

   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.

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