Soldiers of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a rehearsal before a military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People’s Republic of China, on its National Day in Beijing, China October 1, 2019. President Xi Jinping will give a speech – broadcast live around the country – and then review a massed military parade, with 15,000 troops marching through part of Tiananmen Square, as jet fighters scream overhead. Xi faces mounting challenges, notably in Hong Kong, where more large-scale protests are expected on Tuesday. Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is in Beijing for the anniversary celebrations. There are also restive minorities in Tibet and heavily Muslim Xinjiang, where China has faced international opprobrium for detaining up to one million ethnic Uighurs in what China calls a de-radicalization scheme.

Source: Manila Bulletin October 01, 2019 00:33 UTC