At 60th anniversary parade, China heralds 'new era' with old-school show
If there was one message the Chinese authorities wanted to send with Thursday鈥檚 military march-past and pageant in Tiananmen Square, it was one of change.
Certainly the modern weaponry, the floats celebrating China鈥檚 achievements, and President Hu Jintao鈥檚 speech about a 鈥渘ew era of progress and development鈥� projected that image.
But the grandiose event also reflected what has not changed in China.
This was a thoroughly traditional affair. Phalanxes of goose-stepping soldiers stamped past the reviewing stand on Tiananmen gate in perfect unison. Tanks and missiles and amphibious fighting vehicles lumbered by in their wake, displaying China鈥檚 newest military hardware.
In the civilian parade, as an array of young couples danced by, the TV commentator dug deep into the saccharine lexicon of an earlier era to praise 鈥渢he young people full of passion and energy 鈥� pursuing their ideals as the country advances.鈥�
From floats symbolizing industrial might, specially selected 鈥渕odel workers鈥� waved. In the square itself, thousands of students held colored squares above their heads to spell out constantly changing slogans that would have been familiar to audiences 50 years ago: 鈥淟isten to the Party鈥檚 Orders,鈥� 鈥淪ocialism is Good,鈥� 鈥淟ove the People.鈥�
A military band, meanwhile, bashed out old musical favorites such as 鈥淭here is No New China Without the Chinese Communist Party.鈥�
The tired old slogans were a far cry from the bold and still rather heretical exhortations that appeared in the 1984 parade, as free-market reforms began to take hold. 鈥淭ime is Money,鈥� declared one float that year. 鈥淓fficiency is life.鈥�
Thursday鈥檚 show all seemed a bit retro to foreign eyes. And, oddly, one of the Communist Party鈥檚 alleged achievements was shielded from foreign ears.
When the 鈥淒emocracy鈥� float came by 鈥� a model of the Great Hall of the People, where China鈥檚 parliament meets 鈥� the English-language commentary on China Central TV鈥檚 English channel went dead. Instead, viewers heard the Chinese commentator intone platitudes in Mandarin about how 鈥渙ur socialist democracy is thriving,鈥� and how 鈥渢he rule of law is being effectively carried out.鈥�
Could it be that even the normally self-congratulatory television bosses thought that would be too much for an international audience to swallow?
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What was life like under 60 years of Chinese Communist Party rule? Read here about four generations of women who have survived 鈥� and even prospered 鈥� in the People鈥檚 Republic.
