China celebrates 70 years of communist rule

China celebrates the 70th anniversary of Communist rule and the Founding of the People’s Republic of China this week. Today President Xi Jinping attended a ceremony on Tiananmen Square to remember the “heroes” of the the civil war which saw millions die and the Communists sieze power. The main celebrations are to take place on Tuesday, with a huge military parade on Tiananmen Square. But Beijing fears the anniversary could be overshadowed by the pro-democracy protests and unrest in Hong Kong. President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious goal for China ahead of the celebrations: to achieve “national rejuvenation” as a strong and prosperous nation by 2049, which would be the 100th anniversary of Communist Party rule.