The world watches as China marks 70 years of communist rule with military parade
China will celebrate 70 years of Communist rule in Beijing today with a massive military showcase in Tiananmen Square, capped off by an address by President Xi Jinping.
The speech will aim to support the Chinese Communist Party – CCP – in the wake of continuing protests in Hong Kong. CCP leadership is likely to portray internal problems of housing and unemployment as the reason behind the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. By posing the communist ideology as superior to that of Hong Kong’ democratic aspirations, Xi Jinping can be expected to build a case for further mainland intervention in Hong Kong.
On September 11, the country’s police chief was appointed deputy head at the CCP’s Hong Kong-Macau liaison committee. This committee is the highest decision-making body on Hong Kong affairs, and the direct involvement of public security there is unprecedented.
The recruitment of senior officials in Hong Kong governance signals that Chinese leadership expects protests to pose a threat to Xi Jinping’s ideological authority over the masses in the future. Xi could release military and paramilitary troops stationed in Hong Kong to control the protesters during celebrations should demonstrations turn violent.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.