【Business Week】 China's Sixtieth Birthday and Military Parade

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China's Sixtieth Birthday and Military Parade
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2009/09/chinas_sixtieth.html

Posted by: Dexter Roberts on September 30

It’sthe eve of the big day: the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary ofChina’s founding on October 1st, 1949, and Beijing has the odd feelingof being under some kind of ill-defined siege. In recent days,helicopters and fighter jets have occasionally buzzed overhead (unheardof in Beijing) while many more police than usual stand watchful atintersections in the heart of the city and others stroll through thecity’s parks including Ritan, home to the historic temple of the sun.Traffic is already unusually light and rumors are rampant about justhow much the city’s usually grid-locked streets will be declared offlimits to all vehicles and perhaps even foot traffic. With China’sleadership planning to paradeitslatest military hardware including tanks, artillery, and missiles, downBeijing’s major east-west artery of Chang An Avenue, and with jets andhelicopters above, it’s clear however, that there will be majordisruptions.

Expats in the Jianwai branch of Starbucks—it will be shut tomorrowthe staff tell me as it lies just a stone’s throw from Chang An—aretalking about how they have stocked up on food and beer (will mostshops and restaurants close their doors, many are wondering?) and areplanning mini parties at home where friends will gather to watch theparade on television. Other friends are planning to watch the show fromHooter’s, the American restaurant chain of questionable taste, enjoyingthe irony of choosing that venue to observe what is sure to be amassive display of Chinese national and Party pride. And last night Iheard the American owner of a popular Japanese restaurant say he hasrented a hotel room for the next couple of nights—even though hisapartment isn’t on Chang An or anywhere near Tiananmen Square where theparade’s action will focus, he’s decided it is close enough topotentially put a serious crimp on his activities over the next coupledays.

Meanwhile, the office I work from has been declared off limitsstarting from today (I am writing this from the hip bar/coffee shop ofa nearby five star hotel)—it sits too close to Chang An Avenue. Anotherfriend tells me they were ordered to take a broken printer out of theiroffice—police will be visiting today to inspect all the officeequipment and who’s to say a broken printer might not be a bomb indisguise? And for those of us who live in the Jianwai and QijiayuanDiplomatic Compounds, both abutting the length of Chang An called JianGuo Men Wai—we have been living under a raft of new rules andrestrictions for the second half of September. Indeed, all of usresident there had to apply for special individual passes as well ascar permits as security precautions in the run-up to tomorrow’scelebration.
Here in part are the rules, as posted in a notice entitled “A Letter to Residents”:

1. During the period between 4 p.m. September 30th and 12 p.m.October 1st, please do not invite your friends or other persons intothe Diplomatic Residence Compound.

2. During the period between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. October 1st, please donot open any window or balcony door facing Jian Guo Men Wai Street (theChang An Avenue); please also do not stand on the balcony to watch theceremony.

3. As of 7 a.m. September 20th, the Diplomatic Residence Compoundshall, in accordance with relevant regulations of the Beijing MunicipalGovernment, prohibit any person or vehicle which does not have a newtemporary pass from entering the Compound.
Of course, these rules are but minor annoyances for those ofus—mainly foreign—who live in the diplomatic compounds near Chang An.But regrettably there are much more serious restrictionsbeingimplemented. Some Japanese journalists were recently attacked in theirhotel room by several men, presumably for their attempts to cover anearlier rehearsal of the parade. And renewed efforts to censor theInternet in recent days affect all Chinese, of course. Over the pastfew months too, Beijing has targeted and shut down sites maintained forChina’s minority groups including Mongolians and Uighurs. That’shappening despite the fact officials have decided to honor China’sethnic diversity by featuring 56 regiments in tomorrow’s parade—56because that’s the official number of ethnic groups in China.

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Reader Comments
Paul
September 30, 2009 10:57 AM

Dexter, your report above sounds very negative, a very usual westerner's report anything China or Chinese. Why are all of you so critical of China and the Chinese people? Everything you say and no matter which or what report, and no matter whatever positivism you guys put in will include or end up with negativism and prediction of doom and gloom or sarcasm. It seems that westerners are very jealous and do not want to see a peaceful and unified (and powerful) China. With such bad intent in mind, that is why all reports on China by westerners are very negative and condemns China all the time. It is evil. For the same or worst things that western countries and western governments do, they may be seen as normal or nothing much is said about. Remember that all the bad things that westerners do not so long ago including forcing the Chinese to take opium or the Germans causing the holocaust. Those are unforgivable crimes, just to name two of the thousands of crimes and mass murders whites have done. Westerners must learn to be more peaceful, more acceptable and respectful of Asian values. In fact we Asians never view China as any threat at all. For hundreds of years even during the glory days of China, the Chinese have never conquered or colonised any land in Asian territory. The Chinese themselves have gone thru great hardship, apart form being bullied by the western powers in the 1800s and then the japanese who killed some more than 20 million Chinese during WWII. Thats worst than the holocaust. China did not go on crying about it unlike the holocaust which of course was also a very sad event. So stop condemning. Perhaps touch your inner soul and perhaps reconcile with the history books. The China of today has been built with great hardship and pain to reach where they are today. I do hope that then you may be more understanding and loving towards China and appreciate the peace and co-operation that China preaches. And share it with your fellow western colleagues and friends. I hope you enjoy the PRC's 60th anniversary tomorrow.
Paul
September 30, 2009 11:28 AM

Well it seems my first comments were not approved because I cannot bring back a little memory of history or criticize western journalists and negative reports! So much about democracy and freedom of the western press?
Roger
September 30, 2009 02:42 PM

@Paul:

Take it easy, son. Dexter here has a completely honest report of the ground reality. china is very scared of "social unrest" and it takes to journalistic genius to expose how china will go to great lengths to contain any unrest. Security checks are important for a parade for which some high ranking chinese officials will be present. So, this cordoning off of vicinity next to Chang An avenue is understandable. But, attacking Japanese journalists as a "rehearsal" just shows china's fear of Japanese dominance. Maybe, it reminds you of your terrible past? And is that what prompts china to flex its muscles and show might in a military parade?