July 1st is an important for China as it is the day Hong Kong was handed back to China from British rule. It is also the date on which the Communist Party completes a century and 100 years of celebrations of Communism have begun in Beijing. Patriotic shows at Tiananmen Square and a fiery speech by President Xi kickstarted the celebrations.
There was a huge gathering of citizens at Tiananmen Square. Children, party members and health care workers gathered to together to sing patriotic song including Socialism is Good and Without the Chinese Community Party, There Would Be No New China.
Ceremonial band matches, a gun salute and raising the national flag were other important events that took place. There was a sea of red as flags, banners and more were used to decorate the square. There were also huge hammer and sickle emblems and signs with the dates 1921 and 2021 commemorating the centennial celebrations. There was also a show of muscle power. Fighter jets and helicopters rode overhead.
President Xi Jinping made a strong yet sublime statement with his clothes, dressing in a grey buttoned suit, in a style reminiscent of late chairman Mao Zedong. He addressed the gathering and Chinese citizens in an approximately hour-long speech.
He spoke of what the West would consider as contentious issues including the “reunification of Taiwan” a description that would not go down well with either Taiwan or the U.S., who consider the country to be independent. He also spoke of social stability in Hong Kong. Here, China has managed to quell home grown rebellions with an iron fist and the major political representatives in Hong Kong are pro-China.
He also had veiled threats for the rest of the superpowers in the world, mainly the U.S. He warned foreign forces that their heads would get bashed if they attempted to bully China.
Although Wuhan was the first city to be identified with the start and spread of the coronavirus, China has grown the most economically and recovered the fastest from the detrimental effects of the pandemic. It is asserting itself in the world as well as in space with recent successes as the rest of the world is still on a path of recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19.
