Cannon firing, flag raising marks 60th anniversary celebration of China

October 4th, 2009 PYONGYANG - Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao arrived here Sunday on a three-day visit and was greeted at the airport by North Korean premier Kim Jong Il. Wen arrived at Sunan Airport around 10.30 a.m.

October 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan issued a commemorative postage stamp Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist China, and Beijing's envoy described Sino-Pakistani relations as "higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the Arabian sea and sweeter than honey". Federal Minister for Postal Services Nawabzada Mir Israr Ullah Khan Zehri and China's ambassador Luo Zhaohui unveiled the stamp issued by the Pakistan Post at its headquarters here.

October 1st, 2009 KATHMANDU - Under pressure from Beijing to prevent protests by Tibetan refugees on China's 60th anniversary celebrations, Nepal Thursday began rounding up Tibetans here and sending them to detention centres. As the crackdown started on refugee leaders suspected of leading anti-China protests in the past, police arrested 45 Tibetans from different parts of the capital.

September 29th, 2009 BEIJING - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit China Oct 12-14 to meet Chinese leaders and attend a Central Asian security summit, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Putin's visit was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, and with a council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told reporters.

September 24th, 2009 UN marks 60th year of helping Palestinian refugeesUNITED NATIONS — In marking its 60th anniversary Thursday, the cash-strapped U.N. aid agency for Palestinian refugees asked the world for more generous funding and a renewed push to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

September 21st, 2009 Jets soar over Beijing as China prepares for Oct 1BEIJING — Dozens of fighter jets and other warplanes soared over Beijing on Monday as China stepped up preparations for the 60th anniversary of communist rule, tightening security with restrictions on knife sales and plans to ground flights on Oct. 1. The planes and helicopters flew in formation over Chang An Avenue, the major boulevard that runs east-west through the city and across the top of Tiananmen Square.

September 20th, 2009 China's Hu says maintaining growth will be arduousBEIJING — China's President Hu Jintao said Sunday the country faces difficult challenges in maintaining stable economic growth and social stability, and called for efforts to strengthen unity among the people. "The task of dealing with the blow of the international financial crisis and maintaining stable and relatively fast economic development is arduous," Hu said.

September 6th, 2009 Tanks out in Beijing in 60th anniversary rehearsalBEIJING — Tanks, armored personnel carriers and rocket launchers rolled along a major Beijing boulevard Sunday in practice for a parade next month to mark China's 60th anniversary. The main east-west artery of Beijing was closed for a rehearsal of the elaborate military parade planned for Oct.

August 28th, 2009 China holds National Day rehearsal paradeBEIJING — Beijing closed down its streets overnight Friday in the heart of the city near Tiananmen Square as tens of thousands of people joined in the first dress rehearsal for China's 60th anniversary parade. On Oct. 1, the People's Republic of China celebrates six decades since its founding.

August 25th, 2009 LONDON - China has declared that President Hu Jintao will oversee an enormous military parade on Tiananmen Square to mark the 60th year of Communist Party rule without any interruption due to rains during the October's National Day parade. Anti-rain rockets would be ready for the celebration, said Zhang Qiang, the deputy head of the Beijing's "Weather Modification" office.

July 23rd, 2009 China's leaders seek economic stabilityBEIJING — China's powerful Politburo said Thursday that economic stability and the success of a $586 billion stimulus package are top priorities ahead of the 60th anniversary of Communist rule in October. A partial transcript of a Politburo meeting was read on state-run China Central Television's evening news broadcast, declaring it "vitally important to have the economic work done well" in the second half of the year when the anniversary is celebrated.

April 28th, 2009 China launches security campaign for anniversaryBEIJING — China announced plans Tuesday to ramp up public security ahead of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Communist nation, after a similar campaign last year for the Olympic Games. The security campaign, which starts in May, is aimed at ensuring "a steady and harmonious social environment" for celebrations slated for Oct.

April 25th, 2009 Falun Gong in HK marks 10th anniversary of protestHONG KONG — Hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners have demonstrated in Hong Kong to mark the 10th anniversary of a protest by 10,000 members of the group in Beijing that led to its banning on the Chinese mainland. Organizer Kan Hung-cheung says about 700 people took part in the march Saturday to Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong.

April 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - China will display its nuclear-powered submarines for the first time in history during a fleet parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Chinese navy's missile destroyer 115 Shenyang is docked at Qingdao Port for an international fleet review.

December 30th, 2008 BEIJING - China Wednesday commemorated the 30th anniversary of the announcement of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan that ended its military confrontation with Taipei. In the message, 30 years ago, China proposed to end the military confrontation across the Taiwan Strait through dialog and welcomed exchanges between the two sides.