BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China (all times local):
11:25 a.m.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised his country’s decades-long friendship with Beijing in a message sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Communist rule in China.
Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that Kim in the message said North Korea would “always stand by” China on the path of “defending and glorifying socialism.”
The agency said Kim said relations between Pyongyang and Beijing would develop “with added vitality day by day in line with the needs of the new era and the common desire of the peoples of the two countries.”
Kim has held five summits with Xi since last year as he cemented ally Beijing as a major player in a U.S.-led push to resolve the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.
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11:10 a.m.
China’s paramilitary police are maintaining a strong presence outside Hong Kong as the nation marks 70 years of Communist Party rule.
Dozens of armored personnel carriers and other army-green vehicles of the People’s Armed Police were parked outside Shenzhen Bay Stadium on Tuesday, similar to when the military police contingent first came to the city bordering Hong Kong in August.
Security guards were starting to erect fencing ahead of a planned fireworks show in the evening to celebrate the anniversary. Civilians strolled the public areas outside the stadium unperturbed, some watching a live broadcast on their smartphones of a military parade being held in Beijing.
The presence of the paramilitary police has fueled speculation that China could send them across the border to quell pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
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11 a.m.
China’s military has shown off a new hypersonic ballistic nuclear missile believed capable of breaching all existing anti-missile shields deployed by the U.S. and its allies.
The vehicle-mounted DF-17 was among weapons displayed Tuesday in a massive military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese state.
Some analysts have called the missile a threat to regional stability because its speed allows far less time to determine whether to fire nuclear weapons in response.
That speed and its use of multiple independently maneuverable re-entry vehicles to deliver its warheads makes it far more difficult to detect and intercept.
The DF-17′s hypersonic glide vehicle technology also permits it to fly at a much lower altitude just prior to delivering its warhead, further frustrating attempts to detect and intercept.
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10:35 a.m.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is riding in an open-top limousine past rows of troops and military equipment in a major review to mark 70 years of Communist rule in China.
He shouted “Hello comrades” as his fast-moving car passed each group of troops, along with parked armored vehicles, rows of missiles, and other arrayed weapons. The troops shouted back “Hello chairman.” Their heads turned in unison as Xi and his black car passed.
At other times he shouted “Good work comrades” or “Hard work comrades,” and they responded “Serve the People.”
A long section of a main street in Beijing has been closed for the event, with access to buildings along the route closed.
Building the country’s military strength is a major part of Xi’s effort to make China a global power.
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10:15 a.m.
A grand ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of communist rule in China has begun in militaristic fashion with marching troops, a military band and an artillery gun salute.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and former leaders Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao joined other officials Tuesday high up on the gate where Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949.
Xi Is addressing a crowd of thousands after a flag-raising ceremony. The event at Tiananmen Square is open only to invited guests but is being broadcast live nationwide.
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9:45 a.m.
Hong Kong’s acting leader has said at a reception marking 70 years of communist rule in China that his city has become “unrecognizable” because of the violent protests consuming the semiautonomous Chinese territory.
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said Tuesday that the Hong Kong government has shown the highest sincerity by kicking off a series of community dialogues last week and will use new thinking to address the deep-rooted social issues contributing to protester grievances.
Cheung was representing city leader Carrie Lam, who led a delegation to Beijing for a major military parade and festivities to mark the anniversary.
The government has mounted tight security around the city ahead of rallies planned in multiple locations. Protest posters call for October 1 to be marked as “A Day of Grief.”
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9:15 a.m.
China’s ruling Communist Party is preparing to celebrate its 70th anniversary in power with a parade showcasing the country’s economic growth and newest weapons.
Tuesday’s event marks the anniversary of the Oct. 1, 1949, announcement of the founding of the People’s Republic of China by then-leader Mao Zedong following a civil war.
The parade follows President Xi Jinping’s promise to allow Hong Kong to manage its own affairs despite anti-government protests that have embarrassed the ruling party ahead of the year’s highest-profile propaganda event.
The parade through central Beijing is due to include 15,000 troops and more than 160 aircraft.
Chinese news reports say it might include a new long-range nuclear-armed missile and a supersonic drone aircraft. Military spokespeople have declined to give details.
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8:25 a.m.
Pro-Beijing protesters have scuffled briefly with a small group of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong as the latter began to march on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China.
The 7:30 a.m. march Tuesday was the start of what is expected to be a day of protests in the semiautonomous Chinese city.
The protesters marched as the government was holding an annual ceremony to mark the anniversary of Communist Party rule.
Police lined up to try to keep the two groups apart, but some minor scuffles ensued. Two pro-Beijing protesters were arrested.
The Hong Kong protests come as China prepares to mark the anniversary in Beijing with a major military parade and festivities.
